Editing
Each editing job is different in length and complexity.
I believe it is most important to provide each writing project with the editing it needs — allowing sufficient time for a meticulous edit that is focused and steady throughout the whole document.
My editing services include copyediting and proofreading, and some substantive editing. The following definitions and example give a general guide to editing types — mainly it is about what stage a work is at.
If your writing project is not suited to my skills, I will let you know. You can search for professional editors in the IPEd Directory, where you can find editors experienced in different fiction genres, subjects, products or languages.
The 3 types or stages of editing
Substantive
The big picture edit.
This is the earliest stage. Here the editor is looking at the manuscript as a whole, an overview of how it’s working for the intended readers: purpose, structure and flow. They may suggest that sections are expanded, cut back, rewritten or omitted.
Because major changes by the author are likely, a detailed copyedit is not usually done at this time.
Finding an editor who is experienced in the same genre is particularly important at this stage as they will have a good knowledge of the readers and publishers in that realm.
Copyediting
A detailed edit to ensure your writing is accurate, clear and consistent.
Getting down to the nitty gritty — line by line, word by word — copy editors check:
- LANGUAGE: grammar, spelling and punctuation, ensuring the meaning is clear
- CONSISTENCY: terminology, spelling, capitalisation, hyphenation, abbreviations, numbers and fonts; as well as style aspects such as tables, figures, references, captions, headings and page layouts.
- ACCURACY: cross-references and links, order and placement, numbering and sequence
- HOUSE STYLE: consistently applied (if there is no house style, I create a style sheet for your project)
- COMPLETENESS: all relevant elements present such as table of contents, glossary, abbreviation list, appendices, index, etc.
- QUERIES: mark up any queries for the author to review
Proofreading
Final quality check before a work is published.
Usually done after formatting has been completed, this can include:
- PROOFREAD: checking spelling, punctuation, line breaks and cross-references
- HOUSE STYLE: ensure the set style has been followed, including consistent spelling, hyphenation, capitalisation, headings, font, layout
- VERIFY: changes from the copyedit have been taken in correctly
- COMPLETENESS: checking all relevant elements included such as preliminary pages and end matter, captions, labels, references and table of contents
- FORMAT: suitable page and paragraph breaks, no awkward split text or tables, photos and captions placed correctly
- QUERIES: mark up any queries for the author to review
David's memoir: An example of editing stages
This example is provided as a guide to what the three editing stages are about and how they help a writing project evolve.
Substantive
David has written 50,000 words of his memoir over the past 10 years. He feels stuck and wants an expert opinion on how to tackle it.
The editor looks his memoir as a whole and advises how it could be improved, in terms of what David wants to achieve and who he is writing for.
She suggests deleting parts that are repetitive, merging other sections together that cover similar events, and expanding a couple of sections that are not as fully formed. She advises how moving several sections would give better flow and coherence. She queries why one prominent family member is only briefly mentioned, and highlights some potentially harmful language. Where necessary she gives examples and rewrites short passages to give David clear guidance.
The editor gives David a report (or she may mark up the manuscript). They discuss some points he is not clear about. David gets back to his memoir with a greater sense of what needs to be done and how he can do it.
Copyediting is not done at this stage because there will be substantial changes, deletions and additions to the text.
Copyediting
It’s three months later and David has taken many of the editor’s suggestions on board, as well as adding other ideas that came from his review process. Unnecessary parts of the text have been removed, sections rewritten and gaps filled. It is ready for line-by-line copyediting.
He has engaged the same editor. She asks David if he has any specific style requirements, and she sets up a style sheet to ensure consistency. She checks spelling, punctuation, grammar and clarity of meaning. Her recommended changes are made with track changes turned on in the Word document.
David reviews the changes and accepts or rejects as he wishes. This is his memoir, and he has the final say. For example, the editor corrects “Kooweerup” to the official “Koo Wee Rup”, but David doesn’t make the change as he grew up there and that’s the way his family have always spelt it. He follows up a few things, but on the whole accepts most of her suggested changes.
David is happy with the final text and it is ready to be formatted.
Formatting
David researches publication options and gets some advice from the editor. His memoir is for his family and friends. He wants a format that he can take to his local printer and have 20 copies run off. He wants it to look professional and include about 30 photos (print and digital), and a couple of certificates.
He decides on a cover photo and title, and writes up captions for the photos, as well as a dedication. The formatter scans the photos and certificates, enhancing some in Photoshop and completes the layout in Indesign software. She sets it out chapters, creates a table of contents, pages numbering, applies a professional style which includes David’s favourite colour and font preferences.
Proofreading
A draft copy is produced by the formatter. David engages the editor to proofread the formatted memoir as a final quality check. She reads proofreads the draft, checks the house style, verifies changes taken in correctly, ensures all elements are complete, and the formatting is consistent, correctly placed and there are no awkward breaks.
Final corrections are made to the text, headings and captions by the formatter. David checks all the changes are completed. The memoir is saved as a pdf file, and is ready for David to take to his local printer.