The joys of editing

I chatted with former Sydney Morning Herald sub-editor and journalist Katrina Lobley recently about the Editing Essentials seminar she runs at the Sydney Writers' Centre. Here’s what she had to say:

Valerie: What do you enjoy most about presenting the Editing Essentials seminar?
Katrina: Editors everywhere essentially face the same problems in turning a piece of writing into a copy that sparkles. It's great to share a few tips that can make that process so much simpler - and even fun.

Valerie: What are some simple things people can do to ensure they are editing work documents effectively?
Katrina:
1. Understand the basics of punctuation and grammar. Do a refresher course if you have to. This is a strong foundation that will make the rest of the editing process easier.

2. Always tailor your editing/writing to your target audience. Clearly determine who your readers are and work out the best way to communicate with them. So while it’s important to understand the “rules” of grammar and punctuation you need to know when to be flexible, depending on your target audience.

3. Keep it simple. Writers sometimes have a tendency to overwrite or use excessive language. Editing work documents effectively means knowing how to cut through the fluff and get to the point.

Valerie: Finally, what do you enjoy personally about the editing process?
Katrina: Editing can sometimes be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are so many pleasures to be found in helping to bring out the best in a writer's work. Sometimes writers recognise that their writing has been improved thanks to good editing yet, at the end of the day, it's the readers that count most to an editor.

Readers can't possibly know what role the editor has played in producing a piece of writing, but they should always be at the top of an editor's mind as they work through a document. Learning how to edit well has also improved my own writing.

If you’d like more information about the Editing Essentials seminar, please call us on (02) 9929 9237 or visit our website.