Stylistic Editing in Writing Process

 By Nancy Sequeira

She determines her role on a project in an effort to set up the editing goals.  If provided with a complete manuscript, she begins by reading the entire work first. 

Rosemary continues editing text on-screen and in print, making time to set aside the exercise. She returns to the routine after a little rejuvenation. Although she rarely performs her warm-up consistently for all projects, Rosemary does not push the editing bar, aware that her weights are in the gym bag, always ready for another workout. Just like Rosemary, all editors carry the same gym bag for every job. The fundamentals of editing are always used no matter what differences are encountered on a project. The editor’s role may change with the project, team players, editing style, budget, and schedule, but editors have transferable skills for all types of genres.

Copyediting involves correctness of the text, grammar, and consistency. Does the writing follow standards and guidelines for spelling, cultural, and historical influences? In contrast, substantive editing involves whole macro editing. Does the work have a beginning and an ending? Is there pacing, momentum, logic, and clarity? This type of editing allows you to create a dialogue with the writer to resolve editing issues. The responsibility of stylistic editing varies when there is more than one editor or writer on a team. If you are the sole writer on a project, copy editing and stylistic editing are achieved simultaneously. 

A writer is sometimes both editor and writer on a project, but each hat is worn at a different time, and each one evokes a distinct personality. Stylistic editing involves the flow and clarity of writing. How clear is the text in the first read? Is the work effective and enjoyable? If a reader must re-read a text more than once, the writer has failed. Using strategic writing techniques, editors prune paragraphs, sentences, and words. An editor works out the writing. This may involve the use of particular word choice with non-biased language. 

Before you begin editing, consider your task, the reader, and the media. A book’s purpose may be to inform, entertain, persuade, teach, or enhance. Each purpose dictates a different technique in the way information is presented. Editors determine their role in the project by defining roles of a project team and their specific role in the editing situation. Are there authors, publishers, writers, and so on, and what are their roles? An editor who works with an author cannot govern the project. However, an editor becomes the driving force when authors, book publishers, and writers are hired to create a book derived from an idea. 

Editors perform audience analysis when editing. Their personal experience, or the experience of the writer, is useful to the reader, but the reader’s experience is the most important. Part of audience analysis is the tone of the written work. Is it politically correct, culturally aware, and non-condescending? 

The media of a work dictates the type of content. For example, a book needs sustained pace, momentum, and interest as compared to a magazine article, brochure, or brief. The print world requires writing in a linear way, whereas the web requires immediate and accessible information. Changes in the way information is retrieved on the web may change the way we organize and relay printed information. The medium influences the editing. For example, compare paragraphs in a book with columns in a magazine. 

Stylistic editing encourages you to use many and changing sentence types. Strong writing neither requires conjunctions nor desires boring verbs because in successful writing, words point and ideas resonate. Editing does not change the meaning but makes the information more accessible. Stylistic editors understand the rhythm in sentences and use precise words to avoid adverbs or adjectives in their writing. The skillful use of ordinary common words is more effective than demonstrating pedantry. 

Concerned with producing work on time and on budget, a good editor does not hesitate to make changes when unsure. They improve a writer’s draft by condensing without eliminating meaning. Their aim is to improve the work’s integrity because words are powerful and illuminating opportunities to communicate ideas with force. Good writing offers no transitions between ideas and words, so edit as you would think and speak: consciously and with effect.

This article has been reprinted with permission from the June 2005 issue of Superscript, STC Alberta Chapter Newsletter. This article may have gone through some editorial changes in compliance with the editorial policy of Indus.

Nancy Sequeira is a Senior Technical Writer in Calgary, Alberta. With ten years in creative writing, business writing, and technical writing, she is still learning to become a good writer. Should you have comments or concerns regarding this article, contact her at nancy.sequeira@windriver.com.