What All Authors Aught to Know About Editors and Editing

As a book coach, much of my job involves educating writers about the ins and outs of book publishing. There are lots of moving parts that have to be coordinated so that they come together into a successful, satisfying whole. Understanding the different types of editors, what they do, and how to best work with them is the most important (and most misunderstood) aspect of writing and producing a high-quality book.

Commercially published books set the bar high for content and design, reflecting more than a century of experience in taking books through editorial production. Manuscripts chosen by these houses are developed, rewritten, and copyedited until they shine. The exciting news for self-publishers is that they can also access editing, design, and marketing consultants to give their works the same polished quality.

Whatever stage your manuscript is in, it’s never too soon to scout resources for editing, so you’re ready when the time comes for that step. Some authors like to work with an editor as they write their manuscript—others wait till they have a full draft. Regardless of your working style, even seasoned writers benefit from good editing—and that should be one of the most important steps every self-publisher includes in their Plan.

A good developmental editor can help correct fundamental errors early on that may determine the success or failure of your book. The structure, order, voice, and many other considerations that go into writing a long-form narrative are critical to how well it will read and flow, and whether it will connect with readers.

The following will help clarify the role of different editors, what they can bring to your manuscript, and how you can organize your manuscript in advance to get the most out of the collaboration.

Developmental or Substantive Editor

• A developmental editor works with a writer to improve the basic concept of the book, the way it’s focused and structured, and the style and attitude of the narrative voice. Is your book concept sharp and clear right from the beginning? How does it contribute and fit into the marketplace? How does it complement your work or your platform?
  
  
• In a non-fiction book substantive editors help clarify and organize the ideas and information. Have you included a table of contents? If not, create one as a structure to guide and support the book. Make sure the chapter titles are meaningful and work to connect the different ideas, concepts, and topics as you move your readers along. 
  
  
• As you create and organize your content, make sure your ideas are balanced and well thought out. Is there an easy flow to your writing that your readers can follow? How are the transitions from paragraph to paragraph, and chapter to chapter? Are they smooth and natural…or might your readers get lost or confused?
  
  
• Are any parts or chapters repetitive? Is there any material that could be deleted to improve the reading experience without missing it? (Some experts say that as much as 50% of first drafts can be eliminated without losing the meaning!)
  
  
• Are you including stories (meaning characters and scenes) to counterbalance any teaching materials? If not, I highly recommend adding them. People learn and remember best from stories, so be sure to include them with consistency throughout your chapters.
  
  
• Would call-out quotes, sidebars, charts, illustrations, or other design elements improve your content? Organizing these items in your chapters will help guide your readers and clarify your main points for a better experience. Are there any other elements you could add to make the book more engaging?
  
  
• Consider point of view. Are you writing in first person or third person? Present tense or past tense? Are your words and language choice right for your audience? Is your tone friendly, inviting, relatable? Remember, your readers are committing to spending several hours with you—you don’t want to alienate them!
  
  
• How’s the pacing in your draft? Sentence lengths can be varied so your readers don’t fall asleep. Does the pacing work within chapters and between chapters? Are some sentences, paragraphs, or chapters too long?
  
  
• Is it clear what your book offers your reader? How will they use your content or lessons in their own lives? Are there exercises or practices included with your chapters? Are you using real-life stories and examples to make your case?
  
  
• Title, Subtitle, Tag lines
  Are these working together to give the reader a quick snapshot of what your book promises to deliver?
  
  
• Introduction and/or first chapter
  Be sure you state the “problem” your readers face and how your book provides solutions. The benefits and takeaways should be clear upfront. You may also want to include instructions to readers for “How to Use this Book”, why this is the right time for your book topic, and why you are the best person to write it.
  
  
• Final Chapter, Conclusion, Epilogue
  Your conclusion should clearly support the chapters preceding it. Make sure the lessons are tied together at the end, and offer suggestions of a bigger picture, or more steps your readers can take from here.
  
  
• Miscellaneous
  Spelling, grammar, word choices, permissions, line breaks, paragraph breaks, italic, bold, etc. Your editor will also look into any other smaller issues that might escape your notice. 

Copy Editor

• A copyeditor goes over your manuscript after you have reworked all the other elements above with your developmental editor. The final copyeditor checks for typos, spelling, and grammatical errors. They can also do fact-checking on technical terms, and historical facts or events when necessary. Professional copyeditors most often follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

Self-publishers are sometimes tempted to copyedit their own work, or hire on-the-cheap. One word of advice: Don’t! Much of the reason self-publishing has had such a bad rap is due to cutting corners on editing.

Write your draft in Microsoft Word, as this is what most professional editors use for changes and tracking. Set one-inch margins, double-spaced, use a 12-point serif font. Most books are designed using serifs, because they are easier to read. Do not indent or format your pages. One average printed book page = 250 words double-spaced in Word. 

Proofreader

• A proofreader reviews the manuscript after all the chapters are written, revised and edited. This last pair of eyes is not critical to successfully publishing your book, but everything you do to improve the quality of your work will bring it up to the level of professional benchmarks. 

How to Hire and Work with an Editor

Investigate a prospective editor’s credentials and interview him/her to be sure your manuscript is a good match. You want to hire an editor familiar with your genre. Find out what other books s/he has edited and check them out. Check references. Be clear on what services you will receive and how they will be delivered.

 Experience

• Has the editor worked on books that have been published successfully?
  Your prospective editor should be able to provide an author list of published titles that you can examine.
  
  
• Does the editor have working experience, specifically with books and not primarily short-form pieces? There are important differences in the skills and techniques necessary for the development of a book-length story.

 Ask the editor to provide references and endorsements, and be sure to follow up.

 Compatibility 

• It’s important to be able to get in touch with a prospective developmental editor directly. Have a good phone conversation. It’s important to see how they respond and to hear their voice, to establish a relationship you can trust and enjoy. 
  
  
• It’s important be able to forge an open, honest channel of ongoing communication. A good fit is important.

Accessibility 

• It’s important that your editor be able to answer emails and/or return phone calls in a timely manner. If your candidate is slow to answer emails or does not return your phone calls, that’s not a good sign. Being busy is normal, but being out of communication for long periods of time is not acceptable for any ongoing, working relationship.
  
  

  So there you have it—these are the basics that go into preparing your draft for professional editing.

   

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PLAN FOR SUCCESS!