Acquisitions Editor The next editor a manuscript hopefully goes through is the acquisitions editor - writers, as well as agents, will typically submit their manuscripts to the this type of editor.
Acquisitions editors find new authors and decide whether the manuscripts submitted would be profitable choices in the long run for the publishing house they work for. He or she will promote the chosen authors, make a pitch to the house to publish the manuscripts, and facilitate communication between the publisher and the writer.
The acquisition editor also manages all the budgeting, marketing, and contractual decisions. There is typically a lot of competition with other acquisition editors to bring in new authors, therefore it is often a challenge to get an author accepted into the publishing house. Once accepted, the acquisitions editor will often follow a manuscript from that point forward until publication in order to ensure the story is in line with the publisher's vision. Line Editor The next type of editor is the line editor.
This editor will go through a manuscript line by line and find grammatical and spelling errors that may compromise the quality of the material. The line editor will also make sure that word choice contributes to the overall tone of the book. Line editing sometimes overlaps the areas of developmental editing and copy editing, and in some publishing fields the line editor and copy editor positions are combined into one.
However, this type of editing goes beyond just checking for proper grammar. A line editor's main focus is to be deeply in tune with the author's voice and to make it come to life. Paragraph and sentence structure is the main focus of line editing, ensuring ideas are expressed with both strength and clarity. Instead of 'fixing' the author's voice, a good line editor will make the voice stronger and sharper.
Copy Editor The copy editor is one of the last people to go over a manuscript before it is ready for print. He or she will examine the document for inconsistencies in theme, style, and factual information. Permission is checked for copyright material, ensuring there will be no legal conflict. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are also scanned again. The main purpose of the copy editor is to make sure the text that is used is clear, will maintain the interest of the reader, and maintain in-house style rules.
Production Editor In the home stretch, the edited manuscript goes to the production editor who oversees the transition between manuscript and published book.
This is the last person to review the material before print. This type of editor manages the typesetting, artwork, and budgeting, and ensures quality is met in all other areas of editing. Production editing is a multi-faceted role that requires a mix of editorial and project-management skills.
Being a production editor is all about quality control, and differs from other editors in the scale of the changes being made micro vs. A production editor deals with small-scale, non-substantive changes, while other editors look at larger-scale, substantive changes. Production editors are also trained in other quality control checks that include: proofreading, copyediting, extensive formatting checks, and more.
Editor In Chief All the operations of managing a newspaper or a magazine are the responsibility of the editor in chief also known as the executive editor or editor at large. The editor in chief is responsible for the look of the product, the type of content produced, the number of articles that need to be written, and for ensuring that each issue is released on time.
He or she also oversees all department editors as well as the hiring and firing , and has the final say on what gets published. The editor in chief is responsible for creating an editorial board, which is basically an outline of what needs to be included in the newspaper or magazine issue.
Every issue has its own board. When all articles and images have been submitted for an issue, the editor in chief will review everything for accuracy and will make any necessary changes to the layouts and to the design. Engagement Editor An engagement editor has the job of identifying stories that are going to resonate with the newspaper's or magazine's audience.
You could give the text to someone with the expertise, experience and objectivity to manage this next step. Why hire a professional editor? Professional editors can see both the big picture and the fine details. Structural editing — Assess and shape material to improve organization and content. Stylistic editing — Edit to clarify meaning, ensure coherence and flow, and refine the language.
Copy editing — Edit to ensure correctness, accuracy, consistency and completeness. Proofreading — Examine material after layout or in final format to correct errors in textual and visual elements. Professional editors help you create the best possible product. No matter what level of editing you need, professional editors: See things you might have missed Ensure your message is clear and effective Make sure you have chosen the best words to communicate your message Professional editors are objective, impartial and have your best interests at heart.
One of the best things about working with a professional editor is this: you can rely on his or her experience. Your editor has gone through countless works in progress with other authors. If you trust the process and listen to your editor, your editor will lead you to an improved manuscript. But, remember that the editor is not your enemy. He or she is simply trying to help you produce the best story. Feel free to ask for clarification, or even disagree, but keep in mind that the editor is only here to help you make a salable story.
And, as a cherry on top, working with an editor will help you improve as a writer. Before you go, be sure to check out these additional resources that will help you prepare to work with a professional editor:. Will they hate your work? Will they talk down to you? Is your manuscript ready for a professional edit?
Is it even worth it to hire an editor? Confused about the different types of edits? Download this handy guide. Leave this field blank. First Name. Send me the bonus! Hold tight May arrange layout of articles and sidebars.
Copy editors might write headlines. Depending on the size and scope of the publication, a newspaper or magazine editor may perform a combination of the tasks mentioned above. Acquisitions editor —Finds new authors and promotes writers he thinks will be profitable for the publisher. Writers and agents typically submit manuscripts to the acquisitions editor.
Developmental editor —Helps a writer develop a book from idea or outline or initial draft. Makes sure the book will meet the needs of the publisher and its readers. Will work with the author through any number of drafts. Often works with writers of non-fiction. Guides the writer in topics to be covered in or omitted from the book.
Ensures that the manuscript meets in-house style standards and corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Checks facts and may suggest different words. Verifies headings, statistics, data in graphs, and footnote entries. For fiction, the manuscript editor will check for consistency and logic, and will read with the needs of the audience in mind.
Proofreader —Compares one version of a manuscript against another to eliminate errors from the newest version. The proofreader is the last person to check a manuscript before publication. A proofreader is not an editor in the traditional sense, but because of a crossover between duties, an editor may be the proofreader. Either the acquisitions or manuscript editor may suggest moving or dropping scenes, dropping or changing characters, changing point of view, or making other major changes to a manuscript.
Freelance editor A freelance editor works for himself and is hired by a writer to ready his manuscript for publication.
Copy editor —A freelance copy editor may deal primarily with spelling, grammar, punctuation, fact checking, and word choice in the sense that he makes sure the words mean what the author thinks they mean. Developmental editor —As detailed above, the developmental editor helps the writer from the idea stage through the final draft.
He may suggest topics, help with research, verify facts, and plan the structure of the manuscript. He works through successive drafts with the writer. Substantive editor —Helps a writer improve his fiction manuscript by focusing on story elements, plot, characterization, dialogue, order of scenes, point of view, voice, setting, word choice, sentence construction and syntax, and pace—anything that could improve the strength of the manuscript.
Helps a writer with a non-fiction manuscript by ensuring that sections lead logically from one to another, that there is consistency and flow, and that the right amount of information is presented. Will make sure that conclusions are sound and come from what has been presented.
Substantive editors do not usually work with a writer from the beginning stages, but instead will come to a manuscript after the writer has completed several drafts. Points out weaknesses and suggests options to strengthen those areas. Examines both the big picture and the fine details of a manuscript including grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Areas and elements that an editor specifically a book editor might look at—.
Non-fiction editor Besides making corrections and suggestions for the technical elements—spelling and punctuation, data and fact verification, footnote and index accuracy and so on—the editor of non-fiction will help a writer organize the manuscript for greatest impact, clarity, and readability.
She will check the flow and rhythms of the manuscript. She will ensure that conclusions are sufficiently supported. She may suggest sections where an anecdote or other story might be appropriate. Fiction editor Beyond the technical issues of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, the fiction editor will look at story issues.
She may suggest a change in point of view or in the viewpoint character. May suggest a change in verb tense—past to present or present to past. The fiction editor will make sure the writer has given characters sufficient motivation. Better in terms of clarity, enjoyment, logic, flow, and meaning. Better in terms of meeting the needs of the audience. They write. They love words and the millions of stories that can be crafted from them. They assemble parts of a manuscript as if they were puzzle pieces, putting them together to make a fascinating and appealing picture, a picture that readers will want to explore in depth.
They often have a great eye for detail, a strong vocabulary, and knowledge of odd grammar rules. They work to make what is good better, what is great, outstanding. They challenge writers. They challenge themselves. Tags: editor Posted in: Definitions. A great overview of the profession. Based on their extensive knowledge of literature, editors evaluate text in terms of its distance from the norm.
Some deviations are unacceptable, such as errors in grammar and spelling. Proofreaders catch these, as do general editors. If a sentence is an arrow, then the editor ensures that it cleanly hits the mark. In actual practice, this is often a process of culling away unneeded words, not re-writing or recasting expression. Just accept that Phil Connors is repeating one day over and over until he finds himself.
There are several ways the passage could be edited, and this example is only a demonstration of how truncating can produce a cleaner read. You mentioned another good point— passages can be edited in a number of ways. The way passages and scenes are edited builds up a cumulative effect across a story. It shapes the flavor of the manuscript. Thank you for answering this question. I am beginning my journey to be a published author. I have submitted one manuscript which the publisher passed on, but offered favorable feedback.
However, I was still asking myself.. Debra Ann, getting feedback from the publisher is great. Editors and publishers are looking for stories they can sell and stories that fit their lines.
They may also be looking for writers who can reliably deliver more stories beyond that first one. I just finished writing my first non-fiction book.
Now,I need to get it proofread and edited. I dont have any idea how much these services cost.. Can you offer me any advice on what to do next? Im so excited about my book.. Its an attention grabber! Thank You for your time and help… I appreciate it.. Sharon, now you rewrite and edit. But you need to get it into a format other than handwritten. Beverly, congratulations! Finishing that first book is a milestone worth celebrating. Make sure you take time to mark the occasion.
The next step should be to step away from the project for a while. Then go back and begin your rewrites and your own edits. See what feedback you can get, for free, from trusted colleagues. After that you can decide about professional editing or proofreading services. A good editor will cost you some money. Editors are worth their fees, which could be several thousand dollars depending on the length and breadth of a project and on the condition of the manuscript.
An edit is an investment. The Internet has many, many resources for self-editing and information about editing services. Use the archive link to find an alphabetical list of articles. I wish you much success with this book and all those to follow. Just remember to take your time. I hope you enjoy all your preparation for it and every project you work on as an editor. But I was wondering who should be in charge of deciding how many words there should be per page?
Is it the designer or the editor? Some features might lean more heavily to graphics and photos, which again would mean fewer words. Also, the the nature of the magazine should help guide such decisions. Will readers be reading or looking at the pretty pages?
Plus, check out similar magazines that have great sales. What do they do? How do they balance words and images? And which is more important for the purchaser of the magazine? This was very helpful.
But if an editor will not be co-writing, then both parties need to know that before the editor begins work on the manuscript. Again, the best option is to know what a manuscript requires from the start and plan accordingly.
As for knowing where to draw the line, go back to what you and the writer talked about. What does he expect from you? Thanks for your reply Beth. Your suggestions are exactly what I do, but I still find myself doing more rewriting than editing. This is the second project from this person who simply does not write well. Lauren, you sound like a diligent editor, wanting to give your best to your clients.
Going above and beyond assures that your clients get a great edit, but it can be tough for you. I hope you can find a balance that works for you and your clients, though that balance will probably be different with every edit. Anyway I was wondering what can I study if I wish to pursue a career as a fictional editor?
Looloo, words are wonderful, I agree. And powerful too. We can create so much out of a few simple pen strokes. I love the written word. If you want to edit fiction, pursue and learn about anything that interests you.
You may end up editing a novel featuring a circus performer or a photographer or a botanist. You may edit sci-fi one month and romance the next. You will want to be versed in religions and myths and history and science and politics. Also, consider a study of languages. Not only does this open you to new cultures, it also gives you a deeper understanding of words and their connections. Write a book yourself.
Tackle a novella. Study books on the craft of writing. Learn what makes a phrase work. Learn how to manipulate words. Learn grammar rules. Pursue your personal dreams, even if they have nothing to do with writing or editing. Fill yourself with those things that satisfy you. Be as well rounded as you can be.
I could go on and on about this one. But bottom line? Think broad in interests and detailed in skills. Thank you so much for replying. You really set my mind at ease.
I like to know about anything that intrigues me and this could mean history, biology, philosophy, psychology, neurology, nutrition or even dance. I have a friend who is a photographer and a brother who knows all that there is to know about cars sand I think I will be spending a lot of time with them these days trying and pick up what I can.
About studying languages, well I live in Egypt so English is supposedly my second language plus, I also studied french. I fully understand how that expands and enriches the understanding of words as well as cultures and even people too. In the paragraph before the last every word you said went right to my soul! I firmly believe that everyone should know themselves and be true to who they are.
This means following your own unique dreams and drowning out the voices that aim to mold you into something else. No culture, society or tradition is worth sacrificing who you are for. I have another question.
I wrote a couple of things myself. A few poems, a couple of articles and some random pieces that might develop into a short story someday. Do you have any idea where do I start if I wish to publish any of these? Looloo, there are so many, many places you can publish. For articles and short stories, look at magazines print and online. The Internet is a great tool for finding publishing opportunities. Just be sure the magazine or Web site is legitimate. And you could always put stories up on your own Web site.
Just keep in mind that publishers are not going to want to publish stories that have already been published. I am currently facing a mid-life crisis of sorts. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design and have been working in the field for the past 4 years. When I finally realized that I could not care less about what couch matches what chair matches what paint matches what not, I decided to do some soul searching. I gave up a well-paid, stable job and am currently hoping to pursue my passion for wordplay and editing.
My question is, how do I go about this? I know that I love reading and writing, have a good sense of grammar and a decent vocabulary. However, I lack the technical education. Any advice, on how I can move forward and take this up as a professional career, would really help. While I might have counseled hanging on to the other job for a while, until you got established, I can certainly understand wanting to leave an unfulfilling career.
While other writers may not necessarily offer one another the same feedback an editor would, knowing what writers are looking for and what they need would be helpful. Take classes on editing and grammar online or at a local college. Enroll in a writing program. Read everything you can on the craft of writing. Edit chapters from published books. Edit chapters from writers in that writing group you joined. Rewrite passages of published stories to change POV or to fit another genre or to change the emotional impact.
Learn what changes do to the scene, to the chapter, and to the story as a whole. Learn the specifics of the different genres—their needs, expectations, standards and prohibitions. Read contemporary fiction and the classics. Join an editors forum. Join writers forums. Learn your weaknesses and strengthen them. Learn how to encourage writers. Learn how to point out what works. Or enroll in a full program at a college if you can and want to. Join writing and editing organizations and attend their conferences.
Also, try your hand at writing a novel or novella. If you intend to help writers, knowing what they face during creation is important. And if you intend to help them frame a story, work on pacing, write entertaining fiction, you really should have taken on the whole experience yourself. Will you seek publication for your own stories? Maybe not. But writing them will only be a benefit. I am a junior in high school, and I love to read.
I have found that I am very good at proofreading for grammar mistakes as well as at rewording sentences for coherency. Do you think one should enjoy writing if one wanted to be an editor?
While strongly related, writing and editing are different activities and require different skills. Not all writers could edit and not all editors would want to write. Yet you did say you like rewording sentences. Would you also enjoy helping a writer frame a story? Would you like learning how to write so you could help writers with their craft? If a dislike for writing kept you from learning how to write, how to create phrases that flowed fluidly, how to map out a story or how to link storytelling elements, you would definitely lack skills that would serve an editor well.
0コメント