Worth Reading: The Value of Copyediting

Readers of An American Editor know that I believe editing enhances the value of an author’s work. I also believe that you pay more for professional, quality editing and that not everyone who claims to be an editor is (should be) an editor. I also firmly believe that there are professional editors and nonprofessional editors, and that it is professional editors who add value to an author’s writing.

Too often the response from a client or a potential client is that “readers do not care” about editing and especially do not care about whether any editing is professionally done. A study by Wayne State University Associate Professor Fred Vultee seems to draw a different conclusion. The study was previewed by Natalie Jomini Stroud in her March 3, 2015 article at the American Press Institute blog:

Study Shows the Value of Copy Editing.

Although not the original study article (“Audience Perceptions of Editing Quality” published January 6, 2015 in Digital Journalism), which is behind a paywall, Stroud’s article provides a clear summation of Vultee’s study. Of special interest is the chart comparing copyediting to no copyediting.

Other blogs that discuss Vultee’s study include Journalist’s Resource (“The value of editing in the digital age: Readers’ perceptions of article quality and professionalism“) and Craig Silverman at Poynter.org (“Study: Readers value extra editing, women especially“). For a PDF of Professor Vultee’s presentation on the subject to ACES in 2012, see “Readers Perceptions of Quality“.

Perhaps some of these findings will be helpful in convincing clients of the value of our services. Regardless, there is some interesting reading above and some food for deep thinking. Enjoy!

Richard Adin, An American Editor