Why does an author or organization need an editor when spell-check and grammar software are built into every computer? Well, the English language is more of an art than a science. Clear, flowing, and nuanced narrative is the provenance of the editor. Even today, there is no software program to substitute for a good, trustworthy editor, someone who is your champion, advocating your work with publishers, contracts managers, publicists, and sales reps.

An author or organization working closely with an editor affords the advantages of presenting a good impression with prose and the narrative. Prospective publishers or a publishing partner will take notice. Even the most experienced writers require a second pair of eyes to investigate the text, someone who bears witness to the eye of the publisher and the general reader. This is where a trusted editor is helpful.

Does this editor seem compatible? Are you both congenial? Do you trust what s/he says? A good editor offers clear advice and does not go beyond your province. Respecting boundaries with one another is essential.

Editing has rules about form and style. Yet they are not inviolate. A good editor makes exceptions to the rules, perhaps prescribed in Webster’s or The Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition. The editor asks the author about their meaning and context. Their answer will tell all. Words count. Punctuation counts. Grammar counts, yet it may be flexible . . . in some cases.

The editor’s relationship with an author or client is built on a platform of trust and experience. As a counselor, the editor guides shaping and organizing the narrative, achieving clarity of information and a flowing storyline that informs and inspires. The editor suggests ways to fine-tune the content, the sentence structure, word use, and descriptions to animate the impact of the text. In some cases, the editor may guide the rewrite, complete the rewrite.

Once the author and editor have created a polished proposal, the editor/packager presents this to selected publishers, then manages the author’s relationship with the publisher through development of the manuscript, art, and supplementary material. In some cases, the editor/packager will manage the project through production, collaborating with a gifted graphic designer to lay out the book and delivering the final printer files to the publisher.