 Do you work in a comms team and it’s always frantic? Or are you a copywriter and have more work than you can take on? Last-minute edits and proofreads need doing, but the next project has already arrived on your desk – with a tight deadline. Or you have several big projects on the go and your team just doesn’t have the time to spend on the nitty-gritty details. Or even, your team is great at the writing, but not so good at the details. But, it’s important that the copy is accurate and reflects well on your company. Consider outsourcing to an editor or proofreader to take the pressure off you and your team. Here are 5 reasons why this makes sense in today’s WFH culture. 1. Editors and proofreaders have specific skills
Writers are good at writing, focussing on the broad picture, on how to promote your brand and product. And while they will be good a spelling and grammar, there is more to editing than that. Professional editors have specific training in their craft, and have specific skills that content writers and copy writers don’t always learn, or want to learn. Editors and proofreaders are trained to check for consistency, whether the words work, and whether the message is what the writers thinks it is. They make sure that the company’s style and branding is reflected in the writing, and can make sure your company doesn’t breach any ethical, moral or legal boundaries. They keep up with all the latest word usage and grammar conventions (yes, language changes), and know how to format the words in the correct style. 2. It’s boring stuff that most people don’t want to do Let’s face it, editing and proofreading can be pretty dry and boring. But it’s the detail and nit-picky stuff that editors love. It’s hard to find people that can evaluate each word and consider whether it’s correct. Editors get excited when they find an obscure detail that most wouldn’t pick up. My favourite one was picking up an O for an 0 in a chemical formula. While most readers wouldn’t notice, the people for whom it’s important will. And while readers might not consciously pick up whether a date is written as ‘Wednesday 24 September’ in one place and ‘Wednesday, September 24th’ in another, they will unconsciously pick up the sloppy style and associate that with your company. (And did you pick up that 24 September isn’t even a Wednesday? An editor would check.) And they care. Sole business owners know that their business relies on doing a good job. They want to get repeat business, or word-of-mouth referrals, so they are going to put the effort in. When hiring a freelance editor, you will know that they are putting 100% effort into delivering copy that’s as accurate as they can get it. 3. You get a fresh pair of eyes Remember the time when you wrote an email, hit send, and then you noticed the typo? Or, worse, someone else pointed it out to you? That’s because your brain tells you what you want to know, and not what’s actually on the page. It’s a good idea to have someone outside your business to check that what you want to say is what’s on the page, in the style you intended. Editors will discuss the project with you and get a detailed brief before starting so they know what your company values and purpose are. They can then give clear, unbiased and honest feedback. 4. You don’t have to pay a full-time salary, or all the extras Outsourcing gives you flexibility. You can outsource only when you need to. If you don’t have enough work to keep a full-time staff member busy, it makes sense to book in a freelance editor. There are no extras like KiwiSaver, holiday pay and sick leave to worry about, and no overheads like a desk, computer and ergonomic chair. The editor will only invoice you for their hours worked – and not the hour spent talking at the watercooler, or booking flights from their work PC. Even if their hourly rate is higher than the hourly rate your team members get (and remember, you are paying for their specific expertise), it will still work out being more cost-effective. And it takes a quiet room without distractions (not always easy in an office) to focus on the details – perfect for freelance editors working from home. 5. It allows your team to focus on your products and clients Your team members want to be focussing on the things that your business does, and do that well. If they can leave the detail to someone else, then they can focus on the next big project, and have the headspace to come up with new ways of engaging with your customers. What next? Got an unruly report that needs to be whipped into shape, or some untidy copy that needs some TLC? Get in touch today to enquire about my business editing and plain language services. For more information on how I can help you make your writing shine, please contact me. I would love to hear from you. Comments are closed.
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