All About Editing LinDee Rochelle Penchant for Penning     I don’t think my book really needs editing … I can’t tell you how many times I hear that line when consulting with authors – both published and first-timers. Heck, even editors need an editor. And some authors need more than one! Whatever for, you ask? Let me name the ways … Why do you need an editor? You’re knowledgeable in proper grammar and punctuation, isn’t that enough? In nearly all cases, no. You’re too close to it. You’ve been teasing it, babying it, living it; and you know how “love is blind”? Even “setting it down and picking it up again” an hour, day, or week later, generally won’t allow you to see through the forest of familiar words and phrases. Face it, you know what’s coming … and it doesn’t scare you! Even you computer-savvy writers who use Word’s spelling and grammar rules likely agree it isn’t infallible and can ignore some important contexts. In a long piece like a book, you’re just asking for multiple errors until someone who has never read it, won’t just “tell you what you want to hear,” and has expertise in editing, can spot the anomalies and inconsistencies—without silencing your voice. And speaking of voice—in my own writing I often break the rules—I have from high school, disagreed with some syntax requirements, and at times, I simply make up a word. It’s allowed. It’s your book. The key is to do so consistently, throughout your book or article, so it’s an obvious eccentricity. My mother, father, sister, brother, pretty much everyone in the family and my best friends, are all teachers, professors, or authors—they’ve offered to do it for me. I don’t need a costly, independent editor. Ah, contraire, m’dear! A couple of reasons why these wonderful people should not be the only means of editing your book: Love ‘em though you do, most likely your family members, et al, are not trained to spot the intricate and sometimes obscure, but important details that identify an accomplished author. And do you really want to put them in the vicarious position of utter honesty? An independent editor will be more forthright and not worried that you won’t love them anymore if they tell you the truth. Chris Roerden covered it in her contribution to John Kremer’s 1001 Ways to Market Your Books (1993 edition), “Typos, misspellings, and other goofs from bargain-basement copyediting [or untrained editing] diminish a book’s credibility and embarrass author and publisher. Less obvious is the lack of developmental editing, which can cause a book to miss its market. In a developmental edit, a market-savvy editor guides an author in producing a more saleable book.” Two things about her quote: You may need more than one editor; and a good editor will “guide” your writing, not rewrite your book.   How do I know what type of editing I need? Aha, confusion reigns! And Confucius say, “Research your editor.” OK, well maybe he didn’t really say that but I bet he would have if he were trying to publish a book today! Types of editing also tend to blur more than a photo taken with a shaky hand. A proofreader often offers a tad more, becoming a basic copyeditor. A copyeditor can be trained enough to provide a little content editing … we are so multi-talented these days! So knowing who does what is helpful, not only in selecting an editor for expertise, but in knowing the going rate you should pay. FIRST & FOREMOST: What “flavor” is your book? Mmmmmm, PEANUT BUTTER! Great—now make sure your editor LOVES peanut butter! She needs to know all about the sticky stuff—how it looks, acts and tastes. An editor may be excellent in the mechanics of editing, however, if she knows nothing about peanut butter, but everything about oranges, look for another editor—the one with peanut butter stuck to the roof of her mouth. In other words, make sure your editor is familiar and experienced in editing the type of book you’ve written. Taking that premise one step further—technical tomes, historical stories, and perhaps SciFi novels, just to name a few—may require special expertise that will cause you to fork out a few $$ more, either for a specific topic editor, or for a general editor with related experience. For many books and writings, a good copyeditor, with “enhanced” skills, might suffice. However, for those authors seeking to brand their concept and/or make a serious living from their books, multiple editors are recommended. At the very least, a comprehensive content editor, and a final-version copyeditor.   Editors’ warning and disclaimer: Even after two, three, or more editors and/or friends’ read-throughs, mark my words—there will be errors. You might whittle them down to only a couple of minor faux pas, but not even the most elite traditional publisher has produced a book without errors. We are, after all, human. Some capsulated, general editing descriptions: *Proofreading A simple, final sweep only for glaring errors and typos, needed before sending to your editor. (This is something your knowledgeable family, friends and colleagues might want to help with, too). This step eliminates "most" of the typos and obvious misspellings. (See disclaimer above; it's so difficult to get every last one.) *Copyediting (a.k.a. Mechanical or Line Editing Follows “house style” (for traditional publishers and good, author-originated publishers); ask what that is and agree on variations specific to your book. In addition to proofreading steps, reviews hyphenation, consistent use of tables, lists and formats, abbreviations, grammar, syntax, and basic word usage. *Manuscript Editing Broad term used for any book or manuscript editing service. *Content Editing Closely related to Substantive Editing (below); add paragraph structure, pattern of the text and overall flow. Non-fiction books and novels with complex plots especially benefit from this type of editing. *Substantive Editing More involved than copyediting with elements of Content Editing; again generally follows the line-by-line method and often includes organization and arrangement of existing content, rephrasing, an eye for ambiguities, and offering comments toward simplifying. This level might also include target market review, as today’s books reflect the new topic branding. *Developmental Editing Tends to be a writing coach and teacher, often working with an author who may not be a terrific writer, but has a great story or knowledge to share. Most often begins working with the author at the beginning and guides her all the way through, as an integral contributor. *Format Editing Are your lines on straight? This type of formatting ensures your book is consistent with your headings, page setup, and overall “look” of the text (especially beneficial for independently published books when you are frustrated by Microsoft’s complex word processing). Note: Please do not submit your book to an editor in chapters as you go—even if they say, “Well, OK.” They don’t mean it … trust me. It is harder on both of us … too piecemeal to easily maintain a cohesive hold on the flow. How do I find a reputable and knowledgeable editor? With the Internet as their billboard, they’re everywhere! Key words are “reputable” and “knowledgeable.” Best way? REFERRALS. Ask other authors who write in your genre about the editor they used and if pleased with the results. Some additional tips if you have to research: ~ Ask for references. ~ Request sample edits on minimum of a couple pages, up to a chapter of your book, so you will know if you’ll be happy with their style. ~ Do they have an organized and detailed website? (A good sign that they will be meticulous with your book, too.) How much should I expect to pay for editing? At this time, 2¢ to 4¢ per word (up to approx. 5-10¢) is average for proofing, copyediting and content editing; and escalates from there. Some editors charge by the page. Be wary of those who charge by the hour—although in their Common Rates for Editorial Services, the Editorial Freelancers’ Assoc. gives a comprehensive list of average rates, generally by the hour. They also, however, include what the (average) estimated time should be; this is when you definitely want references to validate your editor’s competence and integrity. It’s still recommended to pay by the word or page. (Copyediting is averaged at $20-$50/hr., at 2-10 pgs./hr., as of 2009.)             Tip: Always create an agreement between you and your editor, to clarify not only the $ amount and length of time allotted, but specific type of editing expected and what you prefer they don’t do. What can I do to make my book better? Create a style sheet – it doesn’t need to be as involved as an editor’s, but it will certainly help keep you on a straight course while writing your book. You may want to indicate:                         ~ how you treat lists                         ~ what words are unusually capitalized                         ~ technical terms                         ~ specific formatting requirements                         ~ word list (i.e., email vs. e-mail/all hyphenated words)                         ~ what style reference books are used                         ~ any uncommon word treatments; unusual figures of speech A sample style sheet can be on this website: Editing Style Sheet-sample And stay informed about changes in grammar and punctuation styles—changes are not always obvious, but can take you by surprise. A few years ago, I realized my edition of the AP Stylebook needed updating—I soon learned we were no longer to insert two spaces at the end of each sentence … sheesh!   Having your book professionally edited is the angel-white icing on your devil’s food cake! Resources: My Book’s Published—Now What??? (Infinity Publishing) By John F. Harnish, multi-book author and VP of Author Services, Infinity Publishing. Para Publishing / Dan Poynter, links to suppliers to the publishing industry— great hand selected resources. Happy writing!