Latest News: Currently working on several editing and content writing projects. One of them is Evolwing, which is a group led need-of-the-hour initiative related to mental health and wellbeing.

What I do, and why I love it…
Written By: Neda Shams

I have always been a passionate reader.

As s kid, I used to hide books and novels in my school bag and finish up more than my library’s share in a week. Every child answers with a profession when asked what they wanted to become after growing up. This answer is usually a result of what makes a child happy when they think about doing something.

For me, this answer was a teacher. I used to say teacher because I loved words.

I’ve always loved writing and playing with words to make them sound poetic and molding them to bring out a deeper meaning. As I grew up, this passion slowly transformed into a genre called editing.

Editing is a vast and comprehensive term in itself, involving several steps and types depending on the depth and effort required. In basic terminology, however, editing is the process between the draft and the final piece. It can be editing of written work, as well as audio and visual elements. What I focus on is the editing of written content.

As mentioned earlier, there are several types of editing processes that depend on the amount and type of work required. Almost all editing processes call for a grammatical and analytical check whereby an editor checks for and corrects irregularities in spellings and structure, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies in facts.

Here’s a brief explanation of the four main types of editors and what they do:

• Developmental Editor: Developmental Editor focuses on the overall aspect of the content, and they aim to improve the readability and effectiveness of the message. The content they work with can be in the form of a book, a piece of writing, such as a blog post or website content, newspaper articles, or magazine articles. They work on not only the structural and formative inconsistencies and grammatical mistakes but also fix the tone and language of the draft. What makes their work more wholesome is their involvement in character development and suggestions. They also make additions to the content where required and help in making the final piece a well-rounded and impactful read.
• Copy Editor: Their work is similar to that of a developmental editor, just a bit less tedious and in-depth. Along with the general fixing of grammar, punctuation, structure, and tone, they do minor rephrasing and word improvement. It is easy to confuse a copy editor for a developmental editor, as the difference is predominantly in the thoroughness of the edit.
• Substantive editor: Their work is much the same as that of copy editors, with the addition of sentence rephrasing and correction of style and genre. They are also sometimes called line editors or content editors. Substantive editors do not make additions to the content, which makes them different from developmental editors. However, they do make improvements in the sentences without changing the course of writing and may have to rewrite large chunks of content to improve the flow and clarity.
• Proofreader: Last in the process of editing, proofreaders are also the fact-checkers in the process. They take a final view of the finished piece and correct any redundancies or grammatical/spelling mistakes. They also make sure that the facts mentioned are correct and taken from the right source. Their work is comparatively lighter, nonetheless important.

It is quite common for an editor of one niche to perform the tasks of other editing niches since they are so inter-related. It has more to do with how much one enjoys the process of editing and the satisfaction they feel at the outcome.

PUBLISHINGS

These are books Neda worked on as the Editor.

Neda Shams is a freelance Editor, Content Creator, and book enthusiast. She’s one of those book lovers who just can’t give up a paperback for a tablet or mobile screen. An avid reader and occasional poetry writer since her school days, she formally started her journey in the editing and writing field five years ago and have loved every bit of it. She loves petrichor, coffee, and an occasional reminiscence of childhood memories.

Other Written and Edited works include:

1. The Keepers of Tomorrow
4. Change towards Overall Well-being

For collaboration and edit works: CLICK HERE

Here’s how to be better

Develop the habit of reading: This goes without saying, but reading is the foundation of creating a mindset for editing. Reading is essential because:

• It helps in building a strong vocabulary and makes you fall in love with words.
• Teaches you the art of visualization and word formation.
• Provides the motivation to write. Reading frequently is a big factor in developing a personal writing style.

One of the habits that really helped me build my vocabulary was keeping a dictionary with me at all times. I used to look up words that I didn’t understand instantly and try to use them in my writing.

Educate yourself in the relevant field: Complete the basic level of education in a relevant field that will further enhance your editing skills. A Bachelor’s degree in Communication, English Literature, or Journalism is a good pick if you plan to pursue editing as a career.

Identify your personal style: Decide on the niche that you would like to work in. This refers to the type of editing you are most comfortable in, such as Developmental or Substantive, and the industry you are most informed in. For example, you could take up editing in the field of food, wherein you could only focus on developmental editing of content in the food industry. Narrowing down to a particular niche is effective as it ensures that you gain expertise in that field, and so become renowned for it among the said field’s clientele.

Value the experiences and start small: Don’t be afraid to start with a small project or a low paying job. The experiences of different projects will teach you invaluable lessons that will surely be an asset for future projects. Nobody starts with a dream project anyway, and the stepping stones are always the best lessons.

Keep yourself updated: The editing field is quite versatile. As technology is changing, so is the process of editing and its functionalities. There are many more tools and helpful resources available now to become better at the craft.