Writing is the critical driver of knowledge economy. Therefore, writing for a living is becoming an indispensable ingredient of the global economic routine. Brandt (2005) and Bisaillon (2007) suggest that writing/ editing for a living is an inevitable byproduct of the global development, since writing is the foundation and vehicle for profit making and economic trade.
Writing for a living is a serious issue: on the one hand, it helps to improve the quality and efficiency of the writing tasks and, consequentially, speed up the economic and social progress. On the other hand, writing is a unique and complex process, which is inseparable from individual experiences and personal narratives.
So, can professional writers and editors deliver a unique, personal message in ways that do not disrupt but, on the contrary, contribute to the stable relationship between writing and selling knowledge?
Brandt (2005) and Bisaillon (2007) discuss the issue from the two different perspectives. In the article “Professional editing strategies used by six editors “, Bisaillon (2007) uses the example of professional editing and draws a distinct line between professional editing and self-revision.
According to Bisaillon (2007), professional editing is very similar to self-revision. Yet, the former occurs independently of the writing process, whereas the latter is actually the third writing subprocess, after planning and drafting. Bisaillon (2007) defines professional editing as an activity that requires comprehending and evaluating a text within the limits of the assignment provided by the client.
Professional editors face considerable difficulties, when they try to preserve and enhance communicational effectiveness of the given text. The fact is professional editors earn their living by working on texts that were devised by other people (Bisaillon, 2007).
As a result, they are limited in their editing opportunities and must not intervene with the authors’ ideas and thoughts. Simultaneously, they must understand the text they are editing, to ensure that the finished product promotes a stable relationship between writing and selling knowledge.
Questions for Discussion
What is the most important component of the editing process?
Does the growing demand for editing mean that the level of global literacy is too low for effective self-revision?
In the article “Writing for a living: Literacy and the knowledge economy”, Brandt (2005) talks about writing and its implications for economic growth. Brandt (2005) writes that workshop writing is essentially the same as manufacturing or creating a new commercial product (Brandt, 2005).
Editors face numerous constraints that are imposed on them by their clients, and professional writers are being pressured by other high-stakes considerations, including corporate reputation, competitive advantage, and profitability (Brandt, 2005). Like any manufactured product, finished documents undergo a strict quality control.
In this situation, writers resemble a complex piece of machinery that processes raw materials and turns them into a functional piece of writing (Brandt, 2005). The biggest question that runs through both articles is Whether professional writers and editors can preserve the uniqueness of the raw material they are editing or processing.
Another question is how to maintain a reasonable balance between functionality and uniqueness, because editors and writers subject themselves to the pressures of various ideological processes and systems and must turn abstract knowledge into readable information.
How to reduce workplace conflicts that arise from the growing demand for workshop writing in organizations?
How to regulate the written word?
All these questions require complex answers. What particularly resonates with me is that writing is turning into an automatic process. I am also concerned about the future of literacy: professional writers and editors can de-motivate and discourage thousands of people from developing sound literacy skills.
Needless to say, it is easier to pay to a professional writer and editor than to create and self-revise a text that carries unique experiences. Regardless of the answer, the global economy will continue causing heavy influences on literacy and writing. Most probably, writing for living will become the most reliable instrument of preserving a stable link between writing and selling knowledge.
References
Bisaillon, J. (2007). Professional editing strategies used by six editors. Written Communication, 24(4), 295-322.
Brandt, D. (2005). Writing for a living: Literacy and the knowledge economy. Written Communication, 22(2), 166-197.