The art of editing
How editors shape stories without losing the writer’s voice
Letter from the Editor
Hello reader. Welcome to the latest edition of The Stationer!
Navigating the content and communications industries isn’t easy. Indeed, being a mid-career journalist, I am frequently asked by students and aspiring hacks for tips of the trade. How do I break into your profession? What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Do reporters really need shorthand when they could just use dictaphones or transcription services such as Otter.ai?
As a mentor with the Stationers Foundation, I want to assist others because I believe in their potential. By reflecting on my time in Fleet Street, I am able to share advice based on my own experiences and hope that whatever helped me can work for them.
That, in part, is why The Stationer was founded two years ago. To inspire the next generation by giving a platform to young industry professionals — and to highlight entry-level job opportunities for young people looking to establish themselves in careers including marketing, broadcasting and printing. (Free of charge.)
We also provide detailed, long-form features and explainers about our rapidly changing media landscape. And in our latest feature below, Raphaela Craveiro has spoken to Kingston University’s Emma Tait about her experience in publishing and the art of editing.
As always, if you are interested in contributing to The Stationer, wish to share a job opportunity, or simply fancy having a chat, feel free to drop Publisher Rob Wilding a line at robert.wilding96@gmail.com.
Enjoy the issue.
Bill Bowkett, Editor of The Stationer.
EDITING is often seen as a ruthless process of cutting, trimming and restructuring. But a good editor is not just there to fix typos or tidy up prose. They are the invisible force that refines a manuscript, without erasing the author’s voice. So how do editors strike this delicate balance? How do they shape a piece while keeping its soul intact?
I spoke to Emma Tait, a non-fiction editor specialising in developmental editing, to find out. She works closely with authors — particularly memoirists, as well as the likes of Oasis, Bryony Gordon and Charlotte Crosby — to help them tell their stories in the most compelling way possible. And as she explains, editing is not about control — it is about clarity.
An editor’s ear
The best editors do not impose their own style on a manuscript; they absorb the writer’s. Tait says:
‘When you work on a manuscript, you end up reading it a lot of times. I start to hear the author’s voice in my head — their phrasing, their rhythm, their preferred vocabulary. So, if I do make a change, I can make sure it still sounds like them.’
This is the invisible craft of editing: making improvements without leaving fingerprints. The editor’s job is not to rewrite, it is to refine; ensuring the prose is clear, the structure flows and the reader stays engaged. All while preserving what makes the writing unique.
Knowing what to cut
One of the biggest challenges editors face is knowing what to leave out. Every wordsmith, no matter how experienced, has blind spots: words they overuse, details they linger on too long, moments they think are essential but risk losing the reader’s interest. Referring to her work with memoirs, Tait comments:
‘Often, the parts of their lives that an author wants to focus on aren’t necessarily the parts that readers are interested in. Sometimes, sections need to be cut or broken up to maintain engagement.’
This, of course, can be a difficult conversation. No writer likes to hear that a beloved chapter is dragging the pace or that a carefully crafted passage needs trimming. But as Emma explains, a good editor approaches these changes with diplomacy:
‘I would always present a significant change as a suggestion and explain why I thought it was necessary. The author needs to be reassured that the change will improve the experience of reading their work, not detract from it.’
How much is too much?
While clarity is key, there is a fine line between refining a piece and over-editing it. Emma’s rule of thumb? Less is more.
‘Don’t do too much. Ask yourself if a change is really necessary. I always go through my edits before sending them to the author and take out any that, on reflection, don’t seem necessary.’
In other words, the best editing does not make a piece sound edited at all. It simply makes it better.
The writer-editor relationship
For many writers, handing over their work to an editor can feel daunting. What if they do not ‘get’ the voice? What if the manuscript comes back unrecognisable? Emma’s advice is simple: trust the process and, more importantly, trust your editor.
‘Get to know them as a person, and let them get to know you. A professional editor will always respect that you are the author—it’s your name that will go on the book.’
She also emphasises the importance of real conversations:
‘If you don’t agree with an edit, have a conversation. Don’t rely on written exchanges. It’s so much harder to compromise and so much easier to be misunderstood. Most editors are very happy to break up their day with a chat!’
The invisible hand
A great editor is not the enemy of a writer’s voice, but its greatest ally. The best editorial work happens in the background, shaping a piece without taking it over, refining ideas without dulling their originality.
In the end, editing is not about changing a story — it is about helping it shine. And when done right, it makes all the difference between words on a page and a narrative that truly resonates.
Raphaela Craveiro is Events Officer at the Society of Young Publishers. Follow her on LinkedIn.
Industry takeaways
WH Smith is leaving the High Street after over 200 years, selling 480 stores to Hobbycraft owner Modella Capital, which will rebrand them as TGJones. The WH Smith name will remain at travel locations, as the company shifts focus to its rapidly growing airport and station retail business. The BBC has more.
More than 40 leading UK authors, including Richard Osman and Kazuo Ishiguro, have signed an open letter demanding government action after reports that Meta used pirated books to train its Artificial Intelligence. The Society of Authors is urging Parliament to hold the Big Tech giant accountable and strengthen copyright protections. Read on at The Bookseller.
Crowdfunding publisher Unbound has gone into administration, leaving authors unpaid and uncertain about future publications. It has been acquired by Boundless, which promises to honour author payments via a ‘payment plan’, raising concerns. As per the Guardian, authors like Tom Cox say trust has been broken, with pledged reader funds neither refunded nor clearly accounted for.
A new study shows journalists are far more active on Bluesky than X, despite the latter still being the most widely used. While 76 per cent of journalists have accounts on the platform formerly known as Twitter, only 42 per cent posted recently — compared to 81 per cent of Bluesky users. Researchers say journalists are diversifying platforms amid concerns about X’s political shift under owner Elon Musk. PR Week has more.
And some good news to finish with… The Warminster Journal, a 143-year-old newspaper which ceased publication in December 2024, is being revived as a free fortnightly paper and will be distributing 8,500 copies to homes and businesses in the Wiltshire town. Holdthefrontpage.co.uk has the scoop.
Opportunities board
Digital Video Editor / Shooter, Channel 4 (Leeds) — Apply by April 3
Communications Executive, BLANKET (London) — Apply by April 14
Production Assistant and Digital Marketing Assistant, 2 roles, Nosy Crow (London) — Apply by April 15
Web / Deputy Editor, Eco-plastics in Packaging (Crawley) — Apply by April 21
Journals Editorial Assistant – Intern, Cambridge University Press (Cambridge) — Apply by April 23
The Stationer is edited by Bill Bowkett. Please send thoughts, feedback and corrections to bill.bowkett@btinternet.com. Follow the Young Stationers on Facebook, X and Instagram. For more information, visit www.stationers.org/company/young-stationers.