"Style isn't a matter of correctness, but of preferences applied consistently." '” HT @copyediting, the Twitter account of copyediting.com
Several stages of editing are involved in the process of shaping and finishing a piece of writing. The publishing industry does not have standard labels or definitions for editorial job descriptions. Before you hire a copyeditor, you may need other types of editing, and if you're self-publishing, you may do much of the work yourself. Make sure the services that an editor offers match what you need. The following definitions provide examples of the types of editorial professionals you may find.
A developmental or substantive editor helps the author shape his work early in the process. This person will look at the overall structure and organization, and provide advice on the order of the chapters, or on the content of each chapter. In fiction, this could involve plot, theme, and character development. Many independent authors crowdsource this stage by using beta readers'”volunteer readers who give them feedback on their not-yet-published work. An author could also hire a writing coach at this stage.
Once the developmental work is done, many authors look for a proofreader, when what they really need is a copyeditor. A proofreader is the very last person to work with a manuscript, once all the editing has been completed. He or she compares the copyeditor's marked-up manuscript with the final document'”the proof'”after all the edits have been input, before a book goes to the printer. This person makes sure all edits were entered correctly, and that no additional errors were created when the changes were input. Proofreaders are used less and less as publishing becomes increasingly digital, because there are fewer hard-copy manuscripts for them to check.
A copyeditor works with the final draft'”before the proofreader, if there is one. When you are done writing, rewriting, reorganizing, and reworking the substance of your piece, you send it to me to look at the mechanics. My job is to catch the typos, omissions, inconsistencies, and other embarrassing errors that may slip through and make observant readers and diligent writers wince. I check the accuracy and consistency of spelling, usage, and punctuation. I'll make sure the entire text conforms to a particular style guide. I'll check that chapter titles match the table of contents, and that tables and illustrations appear in the proper order and position within the document. I may point out word repetition, passive voice, ambiguity and vague wording, and I may suggest stronger word choices. I sometimes check references, citations, notes, and do basic fact checking.
It depends on your needs and desires as an author, which we will discuss before we begin working together.
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