You’re not the first person to think that an independent editor is out of the question. Here are some common reasons for not hiring an editor, together with how to address them so that you can deliver all the benefits for your organization:
- The document is highly confidential and for legal reasons can’t be sent to anyone outside the company. This is what non-disclosure agreements are for. And if that isn’t possible, it’s a good reason to hire an in-house editor, because when something that important hits the world, any problems with it will become very big problems indeed.
- The text needs to be ready within an hour. This happens, and it’s why you should establish a good working relationship with a professional editor – or more than one. Any company that might need to draw up contracts on very short order keeps a contract lawyer on retainer; editors are much less expensive and no less necessary. Build one into your process.
- Junior staff members can proofread it. Giving the work to a junior member of staff may help them learn the business, but if you were running a restaurant, would you hand your best sauté pans to a new hire who is still learning the trade and then give what they create directly to your most important customer? You’ll create more editing disasters than you avoid.
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