How Do You Ensure Content Quality When Working With Contributors?
In the fast-paced world of publishing, maintaining high-quality content across numerous contributors is a critical challenge. We've gathered insights from Editors in Chief and a Founder to learn their strategies. From implementing rigorous onboarding and review processes to hiring copy editors for quality assurance, discover the top five methods these editing professionals recommend for upholding content excellence.
- Implement Rigorous Onboarding and Review
- Establish Clear Guidelines and Monitoring
- Assign Personalized Initial Tasks
- Ensure Cohesiveness and Brand Alignment
- Hire Copy Editors for Quality Assurance
Implement Rigorous Onboarding and Review
I use these three strategies to ensure articles from contributors meet the standards of the publication I'm managing. First, we always start with a lengthy onboarding process, where clear guidelines are explained to a new contributor. The first three articles involve a baby-sitting process, if you will, where a senior editor helps the new contributor understand what exactly we are looking for.
Second, we maintain a clear feedback loop between contributors and editors each time a new task is assigned. It's better to communicate more during the entire process than to have to deal with problematic content after it's been delivered.
The last rule involves adhering to a rigorous review process, with clearly defined steps (spell checks, fact-checking, overall voice and tone of the article, etc.). Putting these guidelines on paper and applying them is the key to ensuring not only that contributors, but also permanent staff, will always deliver content that is on point.
Establish Clear Guidelines and Monitoring
Here are six ways to ensure content quality with a large contributor pool:
Clear Guidelines: Establish clear editorial guidelines outlining style, tone, and quality expectations.
Onboarding: Provide onboarding materials and training to ensure contributors understand your expectations.
Standardization: Use standardized templates for submissions to promote consistency and simplify editing.
Multi-Level Review: Implement a multi-level review process with experienced editors to catch errors and inconsistencies.
Feedback and Communication: Provide constructive feedback to contributors and maintain open communication to address questions.
Quality Monitoring: Regularly monitor content quality and revise guidelines or training as needed.
Assign Personalized Initial Tasks
I start new contributors on small assignments, usually pieces they have proposed that are personal to their experiences and areas of knowledge. Sometimes, a new contributor shows the ability to expand into a wider range of reporting and writing. These are the writers that I will coax until they eventually become reliable, consistent contributors. So, I typically have a large tier of mid-level writers and then a smaller array of go-to stars.
Ensure Cohesiveness and Brand Alignment
As a publisher, our goal is to engage readers and grow our brand; publishing high-quality work is key to any professional business. In our publication, we include contributors from around the world, many of whom English is a second or even third language. This adds another element to the question of ensuring quality while also being inclusive.
One way we ensure quality content is to be specific enough, yet broad enough to allow for creativity, in our calls for work. We are also particular in choosing work to include, making sure the work fits with the theme of the issue and other work to be included for cohesiveness. We are selective, ensuring the work aligns with our core values and our company's vision. Keeping the brand cohesive is a critical piece that underlies every choice we make across our brand.
It may end up being slightly more work to take in global submissions, but we really love highlighting creatives from around the world. Providing a platform for global talent, new perspectives, and creativity is who we are at our core. We are honored to share so much global talent as our brand grows, and we anticipate adding even more global features in VanderRose Magazine.
Hire Copy Editors for Quality Assurance
Lots of publishers hire copy editors who can catch mistakes and clean up writers' articles. If you're an editor who is working with a lot of writers, hiring a copy editor will allow you to focus on more important topics, like whether to promote or feature an article.
