3 ms·

I'm partial to this idea as I prototyped something similar in January of 2021 (http://sendittoedit.com http://sendittoedit.com). I think editing is _extremely_

I'm partial to this idea as I prototyped something similar in January of 2021 (http://sendittoedit.com http://sendittoedit.com). I think editing is _extremely_ valuable -- a crazy high percentage of pieces we edited wound up on the front page of HN. Ultimately, I dropped the idea because most non-writers think of editing as an ex post faco activity. But talk to any editor, especially ones who work for major publications, and you'll quickly learn they are most effective when they are involved in the process from the very beginning: from identifying unique stories, crafting narratives, shaping the research process. Polishing prose is only the final, and ultimately, most trivial step. I also don't think that this is venture scale. I think there is a market for talented editors serving serious professionals who can afford a premium product, but scaling this business is very hard. The Google Docs plugin idea is very clever. I never really figured out a good onboarding funnel beyond "do it manually". Good luck to the team, really hope that someone makes this work!

zestyping 4y ago
When I've submitted my writing to an editor, they've only introduced new grammatical errors into text that I'd already carefully proofread to remove such errors. I do keep hearing that they are valuable, though my experience makes me skeptical.
- stewfortier 4y ago
  Ah, sorry to hear that. That sounds like a crappy editor; I can see why you'd be skeptical.
- 1123581321 4y ago
  I find it hard to believe you couldn’t find an editor familiar with correct grammar. Regardless, try involving them earlier to improve your structure and content, before your final pass for grammar and syntax.
stewfortier 4y ago
Cool! I always find it exciting when other people have experienced how transformative great editing is. I agree that most non-writers tend to think of editing as either an afterthought, unnecessary, or only something that professionals do. It makes positioning here really tough. One thing we've experimented with isn't selling editing per se, but trying to counter-position ourselves to the publishing into the void problem. Like, "hey - you're probably busting your ass writing and publishing a bunch, but nothing is happening. That's because silence is a crappy teacher. There's a better way to write..." Most of the writers who have used Foster were not working with an editor before they joined, but once they submit their first draft they often say they can't believe they ever wrote without getting feedback first. I think if we can figure out positioning this in a new way and if we deliver a genuinely new editing experience (the input you get reliably goes far beyond catching grammar errors), it will unlock a ton of latent demand and be big. If not, I agree with you that selling editing is hard to scale.

zestyping 4y ago

When I've submitted my writing to an editor, they've only introduced new grammatical errors into text that I'd already carefully proofread to remove such errors. I do keep hearing that they are valuable, though my experience makes me skeptical.

stewfortier 4y ago
Ah, sorry to hear that. That sounds like a crappy editor; I can see why you'd be skeptical.
1123581321 4y ago
I find it hard to believe you couldn’t find an editor familiar with correct grammar. Regardless, try involving them earlier to improve your structure and content, before your final pass for grammar and syntax.

stewfortier 4y ago

Cool! I always find it exciting when other people have experienced how transformative great editing is. I agree that most non-writers tend to think of editing as either an afterthought, unnecessary, or only something that professionals do. It makes positioning here really tough. One thing we've experimented with isn't selling editing per se, but trying to counter-position ourselves to the publishing into the void problem. Like, "hey - you're probably busting your ass writing and publishing a bunch, but nothing is happening. That's because silence is a crappy teacher. There's a better way to write..." Most of the writers who have used Foster were not working with an editor before they joined, but once they submit their first draft they often say they can't believe they ever wrote without getting feedback first. I think if we can figure out positioning this in a new way and if we deliver a genuinely new editing experience (the input you get reliably goes far beyond catching grammar errors), it will unlock a ton of latent demand and be big. If not, I agree with you that selling editing is hard to scale.