The one thing all editors have in common is that they stand in for the reader, working with the author and the publisher to make sure the final text conveys the author's message as clearly and as seamlessly as possible. Good editing does not obscure or alter the author's voice. At the same time, good editing means that readers are not startled out of the story into an awareness of the text itself, whether by a sudden inconsistency in tone or by an unusual usage that does not serve the story or simply by numerous misspellings and grammatical errors.
To keep things simple—and because many of us are working on novels or memoirs—I'll focus only on the stages of book editing for fiction and creative nonfiction.
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The following definitions track to generally accepted industry usage, but (frustratingly enough) they remain slippery terms, with usage varying from editor to editor and from publisher to publisher. When working with a publisher, agent, and especially with a freelance editor, always ask for clarification on what constitutes each stage of the process.At each stage of the editorial process, the level of possible change is reduced and the editorial focus narrows. At the developmental stage, whole chapters or subplots might be cut (or added). When a manuscript is being copy edited, it has entered production, and costs and schedules have already been set, all of which means that large-scale changes are not advisable. In proofreading, only small changes can be addressed, because changes made after typesetting are very expensive.
1. Developmental editing (aka manuscript or structural editing). The developmental edit is the first stage of the editing process. It's "big picture" editing that looks at things like story idea, structure, character development, narrative arc, POV, and voice. Developmental editing is all about how best to use the elements of the craft of writing to convey the art of the author.
The developmental editor will usually write an editorial letter, which addresses all of the areas that she feels need work and suggests changes or solutions. The editor may also enter changes on the printed or digital manuscript itself. The process is often iterative, as the author makes revisions following the initial edit and these changes in turn are reviewed by the editor who then suggest further changes. Developmental editing may begin before a manuscript is complete.
Developmental editors will not normally look at grammar, punctuation, spelling, or style mechanics such as capitalization and use of numerals. They also do not generally do wholesale re-writes.
Traditionally, book editors both acquired a manuscript (contracted with an author to publish a manuscript) and did the developmental edit. These days, developmental editors may have a separate role from acquisitions editors and often work as freelancers (sometimes called "book doctors"). Literary agents often take on a developmental editing role, too.
Freelance developmental editors are often hired by in-house editors. They are also hired by authors to prepare a manuscript for submission to agents and publishers or to polish a manuscript they plan to self-publish.
2. Line editing (aka substantive or content editing). While the development edit looks at the manuscript as a whole, line editing looks at the sentence and paragraph level. Line editing focuses closely on use of language and whether it is serving the needs of the story. It looks at smoothing transitions or awkward passages. If not a separate step in the editorial process, line editing may be folded into the developmental edit, but it may become part of a heavy copy edit. Most freelance editors will identify this kind of work with one or the other category (developmental or copy editing).
3. Copy editing. Once the manuscript is polished and ready to go to production (that is, ready to be turned into a book), it will be sent to a copy editor, who will check it for errors in punctuation, grammar, usage, and spelling, making sure that the manuscript is consistent in its use of numerals, capitalization, spelling, and hyphenation. The copy editor will also check facts and ensure continuity. (Did the protagonist unexpectedly change his name or hair color in the last third of the book?) She will correlate the parts (checking cross references, for example), and she will typecode the manuscript for the typesetter, identifying elements that are not part of the running text, such as chapter heads, subheads, and lists.
We all want readers to become immersed in our stories and fall in love with our characters rather than stopping to wonder why there are so many misspellings and grammatical errors. Copy editing works much like house cleaning. If you've polished the coffee table, put away the toys, dusted the shelves, and vacuumed your pride and joy—a hand-knotted Tibetan rug—your guest might remark that she's never seen such a lovely rug. But if she trips over the toys and stops to brush the crumbs of the couch before she sits down, she will almost certainly be focused on these faults rather than the rug you'd really like her to admire.
Copy editors do not normally make substantive changes and do not re-write the text. Instead they query the author with suggested changes for clarity or coherence, most often at the level of the word or sentence. (There is some cross-over between line and copy editing in a heavy copy edit.)
Copy editors almost always work as freelancers and are hired by in-house editors, often called production editors. They are also hired directly by authors to prepare a manuscript for submission to agents and publishers or for self-publication. The level of copy edit requested is generally referred to as heavy, medium, or light, and a good example of these levels can be found here.
Copy editing cannot begin until the manuscript is complete.
4. Proofreading. Often confused with copy editing, proofreading actually occurs after the book is typeset. Proofreaders look for the same kinds of mechanical and grammatical errors that copy editors do, but they also attend to the elements of the book itself, checking to make sure the book designer's instructions have been carried out by the printer. A critical distinction is made between AE (author's error) and PE (printer's error), the former being charged to the publisher (or author) and the latter to the printer.
Proofreading is a final, crucial check to prevent errors from getting into print.
Proofreaders are most often freelancers and are hired by in-house editors. They may also be hired by authors who want that final check to ensure that their self-published novel is the best it can be.
Proofreading can also be done to prepare a manuscript for submission to agents and publishers, and can help ensure that simple, mechanical errors don't cause an agent or in-house editor to reject the book out of hand. (It's a very good idea to have query letters and sample pages proofread as well!)
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If all this editorial intervention makes you nervous, remember you have have the power of "stet" (Latin for "let it stand") on your side. In other words, you can reject the editor's changes. At every stage, the editor's changes and suggestions are sent to the author for review. It's your name on the cover, and you get to decide what goes.Coming soon: Do I Need an Editor?
—Kathy Lyon
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