Reflection

What I have learned

Over the course of my research, I learned to what degree editing is a collaborative process. Editors must work with authors to prepare manuscripts for publication and, ideally, act as a mentor to them. This means utilizing developed interpersonal communication skills in order to guide writers towards an impeccable end product.  Editors must also exhibit nuanced group communication skills in order to be capable planners and liasons within a publication. In addition, they must also be able to facilitate peer reviews and take into account multiple points of view while also staying true to the rhetorical intent of the author. 

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Previously, I didn’t take into account all the responsibilities of editors. I thought mostly of my personal experience of reading and correcting manuscripts in a non professional context when I imagined editing, but this was not enough information to conceptualize a realistic image of an editor’s career. Not only do editors bear responsibility towards the author’s intent, editors also bear the responsibility of making sure many different voices circulate in the scholarly and literary world. Editors are the ones who accept and reject manuscripts, which greatly shapes the shared-knowledge of essentially every single field. In turn, they carry responsibility to make sure that there is proper representation of people from diverse backgrounds in the world of academia and publications. 

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Moving forward, I have a different concept of the career of an editor, which helps me to better shape the type of career that I want to pursue someday. If I were to ever become an editor, I would now be aware of my responsibility to diversify various fields and offer better representation in many different areas of thought through inclusion activism. As a technical writer, my research on editing and inclusion would make me more inclined to collaborate with other writers and other participators in the editing process. For now, though, when a friend asks me to edit a paper for them, I will make sure to include them in on the process. I will check to make sure my edits adhere to their goals and ask any questions I may have whether my friends anticipate that much work on their part or not.