It’s time to give a Schmidt about editing. About telling your story to your audience in the voice and with the words you keep reaching for but can’t seem to achieve on your own. I’ll be your coach along the way, asking a lot of questions and giving you the tools you need to get there without me next time. (Even though I hope we’ll stay in touch and find new reasons to work together again.)I’ve been a library card-carrying word nerd just about my entire life. I channeled all that reading and writing into a career in journalism, working for newspapers and then magazines. (As a new graduate, I thought reporting gigs would support my real passion—creative writing. Hasn’t worked out that way so far.) I found my strength as an editor, working one-on-one with writers and other editors to shape stories and publications through lots of brainstorming, questioning, sketching and then producing, managing a complex process that would ideally surprise, delight, empower, and educate readers. It’s so much more than commas and capital letters! In my practice at Wordschmidt Consulting, editing is:➚ Coaching clients through complicated questions and challenges to arrive at a cohesive, honest, genuine document or project. If it can be communicated, it should be edited.➚ Defining and refining the goals of a project, committing to those goals, and then shepherding the project through so that it meets the goals and doesn’t stray too far outside the bounds.➚ Creating an enjoyable user experience through writing, formatting, word volume, pace, and other devices.➚ Advocating for the client as well as the reader or user of a document, story or project, through a tactful balance of constructive criticism and language choices.MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES➚ Integrity: I answer your questions honestly, even when they make me less likely to win your business. You deserve the consultant who is the best fit for you, not the person who is the best pretender.➚ Empathy: I do my utmost to step outside my perspective and lens and understand the world through your experience.➚ Inclusivity and Accessibility: I gently and firmly challenge written and spoken language and practices that harm, exclude, belittle, or “other” people.➚ Transparency: I disclose all potential conflicts of interest, relationships and other information that could expose me to bias.➚ Respect: There is no single way to achieve a goal. I value your vision and support your path. Dignity exists in work defined in any and every way.