Nine hierarchical tasks enable an editor to ensure your document fulfills its intended goal
They returned dejected, and a bit humbled, filing slowly into their manager’s office. Their manager started.
“What happened?”
“We weren’t invited to present.”
That was surprising. “Why not? You told me we had a great proposal, that we could clearly meet all their needs.”
“We do, and we can.”
“Then… what happened?”
“They rejected our proposal out of hand.”
“Huh? What does that mean?”
“They told us our proposal didn’t read well, that it was disorganized, wasn’t clear—‘fuzzy’ is what they said—that it rambled, was a little redundant, had some typos, and…” the hardest part, “it didn’t follow the rules of their RFP.”
“I don’t get it. I thought you guys had this all down pat, that you were expert.” It was more a statement than a question.
“We are expert in all the technical aspects required in the RFP. But…” The pregnant pause hung in the air. “But, as we’ve said before, it’s one thing to be technical experts, it’s another thing entirely to be able to communicate that expertise clearly, concisely, and conclusively. That we struggle with.”
The feeling of disappointment was almost palpable. Mildly accusatory glances circled around.
“We have a solution though.” Wary eyes. “We’ve said this before.” Wary looks. “We need an editor; it’s not a luxury.”