What does an editor do?
Editors work on other people’s writing to prepare it for publication.
Whether it’s a book, feature article, website content, annual report or training manual an editor makes it clear, appropriate for the reader, logical and well organised.
An editor can help get the words right, target your publication to it’s intended audience, effectively structure your information, check facts and figures, check spelling, grammar and punctuation and prepare a document for design and layout.
In the book industry, the process of editing begins with a critical, constructive reading of a work in progress, which is what a text remains right up to the moment it is sent off for printing.
The different stages of this process are regarded as a series of readings and revisions. With a book, the various stages of editing falls into the following phases:-
- Developmental editing. This is done before a work has been accepted for publication and the main aim is to identify publishable manuscripts that take them through to submission stage
- Content editing. This begins after a manuscript has been submitted and accepted. Content editors address the big issues of structure, coverage and pitch
- Copy editing. Follows on from content editing and is the detailed process of checking the manuscript for consistency and correctness
- Proofreading. A proofreader checks work that has been typeset, ie it looks like the finished product when it is printed. Final checks are done to ensure editor’s corrections have been implemented and any new errors are identified that may have occured during the typsetting process
- Final correction. This is the last stage before a book goes to print. It involves ensuring the typessetter has accurately made proofreading corrections, checking the index and double-checking the front cover, contents page and any picture captions.
Proofreading is excellent training for editing. A good proofreader has a very good eye for detail, is thorough, has an excellent memory and an intelligent, logical approach. All of these are prerequisites for an editor and need practice to develop and proofreading is one of the best ways to practise.
If you have any questions about the role of an editor, or need help editing any of your written material, send me a message via the Contact Us page.