diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a8cf5f9..24076ab 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,21 +6,33 @@ Examples
 
 ```python
 import editor
-commit_msg = editor.edit(contents="# Enter commit message here")
+commit_msg = editor.edit(contents=b"# Enter commit message here")
 ```
+
 Opens an editor, prefilled with the contents, `# Enter commit message here`.
-When the editor is closed, returns the contents in variable `commit_msg`.
+When the editor is closed, returns the contents (bytes) in variable `commit_msg`.
+Note that the argument to `contents` needs to be a bytes object on Python 3.
 
 
 ```python
-import editor
 editor.edit(file="README.txt")
 ```
-Opens README.txt in an editor.  Changes are saved in place.
+
+Opens README.txt in an editor.  Changes are saved in place.  If there is
+a `contents` argument then the file contents will be overwritten.
+
+```python
+editor.edit(..., use_tty=True)
+```
+
+Opens the editor in a TTY.  This is usually done in programs which output is
+piped to other programs.  In this case the TTY is used as the editor's stdout,
+allowing interactive usage.
 
 
 How it Works
 ------------
+
 `editor` first looks for the ${EDITOR} environment variable.  If set, it uses
 the value as-is, without fallbacks.
 
@@ -33,5 +45,5 @@ For example, on Linux, `editor` will look for the following editors in order:
 * emacs
 * nano
 
-When calling the `edit()` function, `editor` will open the editor in a subprocess,
-inheriting the parent process's stdin, stdout
+When calling `editor.edit`, an editor will be opened in a subprocess, inheriting
+the parent process's stdin, stdout.
diff --git a/editor.py b/editor.py
index 422e106..41ad538 100755
--- a/editor.py
+++ b/editor.py
@@ -36,24 +36,19 @@ def get_default_editors():
 
 def get_editor_args(editor):
     if editor in ['vim', 'gvim', 'vim.basic', 'vim.tiny']:
-        return '-f -o'
+        return ['-f', '-o']
 
     elif editor == 'emacs':
-        return '-nw'
+        return ['-nw']
 
     elif editor == 'gedit':
-        return '-w --new-window'
+        return ['-w', '--new-window']
 
     elif editor == 'nano':
-        return '-R'
+        return ['-R']
 
     else:
-        return ''
-
-
-def get_platform_editor_var():
-    # TODO: Make platform specific
-    return "$EDITOR"
+        return []
 
 
 def get_editor():
@@ -69,7 +64,7 @@ def get_editor():
             return path
 
     raise EditorError("Unable to find a viable editor on this system."
-        "Please consider setting your %s variable" % get_platform_editor_var())
+        "Please consider setting your $EDITOR variable")
 
 
 def get_tty_filename():
@@ -80,8 +75,7 @@ def get_tty_filename():
 
 def edit(filename=None, contents=None, use_tty=None):
     editor = get_editor()
-    args = get_editor_args(os.path.basename(os.path.realpath(editor)))
-    args = [editor] + args.split(' ')
+    args = [editor] + get_editor_args(os.path.basename(os.path.realpath(editor)))
 
     if use_tty is None:
         use_tty = sys.stdin.isatty() and not sys.stdout.isatty()