Sending your manuscript to a copyeditor can be a nerve-racking experience – particularly if you're a first-time author. While everyone has a slightly different process, below is a sneak peek at mine. Full disclosure: this workflow can change depending on the length of the project, the type of book being edited and whether I'm working with an author or a third party (such as an in-house editor). Whatever the circumstances, it should give you an idea of how a non-fiction copyedit will unfold. Let's get stuck in.
1. Review the copyediting brief
Before I do anything, I review the editor's brief supplied by the publisher or business. This tells me if there are any issues that need addressing, like reducing the word count, strengthening weak intros, eliminating repetition, identifying missing content or fact-checking.
In general, the more detailed the brief, the better. Some clients even supply a style guide or brand voice guide to ensure that any preferred spellings, tone or word choices are consistent.
With self-published books, however, I don't always get a brief as the errors may not be immediately obvious to the author or client. This is where a sample edit comes in. It helps me gauge how much work is required and discuss the scope of the project before we begin.
2. Tidy up the manuscript
Using macros and find/replace, I remove extra spaces, line breaks, straight quotes (if curly are requested), etc. This is what I usually call editorial housekeeping – making fiddly corrections that the client doesn't need to know about and that don't affect the content of the manuscript. This may also include tidying up formatting or fixing heading hierarchies.
So why don't I flag them? It's simple. Because they're minor issues that don't alter the author's meaning. Plus, formatting markup can look really messy on the page! (Ever tried adding bullets with Track Changes? My eyes water just thinking about it.)
3. Apply styles
If required, I apply the publisher’s preferred Word styles to the manuscript (e.g. Heading 1, Heading 2, Body text, Note italics, etc.). While some publishers style the manuscript in-house, others send a style template that needs to be applied either before or after the edit. This makes it easy for their designer to apply new styles during typesetting. I like to do it beforehand to eliminate any stylistic idiosyncrasies (like a coloured font or small point size) that can distract from the edit.
Note: Styling can be a time-consuming task, particularly in a long or footnoted text, so I make sure that my editing fees and delivery schedule take this into account.
4. Extract the chapters
If the book is long, I extract the chapters so they can be edited separately. Feedback from the first chapter will dictate how the rest of the copyedit will unfold. I know editors who work on the entire manuscript before it goes to the author, but I prefer to stagger the process, allowing feedback from each chapter to inform the next. It also means that the author doesn't have to wait too long to see how the edit is shaping up. Instead, it allows them to become part of the process, building a collaborative relationship along the way!
5. Create a style sheet
To ensure consistency, I create a style sheet to record capitalisations, preferred spellings and any other style issues that may deviate from the house style guide. This is non-negotiable when you're a copyeditor. Not only does it make my own editing more accurate, but it means that the proofreader doesn't have to scramble for the dictionary (or harangue the project editor/client) every time they see alternative spellings or punctuation. They just consult the sheet and carry on!
6. Complete the first edit
After the first pass, I send the edited chapter to the author. All track changes and author queries are included in the file. This can be intimidating to new authors (particularly if it's been a heavy edit), but it's important to see where tweaks have been made and why. Rather than just making changes, I like to explain why I've recast a sentence or requested more information. Not only does this minimise questions, but it also helps the author understand the mechanics and nuances of language, and hopefully avoid those pitfalls in the future.
7. Review the first edit
After the author has reviewed the chapter, they return it with comments, rewrites or clarifications. (I usually give them instructions on how I use Track Changes and how to interact with it.) They often reply to my comments to approve changes, make requested tweaks or justify the original phrasing.
8. Complete the second edit
I review any comments and rewrites and make corrections where necessary. If there are no corrections on my part, we move on to the next chapter. If they've introduced errors, haven't addressed a certain issue or a rewrite needs more work, I highlight this in the second edit.
9. Review the second edit
At this stage, the author reviews my edits and returns the chapter. Most outstanding issues are resolved at this stage. If it's been a particularly heavy edit, a third pass is done (only on the new edits) and sent to the author for review. I've rarely done more than three passes. One or two are pretty standard, particularly with books that come through publishers (they tend to be in better shape, but not always).
Note: I usually make sure I know how many passes are included in the job. The more passes I do, the higher my fee (those checks take time!). In some cases, clients only require one pass and they make corrections on their end. Of course, this means that errors may be introduced or overlooked. If the book is being proofread (this is highly recommended for self-publishing authors, by the way), these are usually picked up and corrected before publication.
10. Perform a final check
After all the chapters have been returned, I accept or reject outstanding changes (based on the author's feedback), consolidate the manuscript and do a final consistency check. You'd be surprised how many errors show up in this final round, which is why this step is crucial. I once picked up inconsistent use of US and USA this way!
Once complete, I return the edited file to the publisher with my style sheet, editorial notes (my observations about the edit) and design notes (list of figures, use of special characters, etc.). With non-fiction books, I may also include a spreadsheet with suggested running heads (i.e. the section, chapter or book title that appears at the top of every page).
What to expect from a book editor: Summing up
As you can see, copyediting is not a ‘one pass and you’re done’ process. It's structured, detailed and always collaborative. While these steps may change depending on the author/publisher and their preferred working style, it's pretty much how copyediting plays out.
So, did anything surprise you about what happens during a copyedit? Or, if your work has been copyedited, is there anything you wish had been done differently? I'd love to know. Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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