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Why writers need editors
Next time you read a best-selling book, check the acknowledgements. There’s almost always a thankyou to an editor. Thorough, competent editing is essential for anyone who wants their writing to make a good impression—whether it’s a poetry pamphlet, a corporate report, a family history, a novel, or a PhD dissertation.
Good editors care about their clients’ success. They aim to make your document the best it can be, because by helping your document fulfil its potential, they can help you fulfil yours. A professional editor won’t just make sure your work is free of embarrassing typos and grammar mistakes. They’ll also:
- make your writing clearer and more engaging
- make sure your language is suitable for your intended audience
- make you sound like a native English speaker even if you’re not (if that’s what you want)
- check that everything’s consistent, from the spelling to the storyline
- check that facts are correct and names are spelt right
- make sure your references or endnotes are complete and correct
- format your document neatly and consistently
- make sure your document follows industry conventions and your specified style guide in all aspects, including formatting, spelling, punctuation and language.
How I became a professional editor
Because of all the things editors do for their clients, a professional editor is far more than just a writer moonlighting for money to buy books. Editing is a complex skill in its own right. When I decided to become a professional editor, I had to complete a lengthy training course even though I was already an award-winning academic writer and poet.
I then gained broad experience by working with an editing agency as well as taking private work. This agency, Capstone Editing (sadly no longer taking clients), were thrilled with the quality of my work, and I rapidly became a senior editor.
Because I have a background in both the humanities and the sciences, my editing work benefits from creativity and broad reading as well as logic and meticulous attention to detail. I can provide detailed feedback to help you improve your writing skills and polish your work to the standard required for publication or competitions.
My skills and experience: from poetry editing to thesis editing
I have substantial experience in academic editing (including thesis and dissertation editing), fiction editing, non-fiction book editing, job application and resume editing, and corporate editing.
I’m particularly fond of poetry editing. As an award-winning, much-published poet, I understand what it takes to make a poem ring true. My clients have published books and won awards.
I cannot recommend Jackson more as a poetry editor.
Tineke Van der Eecken
If English isn’t your first language, I can use my ESL editing skills to make you sound like a native speaker. I’ve edited many ESL documents, from physics theses to novels.
I can work at whatever level you need: structural editing, developmental editing, substantive editing, copyediting, line editing, or proofreading.
Contact me today for a quote
Please send me a sample of your document and tell me the overall word count and what your goals are. If your document has figures, tables, equations or references, please tell me how many there are.
Jackson 