my philosophy

“Doctors do not operate on themselves and few hairdressers successfully do their own hair.  Why, then, do authors think they can correct their own words?”

These are words spoken by one of my earliest mentors and, while the analogy stretches some parallels, they do raise a valid point: that authors do too often think they can edit themselves, or rather, their own work.

Granted, some can self-edit to a degree; however, I have found throughout my editing career that most authors become too involved in and protective of their work to be objective and critical of it.  But, wait—I also think that that is the way it should be, because  no one  knows the dream, the intent, the labor of a product like its creator, its author.

That is why I like to work so closely with the authors of projects—and why I search out team members who feel similarly.

For most projects, we follow  a multi-step editorial process  that encourages maximum interaction. The technique and steps we use on your project, of course, will depend on our mutual agreement.  But, rest assured, we will not ever force you or trick you or convince you into more changes, more work, or more expense than we think you need.

And, true confession: I try not to edit my own writings—I admit to being a little too protective myself!

Teamwork is our goal

Working together, with you is our priority; so, if you’re looking for a team that will take your words and run, overpower your voice, and jump to conclusions without consultation: you should probably look elsewhere!

Team members at the-freelance-editor pride themselves in collaborating, including you as a part of the team. And, don’t worry: if we don’t “get” each other after one round, we’ll try again the next round. We enjoy teamwork, collaboration for the sake of creating the best product possible: we will strive

• to identify and address your roadblocks and challenges,
• to discover your strengths and your weaknesses (and put them to work),
• to create a plan that incorporates your ideas to reach (or exceed) your goals—and, finally,
• to celebrate your victories.

Getting to know us?

And, that is my—our—general philosophy on writing relationships, and even (if you clicked the link above) a short discussion on our techniques for “typical” situations.

To learn more about me, the-freelance-editor, and my qualifications, use links from the drop-down menus—including “Why use a freelance editor (at all)?” and “our specialties”—and remember to explore our “About the-freelance-editor” page, as well. If nothing else, I’ve posted a current resume and some samples of my work for review as you find time.

Then, if you want to know still more, get in touch! We look forward to meeting you and to hearing about your project.

At the-freelance-editor, we work  with you—the author, the originator,
the content writer—and your team, to help you say what you want to say to the audience you want to reach.

So, get in touch—you won’t know how we can help you and your team until you do!

If you still have questions or concerns after exploring our site  or  if you’re ready to see how we can work together to reach your goals, contact us—whenever you’re ready.

Welcome!
You’ve found
the online home of
the-freelance-editor. 
As a professional freelance
editor (which means my services
are for hire by any person or
organization that needs them),
my goal, and the goal of my team,
is to collaborate with 
you—the author, the originator,
the content writer—to reach your
ultimate goals: 

(1) to say what you want to say
to the audience you want to reach
and 

(2) to have your readers
concentrate on your message,
not your mistakes. 

So, get in touch—you won’t
know how we can help you and
your team until you do!

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