An Editor Should Be a Writer

I do both. In fact, all the editors on my staff also write. I believe that all editors should also be writers.

Not everyone agrees with me—mostly editors who don't write. I've seen many good pieces ruined by editors who understood vocabulary, grammar, and syntax but not writing. Being edited by someone who doesn't also write professionally can lead to wooden, uninteresting writing.

A copyeditor or proofreader is something different. That level of editing doesn't require writing abilities. But if the editor has any authority to change the content, you had better make sure he or she understands writing—not by reading it, but by writing it.

The Writer-Editor Relationship

I am regularly on both sides of this coin. If you are a freelance writer, there are some things you need to know about how editors think. I share a couple of them in this post.

Choose your battles. In the cosmic order of writing the big picture is most important. Don't expend your energy fighting for a word here or there, when there may be bigger issues of style or, especially, content you need to fight for. You can only move an editor so far. If you spend a lot of time getting him or her to concede on small things, he or she may be unwilling to listen to you if there are larger issues later.

Don't be defensive when you are defending things that are important to you. Editors have a lot of work to do and they detest working with difficult writers. If you do defend something, be courteous. Never get the reputation as a writer who is difficult to work with. With my editor's hat on, those kind of people just take too much time and energy. I remember one excellent writer who was a major pain on everything he wrote. Despite the fact that he was an excellent writer with something to say, I quit accepting his articles. I even remember a brand-new writer who put up such a fuss on the edits on his piece that we never published it.

Pick your battles, then wage them courteously. Editors will appreciate it and the door is more likely to stay open for you.