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If you are writing a story or a journal for your eyes only, editing may not be important to you. It may just be fun writing that you pick up every once in a while. However, if you are writing a letter, memo, or report for your job or business, editing is particularly important for the following reasons:

1. Good writing shows that you are a professional and take what you are trying to communicate seriously. It also shows that you take your business carefully and that you care about the image that you project. If your writing is filled with typos and grammatical errors, it represents you in a less than professional light and it may even cause you to lose customers or clients. When hiring or buying from someone, it may not be that important that they write everything perfectly; but poor writing gives a general impression that you might not approach your job seriously or with care and that might scare some people off.

2. When communicating in writing, your intent should be to have the reader's attention on what you are saying and not how you are saying it. Editing is important because it will help you convey your message in the most effective way. If you want the reader to understand your message and not pay attention to the errors, be sure to take the time to edit. Eliminate your errors and your reader won't miss the message due to your poor writing.

3. Errors in your writing may reduce your credibility. In business, you especially want people to take you seriously. They will if you show your expertise through your writing. If that writing is full of errors, it doesn't matter what you are trying to say, they may not take you seriously due to the errors. Don't let this happen when a simple edit can prevent it. Go through the document word-for-word and correct the errors that you see. If you are not a good speller, run the spell check. Be careful with the spell-check feature however, it still requires your judgment to make sure you choose the right version of the word you intend to use.

4. In addition to reducing credibility, errors in writing can change the meaning of your writing. Don't risk having your message misconstrued due to poor writing skills. Editing can help you write more clearly. Take a sentence at a time and ensure that it says what you want to say. Business writing always needs to be clear.

It's difficult for many writers to edit their writing. As the writer, you know in your head what you are intending to say. Consequently, when editing you often "see" the word or phrase as correct. Therefore, it's always a good idea to have someone else edit your work. Ideally, hire a freelance editor to take a look at your writing so you can present yourself professionally and effectively.

Learn more about this author, Lou Belcher.
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