Peer editing is an absolutely essential step in business writing: view it as a resource; ask readers to be tough and thoughtful.

Business Professionals don't always have time to solicit edits or responses from their peers on every piece of writing, but they will get several edits in advance on critical documents (such as proposals, audit reports, sales letters).

Editing/responding may be performed on a number of levels, depending on the complexity of the audience, purpose, and content of the document.

• The writer may ask for a simple response: "Do you think this works, for this particular audience? If not, why not?" (Such a question goes beyond merely asking, "Do you like it or not?")
• Or, the writer may ask the reader to look at a particular part of the document and make substantial suggestions for revision -- of concepts, of claims, or of supporting arguments.
• Or the writer may ask the reader for a detailed mechanical edit that focuses on spelling, grammar, syntax, diction, etc..

To receive a useful edit, the writer needs to be specific about the focus of the edit and about the level of complexity s/he prefers for the document at hand.

Even more importantly, because editing is a quid pro quo interaction, it is essential to build reciprocal editing relationships with peer professionals.

Finally, it is important to indicate to your selected reader-editors that you value their feedback, whatever that might be, that you care that they do a conscientious job, and that you understand that if they have trouble "decoding" what you have written, it is your problem as a writer, not their problem as a reader: they are doing you a favor, which you hope to return with equal effectiveness when they need assistance in the future.

You can deliberate privately about the usefulness of a reader's advice -- acting on it or not -- but it is unwise to argue with readers.

If you treat the editing process as unimportant, or if you rush, argue, or defend yourself against the comments readers make, you will deflect them from making thoughtful responses, and you'll find few people who want to edit your work in the future. (Some very good editors can be brutal -- like quality control supervisors!)

As with any critical skill, effective editing is based on practice, but also on your clear assessment and communication of your audience, purpose, and goals to your reader, for each task.

In this class you you are required to seek out and give helpful peer edits on a number of assignments. If you take this process seriously, your writing will improve significantly.

(See p. 118 in your textbook (K. Locker, Business and Administrative Communication) for thorough and light revision checklists, and collaborate with your instructor and readers/editors to develop specific criteria for assessing the effectiveness of individual writing tasks.) Last Revised: 8-15-97/EdC