In the Eldersburg Writing Group, we are happy to give feedback on your writing. Our response, however, tends to be of the friendly and gentle nature. One member recently hired a professional editor to exam his work. He noted some of the following benefits:

• They will read the piece thoroughly. Friends and family may sometimes skim your writing instead of giving it an in-depth analysis.
• Provide constructive criticism without holding back. They are being paid to give you constructive criticism, so they will do so thoroughly on matters of grammar, structure, etc. without worrying about hurting your feelings.
• They know writing. Friends or family may not know much about writing. They may say “I liked this part.” or “I didn’t like this part.” A professional knows what are good writing practices, and what aren’t, and will make suggestions based on that knowledge.