By Diane Foose

One of the great joys of journalism is that this profession allows us to learn about a multitude of topics. The old saying, "Journalists know a little bit about everything, but not a whole lot about anything," is true. Accordingly, a journalist does not have to be an expert on any one particular subject. Instead, we are wordsmiths who can polish the voice of that expert into perfection.

In fact, it truly is better to allow a journalist to edit your manuscript rather than relying on an expert in your own field to perform editorial functions. One case particularly comes to mind. I was called to a meeting by the production manager of a publishing company. The production manager was dealing with a very unhappy founder of a prestigious journal who had been relying on a member of his own profession to edit the journal. The founder kept finding mistake after mistake in each issue. The production manager asked me to edit the issue at hand to see if the founder liked my work as a professional journalist. He did! Now, a decade and a half later, I am still working on the journal.

My degree in journalism has allowed me to work as a freelance editor and proofreader on a virtual potpourri of topics ranging from Analytical Chemistry to Foreign and Defense Policymaking to Grief Counseling. The list is long, but I am always happy to add a new topic to it.

As a journalist, my expertise involves an in-depth knowledge of editorial practices with a variety of specific editorial styles (for example, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, The Chicago Manual of Style, the American Medical Association Manual of Style, and The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation).

Additionally, I have an understanding of legal, medical, scientific, sociological, and technical terms and, when I come across new ones, I research and learn about them on the World Wide Web. Also, when listening to news on TV or reading the newspaper or magazines, I keep alert to new developments in topic areas that I have edited. A good journalist is always curious!

Thus, as a professional wordsmith, I do not have to know everything about an author's topic. Instead, I provide a fresh pair of eyes to the author's manuscript that will make everything come together into a professional, well-written book, journal article, dissertation, or other type of document.