As a blogger, being a good writer is not enough. You have to be able to edit your work as well. Your work is being viewed by millions of internet users so you cannot afford to slack when it comes to language use. You need to learn how to notice small grammar mistakes, know how sentence structures work, use words that communicate to a number of audiences and point out the strong points of the story as well as the flaws.
So, with that said, what makes a good editor?
- One should be a reader and a researcher. He/ she should have that reading culture cultivated in them. They should have the patience to read through a give copy and put themselves in the writer’s shoe in an effort to see what the writer wants to portray. They should respect the author’s style of writing and make suggestions on how to improve the copy instead of changing the whole thing. They also do research in order to verify the facts.
- A good editor should be a critical thinker. He should be able to analyze a copy and differentiate good writing from mediocre writing. He should have a sharp eye for detail, be organized and be able to recognize gaps in a copy and therefore filling them.
- A good editor should be aware that audience communication is paramount. As a result they should be able to know what the audience needs – whether a story is a good fit for them or not. The information in the copy should communicate, that is, the audience should understand whatever information you are trying to convey therefore making it easier for them to give feedback. As a result, it is very important to package information for the specific audience.
- Good editors are organized. They know how their sentences flow and how their paragraphs sync with one another to create a masterpiece. They keep their research notes handy just in case they need them in future. He or she is also able to give a solid reason behind their suggestions and changes because they have thoroughly done their research and also they know what it is they are doing.
- Good editor is a people person. He /she should be able to work with people from all walks of life without any issue. He understands them and tries his hardest to make sure that their needs are accommodated. He / she should understand that working with people and listening to their suggestions makes you a better editor.
- He/she is disciplined. They meet deadlines and send your copy back on time.
Do you have these qualities? What about the person who edits your blog post before you post them? If not you should start thinking of how you can incorporate the few tips above to make your posts better that they already are.