Editing Someone's Work

Editing a piece for someone can be a tricky process. The author put a lot of effort into their writing so it's important to try and give constructive feedback that's not going to feel like an attack. People are sensitive, when correcting their work you have to realize there's a fine line between being helpful, and being hurtful.

To give an example, I'll start with something simple. Let's say I'm reading someone's work and I come to a place where the writer accidentally used the word 'there' instead of 'their'. No big deal, all I have to do is circle the word and go over to the margin and write, "Please learn the correct form of the words 'there,their, and they're.' You don't have to look like an idiot." The 'please' right in the beginning of my comment will show them I'm being nice, and now that they know that, they can feel confident that I'm not going to attack them as they read the rest of my note.

Upon getting to the last part, where I tell them they don't have to look like an idiot, they'll feel really good because I'm giving them hope. Sure, they may look like an idiot now, but I'm showing them that it doesn't have to be that way. It doesn't take much to ensure that I not only give constructive criticism, but also end on an uplifting note.

As I continue critiquing their work, I also have to be on the lookout for grammatical errors and poor sentence structure. This is very important. If the reader can't understand what the author is trying to say, they can't enjoy the story. That's why, if I come across something like a run-on sentence, I have to make sure to point it out while continuing to remain as positive toward the writer's work as possible. To do this, I'll want to simply take a black marker and blotch out the entire sentence. Once this is done, I'll go to the margin and write, "If you're not going to do it right, don't do it at all."

The 'If' in the beginning of my comment lets the author know that the statement they are about to read is conditional. This will make them feel good right away because they'll know whatever I'm about to say in the comment could be reversed if they do something. It's that whole hope thing again. As they continue to read my note, they'll be happy I implied they should only quite writing if they aren't going to do it right. This means, of course, if they are going to do it right, then they should continue with their work. In one inspirational little comment, I'll have successfully motivated them to not only continue writing, but to do it right.

OK great, now I can feel really good about giving helpful feedback while being sensitive at the same time. What's more, since I completely blotched out the run-on, they don't have to look at it and feel like a failure anymore. I've saved them from that.

Finally, once I've gone through and edited the entire piece with respect and care, the last thing I have to do is give my overall impression of the writing. This is perhaps the most important part of the whole critique. The author is going to read this and hope the editor ends on a positive note about their work. They want to hear things like, "I loved this, I see this going far", or "You have a real vision and your wit is second to none" , or maybe even, "Are you God?" These are all great, but I can do even better by saying four simple words, "I-couldn't-finish-this." Upon seeing this, the author will be forced to really think about what my comment means. Could I not finish it because it was terrible? Or was it because I found it so emotional and touching that I couldn't go on? They may think the first choice is more likely, but there's still a slim chance it could be the second one. It's always nice to leave people with a good mystery.