Ask a stupid question, get...an enlightened answer?

If there's one thing I have learned in my career as an editor, it is this:

There is no such thing as a stupid question (in editing, that is).

Too often, writers are so close to the content they have written that they are unable to think from the point-of-view of a newcomer.

An editor will look at what you have written and ask the questions that need to be asked: often, the simplest...and thus, sometimes perceived as the "stupidest."

I have seen a lot of copy in my career, and despite the best of the writer's intentions, there have been countless times when I have actually had to ask who their target audience is, what they are trying to sell, or how their product works. Yes, the words are there on paper (or the computer screen), but the text is equivalent to Pig Latin. Worse, actually.

I used to be afraid to ask the stupid questions for fear of looking like I didn't "get it." Now, I realize it's just part of my job; and if I don't ask the questions, it's likely that nobody else is going to either. For that very reason, bringing a pair of fresh eyes to the editing process should be seen not as a nice-to-have, but a must-have.

So be nice to your editors! Despite their stupid questions, we wordsmiths are actually a lot smarter than you may think.