Why I Edit

Last Monday was a gray, rainy, and generally icky day here in the Washington, D.C., region. I felt gray and generally icky and wondered why I ever decided to be a freelance editor. Didn’t I know I was resigning myself to a life spent stuck in front of a computer monitor, worrying about eye strain and carpal tunnel, not to mention health insurance? The words on the screen swam and shifted. My head hurt. I rubbed my eyes and thought about chucking it all and taking a nap. Should’ve been a pumpkin farmer, I thought, or maybe a princess.

Then I got an e-mail that reminded me of a thing or two. It went something like this:

Dear Sarah –

How are you? I just wanted to shoot you an e-mail and inform you that my article was accepted for publication last week and my report was accepted earlier today. Including my article that is due out in November, I will have my first three publications out by the end of this year—I couldn’t have done it without your help. Thank you! I’ll be in touch. Take care.

Ah, that’s why I do this. Lots of people need editors, and I have a knack for helping those people get their words right. There’s not much glory in editing, but there is satisfaction. And some days, just a few words from a grateful author make the tired eyes and sore wrist worthwhile.

I edited on.