No one should submit a piece of writing without having edited the final draft. Instructors can be very picky, and if they see issues in flow, transitions, logic, sentence structure, and punctuation, grades will be lowered.
Editing is a critical step in creation of a final written product. But the writer of that piece may not be the best editor – he is often too “close” to the product to be objective and able to find key errors.
What does edit mean in writing? Basically, it involves cleaning up a rough draft before it is submitted or published.
Just What is Editing and Why is It Important?
If you are asking what editing means in writing process and what is the difference between revising and editing, here is a basic definition of the role of editing.
Writing process involves topic selection, research if required, formulating some type of graphic organizer, and then writing a draft.
Once that first draft is complete, editing process begins. The short definition of the process is reviewing texts and correcting any issues or errors.
To understand exactly what is the editing process in detail, it involves the following:
- Correcting any issues with organizational structure – logical flow of ideas and their relevance to the thesis.
- Making sure there are solid transitions between paragraphs and sections.
- Correcting any issues with sentence structure and variety.
- Reviewing for word usage.
- Ensuring the introduction is engaging and there is a solid thesis statement.
- Reviewing the conclusion to make certain it reinforces the thesis statement.
Now, how comfortable are you in doing all this by yourself?
Why It Is Better for Someone Else to Edit Your Academic or Professional Writing
There is an old saying – “the lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” He may understand his case and the law, but he cannot be objective and emotionally “removed” from it. He needs to hire another lawyer.
Likewise, your understanding of what does editing mean in writing does not make you the person to edit your own work. Like the lawyer, you are emotionally connected to your piece of writing; you may not have writing skills and expertise to perform an edit of your rough draft.
For these two reasons alone, you need a different set of eyes on your work. And that different set of eyes needs to have not only expertise in academic and professional writing but also a successful history in editing and deep understanding of the difference between editing and proofreading and other similar processes.
How to Find Professional Services
You can Google such services, and you will get thousands of results. Some will come from freelance sites such as Upwork. Most, though, will come from online writing services that provide editing and proofreading services along with their other array of products and services.
Certainly, you can access websites of any number of these companies. They will all say the same thing – they have expert editors and proofreaders that will be able to take your rough draft and turn it into a polished piece of work.
So, which one do you trust?
Your Best Option
Before you select a writing service for your needs, check our writing service review sites. Here you will find factual and objective reviews of editing services. You will have real customer feedback; you will have a rundown of the background and qualifications of editors; you will get information on pricing and more.
Top Writers Review is one such writing service review resource that provides summary evaluations of online writing companies and rates them in all categories. You are bound to find a solution for your needs here.
Posted by Chris M.