How Editors Can Help – Part 1: What Do Editors Do?

Documentation is an essential element in any organization - process documents, procedures, marketing materials, product manuals… the list goes on. These documents are likely written by subject matter experts within the organization – industry professionals like engineers, developers, IT administrators, HR personnel, etc. who are knowledgeable in their field of work, but aren’t necessarily trained in writing or editing.  

Many companies may not have dedicated editors to review their documentation before distribution. While an organization might not need assistance with creating raw content (though editors can support this as well), employing a skilled and qualified technical editor can streamline the process, ensuring documentation is produced more quickly and with greater consistency. 

Editors vs. Content Developers 

Content developers are the subject matter experts. They have studied the topic they are writing about and know their stuff, but they may not know how to make a document as clear as possible for their audience or what to watch out for when it comes to style and grammar, as they are (usually) not trained in editing. And they shouldn’t be expected to – learning the nuances of editing and clear communication is not the best use of their time. 

This is where an editor comes in. But what do editors do? Editors are responsible for ensuring the final document is clear, concise, and consistent, while correcting any spelling and grammar mistakes. Editors can also be responsible for ensuring that a company’s documentation has one consistent voice and style across all documents. In cases where this may vary within an organization depending on the purpose or audience of the documents, a good editor will keep track of any differences and maintain the correct tone and style for each piece. 

Types of Editing 

I am using the word editor in this blog series as a catchall term, but there are actually a number of different types of editing. Here’s a brief rundown of the main types: 

It’s important to note that these terms are often used interchangeably by those who aren’t familiar with the differences (so someone asking for a proofread may actually be looking for a copyedit), or they all are lumped under the term “editing”. Some organizations may have different standards for what these types of editing involve, and often the tasks can overlap. 

At ASCENT, we provide technical writing and editing, which can encompass all of the tasks mentioned above, but with a focus on documents of a technical nature. We can provide editing, formatting, publishing, or complete authoring services for a number of document types, including product specifications, user guides, installation instructions, quick reference guides, standard operating procedures, software and online help documentation, etc. 

Do You Need an Editor? 

If your organization is struggling to produce clear and consistent documentation, hiring an editor may be your best next step. An editor can help your organization keep up with changes in regulations and standards, save you time when updating out-of-date documentation, and help you create accurate and clear documentation to avoid customer complaints. 

You may also want to consider hiring an editor if you find that your documentation process is taking longer than you’d like. Hiring an editor lets your team focus on their areas of expertise and producing the raw content needed for your documentation, instead of spending time struggling with applying standards and formatting documents. Our technical writers and editors at ASCENT can also help if you don’t have an in-house writing team or other technical resources to keep your content up to date. 

In my upcoming blog posts, learn how editors can help...

• Establish your style and standards (in Part 2).
• Implement your standards (in Part 3).