Typical Errors Part II:

In our previous article on „typical errors” we examined possible problems when writing texts. This article deals with the work of editors who, to the dismay of the writers, sometimes reject perfectly acceptable submissions.

This is a list of the most common editing errors. It is dedicated to all the writers who have written to us in frustration.

The Four Most Common Editing Errors

A Text Is Rejected Because Of A Wrong Assumption.

Each project has its own guidelines. In some projects you are to avoid directly addressing the audience, in others a certain formality is required, and in some it doesn’t matter. As the editor you need to know what the guidelines are for the specific project because your reason for rejecting a submission can be valid for one project and invalid for another. An incorrect rejection has consequences for the writer because it influences his/her overall rating.

Correct Small Errors Yourself

We frequently see that small errors are resulting in a rejection that is accompanied by several explanatory sentences. In most instances the editor could have corrected the issue faster than explaining the error to the original author. This behavior doesn’t help anyone, because it increases the amount of work for all and the writer gets a worse rating for little to no reason.

Rejections for Trivial Reasons

Editing is partially subjective and sometimes a question of writing styles.

Only necessary corrections should be made. Don’t make corrections if there are no definitive errors in the text.

Inappropriate Comments to the Writer

It is entirely possible that the quality of a given text is well below the level acceptable for the project. If that is the case, please make sure that your comments are appropriate by giving the writer constructive and actionable feedback rather than using language that could result in the author feeling insulted.

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