Why Use a Professional Editor?

That's easy! No matter how many times a writer or author goes through their own work, they can never pick up all the errors - they are simply too close to the writing.

After completing the manuscript, and going through it umpteen times checking over the story, the writer can easily miss errors - typo's, punctuation, correct position of words in a sentence, the flow of a paragraph, lost characters. These are only a few points that could diminish the quality of a good story and ruin the chance of publication.

This is where the professional editor comes in.

The editor works with the author to ensure the manuscript will achieve that polished status, ready for the consumer to purchase and read.

There have been a few instances over the years that I've picked up a book, which has supposedly been edited, only to put it down again as unreadable due to misspelt words, incorrect punctuation, or the story gets 'lost' half way through. One book comes to mind; it was a mass of words on paper - no paragraphs, no scene changes, no breaks, making it totally unreadable. I felt sorry for the author who had put all that hard work into it, as it would never be read.

There are three types of editing - Substantive, Copy editing and Proofreading. All are essential for producing a good-quality publication, although they may be performed at different times during the process and usually more than once. The levels can overlap and a editor can perform a part substantive edit when engaged to copyedit.

Substantive edit - also called content or structural editing. This process checks the content, style, language, presentation and structure. It also covers any rewriting, tailoring the work to its audience and ensures the authors 'voice' is clear.

Copyediting - does not involve structural problems, but works on consistency, accuracy and clarity. It checks for punctuation and spelling accuracy. It can overlap with substantive editing.

Proofreading - is the last edit of the process. It's usually performed after the first draft print run to check for any typo's, punctuation, page numbering, chapter numbering, that all deletions have been carried out and the allotted 'style' has been followed.

Bearing all of this in mind, an author writes. An editor edits. Both have their specific parts to play in the whole process.

A well-trained editor is worth their weight in gold and will polish the author's work to the high level required for publication, ensuring the finished book is a pleasure to read.

A Little on Book Editing

Now that I have created a brand new place for my 'book work', it's time to start filling the pages. Where does one start? A little about me maybe?

How did it come about? As with most things - a change of lifestyle. When this happened I decided that I needed something I could get my teeth into and searched within myself for what I love. Books jumped to the forefront. I have always loved books and right from a very young age they attracted me. Books have a way of making you feel alive, of taking you to places only dreamed of, making you aware that anything is possible, of encouraging you to take that next step...

I enrolled in an editing course and in due time received my Diploma. I've been a book editor for a number of years and thoroughly enjoy helping authors 'get their words out' into the world. It is very satisfying to see an author with a huge smile on their face and happy with the final result. It also gives them confidence to 'go forth' and let their book be seen by millions of people around the world.

The editing process is probably the most important process in the 'manuscript to published book' link. An author always needs an editor to polish their work. Without this, it can hold up all that hard work. Words are the most important aspect of language. Without them, there would be no language and therefore, no books.

Do contact me if you would like to add your book to my blog for extra exposure, or enquire about the next step to take in the publishing process. I look forward to hearing from you...