What's the trouble with self-editing?

Writing & Editing aren't the same jobs!

No matter what any client tells you, don't let them tell you that you are responsible for editing your own stuff.

Now, this doesn’t mean a writer can’t be an editor. On the contrary. Writers make the best editors because they are familiar with how to structure a piece, grammar rules, and all the tidbits that go into crafting masterpieces.

My argument isn’t that writers shouldn’t edit. My argument is that writers shouldn’t be responsible for editing the final version of THEIR OWN WORK.

WHAT?!?! WHY!?!?!

Because the brain works in mysterious ways, and neuroscience tells us if we try and edit our own work, we will inevitably miss things we wouldn’t miss if someone else had written it.

Brain scientist, Tom Stafford, provides a more scientific look into why self-editing isn't a foolproof process in "Why It's So Hard To Catch Your Own Typos." You can read the whole article on Wired, but here's the gist.

Writing is a high-level task (aka takes up a lot of focused brainpower). When our brains are working on the high-level job of writing, they do two things. One, they work hard to convey meaning, and they also map out a destination for a story. When our brains are focused on meaning and mapping, they naturally generalize smaller tasks like grammar and spelling, making us gloss over even the simplest of errors.

Seriously. Ever had some hoity-toity Hermione Granger point out an “it’s” where you should have written an “its,” and then you put your palm to your face, and feel like a dummy?

Well, here's some good news. You didn’t make this error because you’re dumb and suck at grammar and need to go back to second grade. You missed it because you’re smart, and your brain is engaged in a high-level task. You rock!

Let's move on to why it's easy to see others' mistakes (and others to see our errors).

When others read our work, their brains aren't responsible for the heavy-duty task of conveying meaning or mapping out a cohesive journey. These readers are relaxed, first-timers with fresh minds.

As such, their brains are capable of seeing those smaller details, and an “it’s” that should have been an “its” will stick out like a sore thumb.

WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN? WHAT IS THE TAKEAWAY?

It means every writer needs an editor (one that is not yourself). All writers need an editor. All of them. Even me. Even you. Even J.K. Rowling.

It also means that you should advocate for yourself when you sign a new client and tell them they need to hire an editor.

WHAT’S THE SECOND BEST EDITING OPTION?

Look. Not all clients are going to have an editor on the team. And, even though it’s a bad idea, a lot of your clients will expect you to edit all your own work. Boo.

The next best option is to sign up for the Premium version of Grammarly (affiliate). Grammarly is an online editing tool that catches those silly mistakes your brain doesn’t see. Ultimately, Grammarly helps you polish your work, so sign up for an account.

Whatever you do, remember it's natural to miss mistakes in your own work. To ensure a polished final version, make sure you have a human editor on your team or an AI tool like Grammarly to help you catch mistakes.

Onward, friends!  Please feel free to check out my freelance writing resources if you're interested in growing your business and fine-tuning your processes. Or don't. I'm not the boss of you.