Editing is truly an art. As an editor, you are responsible for making a piece of writing as sound as possible. So not only do you need to check for spelling and punctuation errors, but you also have to check to see if the flow of writing is alright. In this guide, William Schantz takes you through a few skills you need to become a good editor.
Characteristics of Good Editors
Here are a few of the most common characteristics of editors.
1. Sound Linguistics
It goes without saying that you need to have sound linguistic skills if you want to be an editor. You need to know basic English grammar, tenses, punctuation and so on. Not just that, but you also need to know what makes a piece of writing interesting. That way, you can do justice to your job as an editor.
2. Reading Comprehension
You need to be able to read and decipher the meaning from what you are doing. The best way you can do so is by being an avid reader yourself. When you read a lot, it helps you understand what is required from you, which helps you slowly work your way through what you want. William Schantz says that you can only edit well when you fully understand what the writer is trying to say.
3. Attention to Detail
As an editor, you need to pick out even the smallest things that you think don’t sound right and work your way through those. For this, you need to have a keen eye for detail and must be able to point out things that you think don’t seem put well into place. That way, you can work towards what is required of you. As a successful editor, you should be able to skim through a written piece and point out what you think needs to be changed.
4. Timeliness
William Schantz says that time management is one of the most important character traits you need to have, regardless of the profession that you are in. This means you need to plan out things very well and then work towards what you want. Understand that you will have many fast-approaching deadlines. You need to be one first to understand this well and then slowly work your way through being organized also to help you get the most done in the least amount of time.
5. Creativity
You need to also be able to think out of the box if you wish to become an editor. To make a piece of writing worth it, you have to be able to think in a way that allows you to do just that. Think of how you can breathe life into written text. William Schantz says that being a wizard of words will work in your favor if you wish to work your way through things well.
Final Words by William Schantz
With these editorial skills pointed out, you can work hard toward what you want, which can eventually allow you to achieve a lot.