Benefits of a Long-term Relationship with Your Writer/Editor

Hiring a freelance writer or editor is like romance, great for the long-term!

By Shelley Widhalm

Just like a serious relationship takes time and commitment, hiring a freelance writer or editor is something you might want to consider for long-term content needs.

Though not on the scale of romance, working with a freelancer will give your writing a higher level of quality than serial “dating” several writers with different approaches to the craft.

To do this, you will want to find the right writer, or your perfect match. Writers vary in voice and style, so hiring several for one task may result in too much variety without a core message and brand.

The same thing happens with editing. Editors have different understandings of style guides and basic concepts of grammar—for example, how they approach the comma changes slightly even when rules are followed. The serial comma may be used in one place and not in others.

The Writing Commitment

The first thing to consider is that working with the same writer over an extended period will keep content consistent and predictable.

Writers differ in how they structure what they want to say, how they transition from one idea to the next and what details they like to include. Some writers have more of a conversational style, while others will be more formal and academic.

Here are a few reasons hiring a writer over the long haul is a good idea. A writer:

  • Starts to understand the voice you want to present, helping with branding. Voice refers to the word choices the writer makes, as well as how they put sentences together.
  • Helps establish a specific brand voice, which goes even deeper then voice and is how a brand communicates with customers. It combines tone (the writer’s attitude toward a subject) with style and word choice and helps with emotional engagement. Think generic company communications versus Victoria’s Secret sultry but playful and Little Debbie’s purity and nostalgia.
  • Knows the type of content you need, so that, after time, you don’t have to ask for it. They’ll be able to generate content relevant to your company, with a high level of understanding of what the company does, as well as its mission and values.

The Editing Commitment

Working with an editor helps ensure your writing is at its best, ready for publication, platforms and branding.

Here are a few other reasons why hiring an editor can be a good idea. An editor:

  • Is trained to notice small errors that are hard to find if you aren’t looking for them, such as a comma where there should be a period or the ’re words, such as they’re and you’re versus their/there and your.
  • Memorizes style guides and knows how to look up things and which sources to use.
  • Understands grammar down to the fine details and is able to spot errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax and other mechanics of style.
  • Understands voice and how word choice effects the sound and meaning of language, plus how to turn analytic writing into something that’s more conversational or vice versa.

Hiring long-term is a way to build relationships with your writer or editor, as well as the audience and customers who you want to reach. It shows loyalty and is a great way to build and sustain trust, which is important not only in business, but romance.

Note: I provide editing, writing and ghostwriting services and can help you perfect your project from an article or blog series to a short story or novel. I also offer consultations on writing and editing through #ShellsInk at shellsinkservices.com.

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