Editing

The verb edit is defined in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language as follows: “1a. To prepare (written material) for publication or presentation, as by correcting, revising, or adapting.… c. To modify or adapt so as to make suitable or acceptable. 2. To supervise the publication of (a magazine, for example)” (http://Dictionary.com, 2003, n.p.).

The word editor first came into use around 1712, and the French word editer was established in 1784. By 1793, the word edit was connected with the publishing process (Dictionary.com, 2003, n.p.).

Today's public relations professionals use editing in many kinds of publications, including newspapers, newsletters, annual reports, brochures, and news releases.

In his article, “Protect Your R.E.P.! Revise, Edit and Proofread,” Philip Vassallo stated that many factors are involved in the writing process, among them editing. Editing corrects for good sentence structure, proper word and grammar usage, and correct spelling of words and people's names. One way to check written documents is by reading them aloud several times for errors.

The revising process is an important part of the editing process. No document is ever final. One must revise several times to improve one's work and make it less confusing and reader-friendly. This process is sometimes time consuming, but it has great payoffs.

Stylebooks such as the The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law and The Elements of Style are helpful resources for editing. Both books deal with proper writing style and word usage. The importance of editing, revising and rewriting are all explained in the stylebooks. They help guide writers in the right direction by showing them a simple, comprehensive way to produce their work. With careful editing, not only is writing easy to read, but it is more widely understood.

Public relations professionals know the importance of editing. Pieces such as annual reports, brochures, and proposals all require thorough editing before the final document is printed and read by the public.

Whether the writing job is big or small, editing is necessary. Although it often requires effort and time, it is a major part of the writing and publication process. No writer can assume that his or her work is accurate and error-free on the first draft. One should always carefully read one's work and correct errors. Using multiple editors is also a good tactic.