Your Organization Needs a Technical Editor: Here’s Why

• May 13, 2022
• 5 min read

The internet has enabled widespread access to information like no medium before it. It’s a lucrative space for business organizations, especially those in technical fields, to help their customer base to understand more about their products or services. And while many tech companies do have such a presence online, their content is often a wall of text, perhaps riddled with jargon, or is not properly crafted. (Writing, after all, isn’t often a technician’s field of expertise). This is where a technical editor comes into the picture. 

Who is a technical editor and what do they do? 

A technical editor, as the name suggests (pretty straightforward), checks for language and quality in technical writing. The degree of editing that a technical editor does could vary depending on how much the organization wants, but here are some of the things a technical editor does: 

• Ensuring consistency in grammar, spelling, and punctuation 
• Reviewing writing style, clarity, word choice, and usage 
• Making language suggestions to improve readability 
• Giving feedback on how to make jargon and proprietary information more accessible to laypeople 
• Formatting documents according to prescribed style guidelines 

Technical editors work on a variety of documents including manuals, technical reports, and online content. 

Why is it important for tech companies to work with editors? 

As a scientific researcher or a technical expert, you may find yourself short of the tools you require to communicate. Sure, you know what to say, but you may forget that how you say something is of equal importance. An editor can help you bridge the gap. 

Technical editors are committed professionals who improve your writing to make it error-free and interesting. They bring their language skills to your expertise, finding the right words for your ideas without compromising or diluting it. 

Reasons to hire a technical editor for your firm 

There are many editors who specialize in particular fields. There are, for example, editors who dedicatedly work on medical or legal documents. The most obvious advantage of working with such editors is that they are likely to not only understand your field of expertise, but also what it takes for a layperson to understand your work, research, or service offerings. Let’s explore some less obvious reasons closely. 

They understand your goals

The advantage of hiring an editor who is well-versed in the subject and writing conventions is that they understand your needs deeply. They recognize what you are trying to say while being sensitive to the fact that writing might not be your cup of tea. Editors are then the people who will guide your writing to the right audiences. 

Editors will be sensitive to your business goals and use language as an arsenal for your business to realize its business goals.

They can tell you if your writing is accessible

An editor is a support system, and an “objective” third party to tell you whether your information and the way you have chosen to present your information makes sense: the focus being logic, structural coherence, and clarity.  

The issue with technical writing is that it becomes tempting to use excessive jargon. While jargon is immensely useful internally, it just doesn’t translate when the same information is being written for the public. Excessive usage of jargon can sound alienating, or worse, exclusive.

An editor is a fresh pair of eyes that is also an expert 

An editor is a fresh pair of eyes for your work—even if your English is on point, a professional is far more efficient in identifying errors that you may have missed. They give your work a professional look. An editor, in addition to rectifying grammar and punctuation, will help you format your text so that it stands out. They are well versed in various style guides and will easily adapt to your requirements, or even suggest ways to arrange content to improve its readability. 

An editor will help you write better

They will help you expand your writing horizons and help you reach out to people in a more effective way. They will work alongside writers you have hired for your company to test their limits in finding innovative and interesting ways to present content. 

With their combined knowledge of the subject matter of the text and knowledge of language conventions, they will be an invincible ally.

They give your content a professional edge 

As we said easier, how you say something is of immense importance. An editor can help you narrow down on the tone and vocabulary you should use to ensure that your content does not come across as amateur or shabby. This is also true of presentation; they will help you curate and display your content in a way that exudes professionalism. 

Where can you find technical writers and editors? 

While editors and writers are in abundance, you may find it difficult to hire someone who is knowledgeable in both your niche as well as its writing conventions. Here are three routes you can take to hire technical editors and writers for your company: 

1. Hire an in-house editor: This is a great option to consider if you have a lot of documents that need reviewing. Having someone on the payroll means they also understand your operational processes in addition to the subject matter. What this means is that they can make the content personal and focused on your organization. 
2. Collaborate with a professional editing firm: A massive advantage of setting up a partnership with a professional editing firm is that they are likely to have experience in working with companies like you. They are well-versed in industry knowledge and provide insights about content presentation that you may not have thought of previously. Outsourcing editors also means that there’s a designated point of contact to take care of the logistics. 
3. Hire freelance technical editors: Working with freelancers is always a bit of a risk, but it’s also a big enough pool to find an editor who works in your exact niche. With an editor who understands even the minutiae of what you do, you’re in a better position to make teh documents even more precise. Some places to find your match are freelance portals like Fiverr and Upwork.  

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Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.