Why Writers Shouldn’t Edit Their Own Work (and What to Do Instead)

Why Shouldn’t Writers Edit Their Own Work?

When it comes to editing their work, some writers might see themselves as the best person for the job. However, during the writing process, writers can develop blind spots for issues in their own content. In fact, many writers report that hey are far more likely to overlook common proofreading and editing pitfalls in their writing than those of other writers. 

They may miss repetitive wording and unclear language, as well as grammatical issues, as their brains tend to automatically anticipate the text before reading it. Writers focus more on the message they want to convey rather than the correctness of the words. 

When writing and editing roles are clearly defined, it allows your team to focus on their individual strengths. Writers can concentrate on creating content that increases website traffic and boosts conversions, while editors can refine the writing to improve clarity and readability. If writers are editing their own work, there may be a temptation to edit as they go, which can disrupt the creative process and result in more disjointed content. In addition, some writers may be overly critical of their work, and the final draft (and your content marketing strategy) could suffer in the long run.

Avoid Content Bottlenecks

Another common problem that can arise when writers edit their own work is a bottleneck in the content production process. 

While editing and writing are complementary, they serve distinct roles in the publication process. Editing and proofreading require different mindsets and skillsets than writing. It can be a slower, more detail-oriented process that demands mental energy and time, which can stretch writers thin after they research and draft their content. If the same person must write and polish every piece, content production slows down. This could lead to missed deadlines and inconsistencies across content.

Over time, these pressures can result in burnout among your writing team. Writers bogged down by the added responsibility of editing may become discouraged or creatively blocked. And if writers must produce a high volume of content (on a tight deadline), they could skip or rush editing, which puts your content quality and brand reputation at risk.

The Benefits of Professional Editing

One way for your business to take content to the next level and ensure it’s consistently polished and aligned with your unique brand voice is to invest in professional editing. Professional editors know how to evaluate the overall flow, tone, and accuracy of the writing, which can be difficult for writers who are close to their own content.

Editors also bring a fresh perspective to a piece of content and spot inconsistencies and clarity issues. For example, editors can more easily recognize: 

• Abrupt shifts in tone (e.g., a sudden shift from formal to informal)
• Tense switching (e.g., changing from past to present tense)
• Shifting points of view (e.g., first-person to third-person point of view)
• Inconsistencies with spelling and capitalization (e.g., “email” vs. “e-mail” or “Internet” vs. “internet” used interchangeably)
• Formatting issues
• Inaccurate data 
• Punctuation errors (e.g., inconsistent use of the serial comma)
• Grammatical errors

Editors, whether in-house or freelance, learn your style guide to ensure your content always reflects your specific brand voice, dialect, language, or vocabulary preferences. Ensuring consistency across all content distribution channels has been shown to boost trust and credibility with readers (leading to increased brand loyalty). 

Should You Outsource Editing Services?

If you want to improve your editorial process without hiring a team of full-time in-house editors, consider outsourcing editing to a professional editorial agency. Services such as Proofed’s managed editorial solutions offload the editing and quality assurance (QA) processes entirely, which allows your content marketing team and writers to focus on growing your business and expanding your reach.

A managed editorial team reviews your content for grammar, punctuation, tone, consistency, and adherence to your brand style guide. This eliminates the need for writers to edit their own drafts or rely on their peers (who may be busy with other projects) for a second look. Plus, with an outsourced team handling the QA step, your editorial pipeline becomes faster and more consistent. It also saves you time and money in the long run, as it reduces the need to correct errors and inaccuracies in already published content. 

By outsourcing, you also gain access to a large team of trained editors who are subject matter experts in many areas, ideal for organizations producing complex or technical content. Most importantly, outsourcing ensures every piece of content meets a professional standard before publication, which reinforces the credibility of the brand and builds audience trust.