Business editingWhy would a business use an editor?When your customers and prospects are reading your written material, you need them to understand and focus on the meaning of your message. They may well be busy people, and unless they can absorb each sentence quickly and at the first attempt, they can easily lose patience.
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Your written communications will only work for you if they’re clear, concise, complete, consistent, easy to read and tailored to your audience.
Professional editing can be a great help with things such as:
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‘Graham’s work has consistently been accurate, comprehensive and insightful. His can-do attitude and efficient approach make him a valuable asset to any publishing enterprise.’ Editor, B2B content marketing agency |
It's easy to fall into common traps such as using your own jargon instead of the customer’s language, using ‘big’ words to try to make a good impression, and not following a consistent and suitable style.
Also, avoiding errors will help your credibility: poor spelling or grammar is often a turn-off for potential customers.
If you’re a marketing, communications or PR firm, all of the above also applies to content that you write for your clients. Even a skilled copywriter needs to have their work checked, and I’m sure you realise that the end product needs to be of a high quality.
Your internal communications also need to be clear, concise and easy to follow. Otherwise your staff or colleagues will collectively waste hours trying to understand them, and waste both their time and yours by asking for clarifications.
Also, avoiding errors will help your credibility: poor spelling or grammar is often a turn-off for potential customers.
If you’re a marketing, communications or PR firm, all of the above also applies to content that you write for your clients. Even a skilled copywriter needs to have their work checked, and I’m sure you realise that the end product needs to be of a high quality.
Your internal communications also need to be clear, concise and easy to follow. Otherwise your staff or colleagues will collectively waste hours trying to understand them, and waste both their time and yours by asking for clarifications.
What I can do for you: my usual service
My usual business editing service will provide value by refining and polishing your writing, bringing clarity and smoothness to it.
I’m trained and experienced in the art of checking for errors, inconsistencies, ambiguities, omissions, distractions, unhelpful jargon, redundant words and other flaws – and I know how to fix these problems.
I’m trained and experienced in the art of checking for errors, inconsistencies, ambiguities, omissions, distractions, unhelpful jargon, redundant words and other flaws – and I know how to fix these problems.
I can do any or all of the following, according to your needs:
- Improve the quality, clarity, readability and conciseness of your written material
- Fix errors and inconsistencies in spelling, grammar and punctuation
- Make sure the material is suited to your target audience (this can include reshaping it into plain English if needed – see ‘Other needs’ below)
- Make sure it follows a suitable style
- Highlight suspected factual errors (although I don’t offer a full fact-checking service, I will report anything that strikes me as being potentially wrong)
- Advise you on structure, layout and formatting
Other needs
If you’re aiming at a wide or non-specialist audience, plain English can make a big difference to the impact your content will have. I can help with this, as described here: just mention it when asking for a quote, and I'll include it, perhaps as an optional extra.
For a designed publication, such as a brochure or client magazine, I can copy-edit the content before it’s converted into its final format for publishing, and/or proofread the formatted version afterwards. This is similar to the work I do for publishers.
Could your document benefit from a high-level editorial review before you prepare it to send to an editor for a detailed check? My document assessment service can do this for you. Otherwise, the editor may end up poring over large chunks of text that really should be deleted or rewritten – it's more efficient if these are identified earlier on. I’ll give you a report with advice on how you can improve your document in various ways, such as:
I can also create or enhance a style guide, to help you to define a consistent style for your written material.
Please note: I don’t write content from scratch – for that, you’d need a copywriter.
For a designed publication, such as a brochure or client magazine, I can copy-edit the content before it’s converted into its final format for publishing, and/or proofread the formatted version afterwards. This is similar to the work I do for publishers.
Could your document benefit from a high-level editorial review before you prepare it to send to an editor for a detailed check? My document assessment service can do this for you. Otherwise, the editor may end up poring over large chunks of text that really should be deleted or rewritten – it's more efficient if these are identified earlier on. I’ll give you a report with advice on how you can improve your document in various ways, such as:
- structure
- formatting and layout
- content and its relevance to the reader
- language use, tone, clarity and flow
- consistency
- reader engagement
- presentation of data, and use of figures and tables
- insensitive language
- potential legal or ethical issues.
I can also create or enhance a style guide, to help you to define a consistent style for your written material.
Please note: I don’t write content from scratch – for that, you’d need a copywriter.
Why choose me?
I’m highly experienced in working with business customers as well as publishers. I’ve edited well over a hundred business reports, and worked extensively on things like marketing materials, business guides and personnel profiles. I understand what businesses need in their written materials, and how an editor should deal with them. To find out more, please take a look at the About page.
Keeping it confidential
As an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), with its Professional Practice Code, I assure you that I’ll respect the confidentiality and commercial sensitivity of any material you share with me. I’ll gladly sign a suitable confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement if you ask me to.
▶️ Please get in touch and tell me about the content that you’d like some help with.
