Continuing education for writers includes more than writing workshops and courses. Did you know revising your writing and working with an editor count as professional development? January is the perfect time to think about the educational aspect of working with editors and to prepare for Career and Technical Education Month. Editors do more than polish your words—we also provide lifelong skills and support your growth as a writer. For today, let’s focus on the four major ways working with an editor can contribute to continuing education for writers.

Editors Provide a Fresh Point of View

Editors provide different points of view that help you develop your craft. Since your editor has different life experiences, they bring fresh eyes and perspective to your content. This allows them to see your work in ways that you may not. How does that contribute to continuing education for writers? It’s important because it helps us identify your strengths as a writer and find areas where you can grow.

This is true at every editing stage:

• Developmental editors will give you big-picture feedback, helping you with structure, organization, and plot lines. You can then study comments about pacing, flow, or organization and apply them to future chapters or new outlines.
• Line editors will focus on refining scenes, transitions, and sentence structure. Track and review their recurring comments and revisions about rhythm or wordiness, then create a personal checklist you can use during a self-editing pass for future projects.
• Copyeditors will look specifically at grammar, word choice, and style. When your editor flags a consistent grammar issue, keep a list of the issues, then research one grammar guideline per project. Look up the guideline and practice applying it in a short writing exercise to deepen retention. Use style worksheets and exercises as a refresher between projects.
• Proofreaders will watch for inconsistencies, typos, and layout errors—but they can also provide early reader feedback. Review the layout inconsistencies they flag, such as issues with headings, bullet shapes, and spacing, then create a pre-submission formatting checklist for yourself. Before your next project goes to your layout designer, use the checklist to do a final cleanup on the file.

When you know what’s working and where to focus your attention, you build confidence and gain insight into how your words affect readers.

Editors Share Resources

Continuing education for writers covers a lot of ground, and losing time researching courses and comparing advice is easy to do. When you have a question about your style guide or language, ask your editor. Sure, you could look up grammar questions or hunt for a specific guideline in your stylebook. But your editor likely already knows where to look and can quickly share an answer or resource. We keep up with language trends and style updates, and we’re happy to recommend tools and resources.

One of my clients reached out last year because she needed additional resources about conscious language. We’d had a few conversations about inclusive language when discussing revisions for her project, so she knew I was well versed on the subject. I recommended several options so she could share them with her team. A simple email exchange saved her time and helped her writing staff grow their skill sets.

Another client shared that she was short on funding and needed to shelve her project for a while. I connected her with a grant specialist to keep her project on track. Connections like these can help you keep momentum and stay on target with your goals.

Need some help with your project funding? Project Seed Money has a masterclass later this month (Jan. 17) on positioning your author business and applying for grants! You can learn more and register for the free masterclass here.

Editors Provide Advice About Tech

Part of continuing education for writers is keeping up with technology. Editors are pros with word processing tools and tricks. Let us introduce you to shortcuts and settings that make your writing process faster and smoother.

Last fall, I had a client who went through a Mac software update and lost the ability to use em dashes. I noticed the shift in his writing while I was editing his files, so I walked him through how to update the autoformatting settings in his word processing program. I also shared keyboard shortcuts with him, and he was back to his normal writing style in no time.

One of the most common formatting errors I see is a mixture of curly and straight apostrophes and quotation marks in a document. If you know how to adjust your writing program (or which find and replace codes to use), it’s a simple fix. But many writers don’t even notice the variance, let alone know how to fix it.

Pro tip: Want to use smart quotes automatically? In your Word document, go to File, then click Options. Next, select the Proofing menu, then AutoCorrect Options. In the AutoFormat As You Type menu, check the box for “’Straight quotes’ with ‘smart quotes.’”

My free Self-Editing Starter Kit includes a section on Word shortcuts—major time-savers that can make your writing and editing processes more efficient. But learning these skills isn’t just about saving time; it’s about becoming more comfortable with the tech tools you use every day.

Editors Give Feedback You Can Use as Goals

Every project I finish comes with an editorial report containing feedback about the strengths and opportunities for that project. These reports are excellent starting points for continuing education for writers. Use that feedback to guide your future writing goals! By looking at my revisions, comments, and editorial reports, you can set specific goals to improve your writing and even make a personalized development plan.

Let’s say your editor flagged recurring issues with colons, title-case capitalization, and unnecessary gendered language. You can use that feedback to set these writing goals:

• Study your style guide’s guidance on colon usage, then review an old draft of yours to practice revisions focused only on that punctuation. Before you submit a new piece to your editor, do a read-through specifically to check your colon usage. Ask your editor to give specific feedback on any remaining issues with colons so you can keep improving your skill set.

• Ask your editor for a resource or review of the guidelines for title-case capitalization. Then use one of Chicago’s style workout exercises to practice your knowledge before applying it to your next draft.

• Using gender-free terms—like police officer instead of policeman—is part of using inclusive, conscious language. With intentional practice, using neutral terms can become second nature. Reading conscious language resources can help you recognize when you use gendered terms and provide alternative language. Work through one or two of these resources, then during your next self-editing session, include a pass focused on conscious language.

o	Karen Yin, The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language that Includes, Respects, and Empowers
o	Rabbit with a Red Pen, “Gender and Inclusive Language”
o	APA Style, “Gender”
o	American Philosophical Association, “Guidelines for Non-Sexist Use of Language”

Working with an editor is like a minicourse in writing during every project! Plus, you’re not just improving your current piece—you’re building skills for a lifetime.

Looking to build your publishing support team for 2026? Check out my free list of service providers for authors! Whether you’re focusing on developmental edits or looking for marketing help for an upcoming publication, this list has vetted coaches, editors, and publishers ready to support you.

Let’s Learn Together

Your editor is your ally—and a fantastic source of continuing education for writers. I’d love to be on your team. We’re stronger when we work together and share knowledge, so let’s partner up! Let me know what your writing goals are for this year. We can discuss partnership and professional development opportunities that will support your growth. Contact me today so we can make your writing bulletproof!