Marketing News & Digital Marketing Strategy

Should You Hire An Editor To Review Your Copy?

By EPR Editorial TeamOctober 19, 20092 min read

Should You Hire An Editor To Review Your Copy?

Share

In today's fast-paced environment a lot of material is published before anyone (other than the original author) ever sees it. Is this a good thing? Are editors still necessary? While many would argue that the ease of publishing material today has eliminated the need for editors, I would tend to disagree. In my opinion, editors still have a vital role to play in today's public relations environment. Plus, the lack of an editor usually shows. I can't even begin to count the number of typos that I've noticed on news stories, blog posts, and company websites. Having worn several hats in this industry (having been both a writer and editor as well as a small business owner myself), I can look at this issue from several angles. From the perspective of a business owner, the need for content, particularly online content, is often immediate. As a result, writers who specialize in online content are usually in a hurry. While that hurry means that the content gets published faster, it also means that a writer is much more likely to make a mistake. Hiring an editor can add cost to a project as well as slow it down. Usually, adding an editor means another person to pay. For these reasons (and others), companies operating on a low budget may choose to do without an editor. Speaking as a writer, I know that even in the best of circumstances it is not always easy to catch your own mistakes. When rereading your own words there's a natural tendency to see what you think that you wrote rather than what you actually did write. Frankly, I appreciate it when a "different set of eyes" is available to look over my work. Editors can add the following value to any public relations project:

Reduce the number of typographical errors
Suggest additions or enhancements to a piece
Reword awkward phrases

In addition, an editor may also be able to contribute the following:

Check facts
Suggest ideas for new content

By the way, lest you be tempted to think that typos aren't really important consider this - a typo is often the difference between being accurate and being inaccurate. A misplaced decimal, a simple misspelling, or a missing word can totally alter your intended message. For example, $2000 is entirely different from $20.00. The decimal makes a huge difference in meaning. What do you think? Should public relations agencies employ editors? Do you have an editor review your content before it is published?

TagsMarketing News & Digital Marketing Strategy PR News

Written by

EPR Editorial Team

EPR Editorial Team - Author at Everything Public Relations