Newsletter and Grammar Coach

No bride expects a wedding dress bought off the rack to fit properly on wedding day without alteration. Tuxedos likewise need the expertise of a tailor in order to look their best. The tailors who make those refinements are doing so to benefit the consumers of those goods.

While garment tailors work with needles, thread and sewing machines, the tools of the trade are computers, Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat for a different type of “tailor” — manuscript editors. Writers and publishing organizations hire editors to find and rectify errors in grammar, syntax, logic, character development and editorial style. But regardless of who is signing the paycheck, an editor always is working on behalf of one usually unseen person: the reader.

Just as a tailor’s main objective is helping consumers look good in garments, an editor ultimately functions as an advocate for the reader. The editor’s job is to help readers derive knowledge and enjoyment from written content — depending upon the purpose of the content — by making it as intelligible as possible.

Writers know what they intend to say. Something that makes sense to an author may be puzzling to some readers, however. Writers may be too close to the material to recognize flaws that can compromise intelligibility for readers who are less familiar with the subject matter. The role of the editor is to identify and fix weaknesses that can impede understanding.

In some instances the culprit may be excessively long sentences or mangled syntax. Dangling modifiers and unclear pronouns can create confusion. So can pretentious wording that appears less intent on clarity than on demonstrating the breadth of the writer’s vocabulary.

A good editor serves the interests of the writer as well as the reader by refining text to eliminate ambiguity and cumbersome wording.

Of course, an editor must remain mindful of the objectives of the writer and the organization that is publishing or distributing the written work. Whether the objective of the written piece is to promote a new program, announce the appointment of a newly hired staff member or reveal a new scientific discovery, the editor should make certain that the written work conveys that message clearly and convincingly.

At the same time, fulfilling the “reader advocate” role requires a conscientious editor to try to anticipate questions that readers likely will have, and to determine if the content adequately responds to those questions. An editor who notices any potential “holes” in subject matter is obligated to bring such shortcomings to the attention of the writer.

Editors are not expected to have all-encompassing knowledge about a particular topic, but must have the ability to recognize when something sounds questionable. Unfamiliarity with subject matter can be advantageous because that enables an editor to empathize with the reader. If text fails to explain a point adequately or answer a question clearly, the reader likely will be confused or unsatisfied. A good editor is to some extent a skeptic, cynical and questioning.

Conscientious editors search not only for extraneous material to remove, but also for important information that may be missing.

To work constructively, an editor must have a clear understanding of the intended readers, and the purpose of the piece of writing. For example, is it supposed to be informative, persuasive, balanced, sophisticated, or enjoyable? Consider the familiarity of the audience with the subject matter. And be empathetic.

An editor should understand how the writer would like readers to respond, and tailor the text accordingly.

Writing can be an exercise of self-discovery that some people find cathartic. Introspective explorations can be helpful not only for a writer, but also for others. With that in mind, first-time author Denver J. Hamilton turned to EditPros’ BookPrep service to help him publish Addiction: What I Wish I Could Tell My Father, his first-person account of how he, as a colorblind and tone-deaf artist and musician, learned to cope with depression, anxiety, poor self-image, and thoughts of suicide.

Our BookPrep service helps authors by formatting their content for printing and e-book creation, and enables authors to function as their own publisher and manage pricing and distribution of their own books.

What began as social drinking and occasional experimentation with drugs quickly devolved into the author's hopeless addiction to alcohol and a dependence on self-medicated, hallucinogen-guided psychotherapy. As he teetered on the brink of mental collapse, an unexpected turn of events led Denver Hamilton down a path to recovery.

He achieved rehabilitation by enlisting in military basic training, through which he gained a survival mechanism to hide the mistakes of his past. Subsequent therapy uncovered his deepest, darkest secrets that once fueled his substance abuse. Denver then realized that the only way to truly break his addiction for good was to admit to his parents and brother what he had hidden from them his entire life. Written as a letter to his father, Addiction: What I Wish I Could Tell My Father takes readers through Denver's childhood, his parents' divorce, sibling rivalry, bullying, and his feelings of inadequacy of never living up to their expectations. The book serves as a guide for anyone struggling with addiction or for families that want to regain the closeness they once had with each other.

As part of the BookPrep package, EditPros professionally formatted the interior pages of Hamilton’s book and readied the work for print publication. Although the BookPrep package includes cover design, Hamilton already had designed his book cover. EditPros formatted and converted the book files into the e-book format for sale through Amazon (Kindle), Apple (iBooks), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and Kobo, by means of submission to IngramSpark's e-book service.

This is the 48th book that BookPrep has produced for authors during the past seven years. With BookPrep, authors retain all rights to their books, and collect 100 percent of sales royalties.

We invite you to LEARN MORE about the EditPros BookPrep service.

Fran B. wrote:

The grammar coach replies:

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Are you perplexed by some aspect of grammar or word usage? Don't be shy! Ask the "grammar coach" at EditPros and we'll try to help — at no charge, just for the sport of it.

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