In my last blog post, I touched on the publishing process as a form of community-building, during which many hands touch a piece of writing before it’s released to the public. As I continue my publishing journey as an intern with the Center, I’ve become increasingly aware of the balance between keeping an author’s voice and message intact and editing a piece to adhere to house style and to reach its audience as effectively as possible. As editors, where do we draw the line? Is there any definitive way to tell when editing becomes too heavy-handed? 

The Role of Editors 

To answer the question of where the boundaries of editing are, we must first determine what it is, exactly, that editors do. A good editor is an author’s partner, cheerleader, and guide, offering a mix of praise and tough love according to the needs of the author. Often, editors serve as a bridge between the publisher and the author, as well. Authors provide the uncut gem of content, and editors refine and polish that gem, shaping the work into its strongest final form while ensuring it aligns with the publisher’s requirements.  

In cases of commercial publishing, these requirements are often those of the publishing house and imprint that have acquired the author’s work. Academic publishing is typically done through a university, and editors of technical writing usually need to adhere to company style for corporate communication. Editors must make certain that everything associated with their publisher maintains a certain quality and/or furthers the values and mission of the organization. They must protect the author’s voice and independence, keep the audience’s needs and preferences in mind, and prioritize the standards of the publisher. 

Editing in Effect

In practice, this manifests as what Scott Norton calls “coaching and modeling” (2017). Coaching requires identifying a piece’s strengths and weaknesses and providing both general and specific feedback. This acts as a guideline for authors, letting them experiment with implementing changes on their own. Modeling involves editors creating a mock-up of what a portion of the changed manuscript would look like, giving authors a better sense of what the editors are looking for. 

What most people associate with an editor’s job is editing on the micro and mid-micro levels, working with authors to improve their writing through the addition or deletion of specific words or through tweaking the rhythm and flow of sentences. This is called copyediting.  This is certainly an important part of editing, and it’s one I use often, enhancing a piece’s readability and tailoring an author’s word choice to their audience.  

Editors must also analyze a piece on the macro level, an important step of the editing process that shouldn’t be overlooked. Sometimes referred to as developmental editing, macro level editing includes adjusting a piece’s structure to maintain its pacing and to keep it engaging. In practical terms, this might mean rearranging paragraphs or suggesting an author includes additional information or examples. An editor might work with the author to develop transitions from one topic to the next or help narrow or widen a piece’s focus. 

Essentially, when editing on the macro level, editors come alongside authors during the writing process, helping shape the piece as it’s being written. Editing on the mid and micro levels is usually done after the majority of the writing is completed. The author’s voice and message remain intact; the editor guides them along. 

A Balancing Act 

Where doctors have the Hippocratic Oath, editors have the Typographic Oath: Do no harm through over or under-editing (Fisher Saller 2017). While we never want to publish a sloppily edited, error-ridden piece, neither do we want to insert our own thoughts or sanitize a piece to the point of being unrecognizable.  

My position as a CEL publishing intern occupies a spot somewhere between micro and mid-micro editor. My duties extend beyond simply correcting grammar and citations; I write blurbs and summaries, declutter paragraphs, improve phrasing, and enhance the clarity and flow of arguments. Normally, editors doing this sort of work are in constant contact with their author, double-checking meaning or having the authors do the revisions themselves.  

By the time the writing gets to me, however, it’s in the final stage of its publishing journey, with a turnaround of a couple days before it’s released. This means there is very little time to play email tag with an author, so I need to rely on my own judgement.  

I try to keep a light touch when changing the wording of a piece, but sometimes, a point needs to be clarified, or information needs to be added, and I have to create new content. This is a tricky spot to be in, asI don’t want to put words in the author’s mouth, so I try to think of it as modeling. With the context of the piece and the resources the author cites, I puzzle together an extension of the author’s own work, maintaining their message and voice. 

Sometimes this is exhibited by adjusting the phrasing of a sentence, integrating a footnote, or adding context for an image. Always, it’s an effort to help the writer reach their audience, and never an extension of the editor’s ego. 

Conclusion 

Editors are at their best when they work to enhance an author’s writing, offering whatever form of support that author needs. Though the techniques may vary by case, the goal is always the same: Facilitating the best piece of writing possible. 

References

Norton, Scott. 2023. “Open Heart Surgery, Or Just a Nip and Tuck?: Developmental Editing.” In What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing, edited by Peter Ginna. University of Chicago Press.

About the Author

Sophia Sta. Rosa works as a publishing intern at the Center for Engaged Learning. An undergraduate student majoring in both Strategic Communications and Professional Writing & Rhetoric, she has a passion for reading and engaging critically with media and hopes to enter the publishing industry as a book editor after graduating. Along with her internship at CEL, Sophia is also a Communications Fellow. 

How to Cite This Post

Sta. Rosa, Sophia. 2026. “How the Sausage Gets Made: The Professional Ethics of Academic Editing.” Center for Engaged Learning (blog). Elon University. March 10, 2026. https://www.centerforengagedlearning.org/how-the-sausage-gets-made-the-professional-ethics-of-academic-editing/.