WHAT DO YOU DO IN AN “EDIT” AND WHAT ARE THE LEVELS OF EDIT?
The content or substantive edit is the study of a manuscript to come to terms with the overall intent of the material and to determine if the writing has in any way fallen short. It is the “big picture” edit providing a general manuscript analysis. Sometimes this is called a macro edit. Basically, we do a complete read-through of the writing, whether fiction or nonfiction, and determine if it coheres, is logical, and is correctly targeted to the intended readership. Maybe the fifth chapter is weak. Maybe you forgot to add an important piece of information about your topic. Maybe the conclusion is weak. In fiction, is the story interesting? Are the characters real and believable? Is the plot working? Is the dialogue convincing? We make sure you have logically developed your thinking and writing completely, that it is well-organized, and that there are no idiosyncrasies that could damage the material or the reader’s reception of the material. We want you to engage your reader’s mind and find your own, unique voice. We help you clarify your thinking, eliminate jargon, and polish your writing style. Since you don’t want your readers to be frustrated or confused, we analyze and identify erroneous or irrelevant information for suggested removal. We signal you if there are spots in the manuscript where permission to use quotes might be required from other copyrighted sources. If ideas come to mind on improving the work, we suggest revisions or rewrites. At this point, light or heavy revisions are suggested, and the actual copyediting begins.
The mechanical or micro edit—or the copyedit––puts your manuscript into publishable form by industry standards. We do a line-by-line editing, reasoning over each line and paragraph. We check for and correct certain mechanical errors––things like grammatical and punctuation errors, spelling mistakes, typographical errors, infelicities of style, and syntax (phrases and clauses). In other words, we enforce the acceptable conventions of style. Much of our work is to stop writers from walking the plank, so facts, figures and sources are checked for accurateness and brought to your attention if required. We do this through a query list of questions, comments, recommendations, and a summary of the critical issues in the manuscript. (Unless hired to do so, we do not provide a full fact-check of the material, reorganize paragraphs in a substantial way, nor dramatically alter sentence structure and word choices).
We do what we do because, with the rush of modern publishing, we may be the only ones who really sit down and read the manuscript line by line before it is published. Our substantive and copyediting may enlarge or reduce or otherwise change one’s manuscript. But as editors, we function not to change the manuscript with our own preferences, theories or ideas; rather, we read the material in an objective way to act as your catalyst and sounding board. We read and edit your writing to see if it makes sense, and to see if it’s in good shape. Under no circumstances will we alter your intended meaning. If something honestly serious is found during the copyediting stage, we will bring it to your attention, and we will ensure all your questions and concerns are answered. Our chosen dictionary is the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, and for punctuation, capitalization and spelling rules we use The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, which is the industry standard.
We use the “track changes” method in our editing. It is a function in Microsoft Word which shows you what revisions we have made, what changes we suggest, and provides feedback. In this way, it is easy for you to either accept or reject any editorial changes we suggest. We can also edit on hard copy, using traditional editing and proofreading marks, if you prefer.
WHAT DOES AN EDITOR DO?
During the editorial process, editors work with authors to produce books, articles, and other written works that are as excellent as they can be in terms of both content and quality. Editing is done on screen, sometimes only in a light way, and at other times in a more comprehensive way, depending on the specific needs of a given manuscript. Besides making sure your manuscript generally conforms to accepted industry standards, our purpose is to help you identify inaccuracies or potentially offensive material and to help you clarify any unclear thinking.
As editors, we are not supercritical, academic-monastic people who cackle when editing a manuscript so heavily that writers can’t recognize their own work. On the other hand, we also are not knights in shining armor out to rescue you or your manuscript from obscurity. The truth is, we are somewhere in between.
We do manuscript consultation to help you come to terms with what work you’ve done. And we provide written critiques that usually fall somewhere between censure and praise! We will give attention to all the elements of style, structure and content.
WHY DO I NEED AN EDITOR?
Do you hemorrhage for time? Are you unsure about the writing and publishing process? Is your writing already perfect, or do you know it needs rescue? Are you too close to your own work to see it objectively? These are some of the reasons many writers need professional freelance manuscript editors—to help them see what options there are and to put things in proper perspective. In fact, you can’t afford not to seek professional editing. Your writing is that important. It can be powerful and significant, build a strong foundation, and help develop thought and dialogue with others. Words are a gift from God; used well, they are windows into the soul of another person. While no editor will ever get your manuscript into absolutely perfect form, having your material edited professionally is always a smart move. Even though most writers review their work over and over, good editors can see things most writers overlook.
Good Editors help writers and potential authors approach their work in an unvarnished and sensible way. They can help writers develop a captivating and individual style, catch illogical statements, spot flaws in an argument, identify poorly chosen words or paragraphs, point out errors in usage and style, remove clichés and pointless, moribund words, and weaknesses in plot structure. You need an editor because the world needs the value of excellent writing. The legacy you leave with your writing should be the best and strongest it can be.
HOW DO I KNOW MY WRITING NEEDS EDITING?
You can send some of your writing project to us as an email attachment and we will be happy to evaluate it for you and let you know what we feel would be the best route for you to take. If you do send some material, make sure it’s in a correctable PC application, preferably Microsoft Word. Though we almost always want to see work in electronic form, legible hand written and hand printed material can be sent to us via surface mail. When we finish work for you, we will send it back in whatever manner you prefer.
ISN’T LINE EDITING THE SAME AS PROOFREADING?
No, they are separate processes, although they are often mistaken for each other.
Line editing or copyediting is work on a manuscript prior to publication in a variety of ways and in varying degrees, including correction of spelling, grammar, usage, and other errors. It also entails many other things, such as organization of graphics and photographs, preparation of indexes and glossaries—whatever you and the editor agree should be done. This work is done on the typed manuscript or on the computer screen.
Proofreading means reading and correcting the typeset manuscript, usually in the form of typesetting proofs, after the proofs are delivered. Proofreading is for minor errors in the areas of spelling and typographical problems. But this does not mean you don’t need a professional to do this for you. Quite the contrary. Proofing is done after the line editing process but before the book is delivered to the printer. The proofreader also does many other things, like checking headers, page numbers, bad end-of-line breaks, placement of art work, graphs and tables, and cross references. Fundamentally, the proofreader is charged with catching all errors and checking for accuracy and consistency. Most publishing houses ask authors to submit manuscripts on disks or CD-ROMs. Typesetting is then done electronically when the publisher transfers the words from your disk into their system and then begins formatting them as they will appear in the printed book. Many snags and malfunctions can occur at this stage, and usually do occur, so proofreading is an absolutely essential part of the publishing process.
HOW QUICKLY CAN YOU EDIT MY WRITING?
This always depends on how busy we are. Generally, however, please give us as much time as you can. Here are some estimates or guidelines:
Smaller jobs of copyediting and proofreading are defined as fewer than twenty pages. We can take this amount of material in hand and usually return it to you in three business days. For medium-sized jobs of twenty to around fifty pages, we would need at least five to fifteen business days. Larger projects over fifty pages will depend on the type, size and complexity of the manuscript. We will give a time estimate at the time we contract the work with you.
Significant writing and macro editing will take at least a week in the case of small jobs, two weeks for medium-sized jobs, and three weeks or so for larger projects. Again, we will always let you know up front what the time estimate is.
Ghostwriting nonfiction (we don’t do this for fiction) depends what you can give us to start with. If we are building a book from the ground up, our timetable will depend on the category of writing, the amount of research and writing required, and the degree to which you are available and willing to assist.
If we are swimming in an overabundance of work, there will be times we might have to beg off a job, or, if not, get your permission to take a longer amount of time than we usually would. On the other hand, there are times we will be quicker than you expected. It all depends on what and how many projects we have at any given time, but we will try our best to accommodate your schedule and deadlines.
WHAT GUARANTEE DO I HAVE I’LL BE SATISFIED?
If you’re not satisfied, we will continue to revise our work until you are.
WILL YOU HELP PREPARE OR EDIT MY FORMAL BOOK PROPOSAL?
Of course, because proposals are so important. They are the only way most writers will ever get a foot in the editorial door at the majority of publishing houses. We can create one for you, or line edit one you have provided. The main thing to realize is that your proposal should be put together carefully, making every word count. You’ve got to come across well. The proposal has to be clear, direct, and neatly organized. All the names, facts, and figures must be correct. The book proposal is the one and only chance most of us will have to approach a publisher. You don’t get two chances to make a good first impression. We will help you put your best foot, or pages, forward.
A publishing house would prefer you not shopping a complete manuscript, because no publisher wants to spend time, effort and money knowing writing projects are finished before they have had a chance to offer input. In this way they can tailor the material to their guidelines, make sure it is directed to an identifiable reading audience, and be sure it covers what the intended market needs. All this is to say that most publishing houses do not want to see finished manuscripts—they want to see well done book proposals. And make no mistake, with an excellent proposal your chances of getting published are much improved.
WILL YOU SHARE, SELL, OR TRANSFER ANY CLIENT INFORMATION TO A THIRD PARTY?
Never, unless you tell us to do so. Our relationship with you is always entirely confidential, and we will not disclose information to affiliated or nonaffiliated third parties. Our policy applies to conversations by telephone, email, and in person with anyone that you have not previously cleared directly with us as having access to your information and/or manuscript.
WHAT ABOUT COPYRIGHT PROTECTION?
If you want to get published, you must allow the publisher the legal right to publish. The whole reason for the publishing contract is to transfer rights from the author to the publisher, allowing the latter to publish the material owned by the former. But the legal right to publish is not the same as ownership of the copyright itself. That is why the book should be copyrighted in your name, not the name of the publishing house. Registration of the copyright certificate establishes a public record, and this record provides evidence of intellectual ownership so statutory damages will go in your direction if there is infringement and things devolve into the courts. If you find contract language giving the publisher the right to take out the copyright in its own name, avoid it at all costs. Remember, if you have no protection, you have no rights. If you are not able to negotiate in this area, better to move on.
Does your work need to be finished before it can be protected by copyright? No. Your work is your work, and you own the “copyright” on it automatically as it is created. But don’t forget, the publishing contract (or at least an implied contract) is the best legal remedy for the theft or misappropriation of ideas. There are many benefits to official copyright registration (e.g., the registration is deposited with the U.S. Customs Service to stop illegal importation), but no registration or publication or any other action in the U.S. Copyright Office is required to secure legal protection. Official copyright protection runs all the way from the work’s creation to seventy years after your death. If a work is coauthored, the copyright lasts for seventy years after the death of the last surviving author. The fee for copyright registration is going to be around thirty dollars.
WHAT IS AN ISBN?
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, which is a thirteen-digit machine-readable number identifying your book—and no other book—internationally. The publisher assigns a unique number to a specific book distinguishing it from all other books in the data bases of all international publishing firms. Assigning this number is very important because it allows for efficient selling of the book to libraries, booksellers, wholesalers, book distributors, colleges, and so on. Publishers buy ISBN numbers for around $250 for ten numbers from R.R. Bowker, the agency in this country licensed to sell them.
WILL YOU HELP ME WITH WRITING FOR WEB PAGES, E-ZINES, ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS, PRINT NEWSLETTERS, SALES AND MARKETING DOCUMENTS, CORRESPONDENCE, BUSINESS REPORTS, TECHNICAL MATERIALS, JOURNAL ARTICLES, RESUMES, BIOS, THESES, AND DISSERTATIONS?
Yes, that’s what we do. We can help you with any aspect or phase of your writing project, no matter what it is, including most technical documents (except for very highly technical mathematical and scientific material). Whether you need assistance with creating and proofing Web text (your own or someone else’s), book design, ghostwriting or editing and writing a business report, we can help you achieve what you have in mind. When you’ve just got too much work to do, or when you’re traveling, or when a piece of writing is giving you fits, our services can be quite valuable to you. We can edit each project to ensure clean text, or we can write it with your content or compose it with ours. We have had excellent experience on any kind of document or copy, so you can have confidence in us.
For thesis or dissertation writers, we can help with research, editing and writing, and we do this on a confidential basis. Give us your objectives and conclusions and we will meet your goals. We can take your research and/or idea and put them into readable, intelligent, and well organized prose. We have both done a good deal of work within academia and with academicians, so this kind of assignment is no problem. For other writing, such as letters, memoirs, resumes, we can offer personal assistance.
DO YOU EDIT FICTION?
Yes. Fiction is one of the fastest growing segments of any branch of publishing, and we are active in it. We are both fiction readers and have much experience in reviewing/critiquing and copyediting stories from all the adult fiction genres and for any story length––from short story to novel. Fiction wraps up life in invented situations and characters. It takes readers to new worlds and offers them another pair of spectacles with which to view life. It imagines a “what-if” situation and then fills it with people whom readers can identify and connect with. In short, it’s fun and we like it.
We can work with you on moral fiction (as to portraying sin) or unsanitized fiction. We can help with faith-infused stories or with realistic fiction. We will not make significant or dramatic changes in your fiction, nor do heavy fact-checking (unless hired to do so), and we will not create storylines. But we can show you what is wrong and how to fix it. We can help you with a complete line-by-line and scene-by-scene edit of your fiction at any level, and report the elements requiring additional work for rewriting or revision. This would include such things as organization and development of the story, flow, voice and tone, characterization and the fleshing out and developing of believable characters, assuring the reality of life, plotting and pacing, literary devices, removing fluff, light fact-checking and figure-checking, correcting spelling, grammatical and syntactical errors, flagging problems or inconsistencies, reigning in purple passages, removing bathos, keeping the story on track, consulting on packaging, identifying the readership and analyzing the reading market, gauging reading levels, providing synopses, and so on.
DO YOU EDIT CHILDREN’S BOOKS?
Sorry, no. It takes a special set of writing and editing skills to work effectively in the children’s area, and it also requires a lot of savvy in art development. We haven’t spent much time in this arena, and you can find someone with more and better experience than us.
CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO A LITERARY AGENT OR PUBLISHER?
An agent is a middleman between the writer and the publisher. The agent’s job is to help the writer find just the right publisher and then to work out a contract that will benefit the client. Book publishers in this country have used agents for many years. They consider them to be good, first-professional filters, and this is why agents are taking an increasingly important role in what gets published and what doesn’t. Many agents are beneficial to the publishing process; many are hindrances. If you are going to try getting an agent, try getting a good one. We have worked with a number of agents active in the book publishing industry, some good, some bad. The good and helpful ones always attempt to match the writer’s passion to the publisher’s interests and mission. Many, however, focus only on the financial aspects of the author-publisher relationship, and these agents can be damaging to the writer-publisher relationship.
That being said, we can advise you on where to go to find an agent, and what to say when you find one. But rather than our doing most of the research and legwork for you, it’s better and cheaper for us to tell you how to do it and show you how to query agents and publishers.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRINTING AND PUBLISHING?
And how. In the sense of book production, a printer—or book manufacturer—puts the words of the book, magazine, or other product onto paper. The printer does not publish the book; publishing includes an array of a whole different set of processes. Usually the printer is not an employee of the publisher, but rather receives the publisher’s projects on a contract basis. And it is essential the printer manufacturing your book have the right press for your specifications.
The publisher is responsible for all aspects of the process of releasing a book or other printed product for consumption in the designated marketplace. This includes acquiring, contracting, editing, printing and binding, marketing, selling, and the paying of royalties. These days, the publisher almost never prints the book. Instead, this work is contracted out to a separate entity.
WHAT IS SELF-PUBLISHING? SUBSIDY PUBLISHING? COOPERATIVE PUBLISHING? VANITY PUBLISHING? E-PUBLISHING? DESKTOP PUBLISHING?
These are all different ways to see your work in print outside of the more traditional publishing methodology. Another way is what is called "on-demand publishing," which we’ll consider later.
Self-publishing means it is produced (which usually means “paid for”) by the author.
Subsidy publishing is when a press or publisher agrees to print your book for a fee, sometimes picking up part of the publication costs in order to sell and market the book through its own channels
Cooperative publishing is a mix of book packaging and subsidy publishing. The author agrees with the cooperative publisher to produce a specified number of books for a fixed amount of money. After the book comes from the press, most of them become the property of the author. The rest of them are designated for cooperative marketing and sales. The author-cooperative publisher agreement lasts for an agreed-upon amount of time during which the publisher commits to reprinting the book at his or her own expense if the available stock runs out.
Vanity Publishing is when books are published for a fee, and where any sales and marketing of the book is left entirely to the author.
E-Publishing is displaying or posting some type of written, auditory, or visual media on the World Wide Web. Many newspapers and magazines now publish an electronic version of their publication on the Web. An e-book is an electronic version of a book, one that can be downloaded and read on a computer or other digital devise.
Desktop publishing is home-office style publishing done with word-processing equipment, with books set in layout, printable form.
SHOULD I SELF-PUBLISH?
That all depends on your perspective. There are some good reasons for self-publishing, and many writers take this route of producing and selling their own books. This is an especially good option for authors who have a ready outlet or platform for exposing their books to the potential reading market. If one is a regular public speaker, for example, or someone who travels around giving workshops and seminars, self-publishing can be an excellent platform to sell books to attendees. It is also very appropriate for those who realize their books have little or no commercial value but who nevertheless want to produce a limited number for personal or family use.
With the self-publishing option, you are the boss and you don’t have to please anyone else or convince anyone else that your book should be published. After all, this is your work, and who is more enthusiastic about it than you? Often, for-profit publishers could care less. Why should a traditional publisher handle this when they have a different agenda from you? When you put your writing into the hands of a publisher, you must realize that now another party has more control over it than you do. Self-publishing means one has control of the creative process. If you want above all to get your book out into the world on your own terms and timetable, self-publishing may be the answer. .
Another reason self-publishing may be an attractive option for you is that you control the production time and levels. This means you can jump over the publisher’s high stack of manuscripts to see your book in print almost as soon as you want to, and you can produce whatever amount you need. You are going to wait a lot longer with a traditional publishing house, because the normal incubation time on an average book for a traditional publisher is anywhere from a year to eighteen months––and that’s after you have already spent time writing the book. The self-published author can probably manufacture books more inexpensively than large publishers, and one can also distribute one’s own book themselves through online book sellers such as amazon.com. This means self-publishing puts you in control not only of the creative process but also of the production process.
It is possible to earn dramatically more money in the self-publishing field than in royalties from a traditional publisher. The traditional publishing company might offer you a royalty of, say, ten to fifteen percent of net sales. But with self-publishing, an author can earn far more—up to eighty percent of the retail or list price. That is why most of the well known speakers on the business/leadership/management circuit self-publish the materials they sell at their events. Of course this all presupposes one can create a demand for the book and get it through the pipeline to the intended market.
HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO SELF-PUBLISH?
Not very. There are many companies that can do your set-up and printing work. (By the way, no matter how many books you plan on printing, you are going to pay the same set-up charges. The more books you print, the cheaper the cost per unit will be.) GoodEditors.com can help you with the arrangements. We can get your book ready for the press, including all our editorial and design work, and we can find just the right printer for you. With our word processing software, it is no longer necessary to do old-fashioned typesetting or any of the film work that was required not long ago. Your book can be edited and published very effectively and efficiently, way under the per-unit cost once associated with self-publishing.
WHAT IS PRINT-ON-DEMAND PUBLISHING?
Many new authors turn to print-on-demand publishing (POD). This is where the on-demand publisher produces a digital data base of your manuscript for the purpose of printing them one at a time as they are ordered. There is a set-up fee involved with this, but it is a reasonable one—about $1,000 (sometimes less) to $2,000. For your one-time fee you will receive a small number of free copies. For additional orders, you are entitled to an author’s discount (usually 40% of the list price of the book), as well as a royalty of a dollar or two on the sale of each book.
Your work is kept in a digital data base and printed only when you or someone else wants it. Customers can view the book and sample content online at the publisher’s Web site (it can also be advertised on any other Web site) and if they like what they see they order it. Check out what this sample looks like by viewing a site such as BooksJustBooks.com. It is then downloaded at the publisher and sent to the customer, usually in a perfect-bound format though other arrangements can also be part of your agreement. This is an excellent way to see your book in print without having to step over a large pile of them in your garage. You can order small or large quantities, depending on your needs. And so can anyone else who wants the book.
Self-publishing by using POD is becoming increasingly popular, and it makes sense why. Here are a baker’s dozen reasons: One, stock levels are never too high and never too low because the market controls the amount of books printed. (POD is by far the smartest way to go if you don’t think you can sell a larger number of books.) Two, you don’t have to wait on the traditional publisher—you can move at whatever speed you desire. Three, self-publishing through POD allows authors to test the waters to see what reception their book will have. Four, with a professionally edited and produced book in hand, many authors find it easier to approach agents or get picked up by publishers. Five, the POD approach to publishing is even done by the publishing houses themselves. On-demand printing is an economical way to allow them to keep in print even titles with a limited reading audience. Six, it is just darn tough to get a book published through the traditional method. Even the largest commercial houses print only a small fraction of the manuscripts they see each year. Seven, if you are writing about a topic that is time-sensitive, you are able to get the book out while the discussion is currently hot. Eight, POD is the perfect way to produce course, workshop or seminar materials. Nine, you can choose to work with people who share your grit and determination. Ten, if publishing is important in your field, or if you want to write about your field, POD technology will get you there with a look of professionalism and authority. Eleven, print-on-demand publishing can boost your reputation and career, and enhance your position of influence or power. Twelve, you can be of tremendous service to others if you are writing in the areas of self-help, spirituality, health, counseling, finances, and many other fields. Thirteen, you can tell your unique story and leave a bequest to another generation.
WHAT IS BOOK PACKAGING?
Book packaging, or book producing, is becoming more important in the publishing industry. Sometimes books are not created by the publishing company with its logo on the spine but rather are assembled by others outside the publishing house. When a publisher lacks the necessary time, personnel or resources in-house, work can be outsourced to a third party called a book packager who puts the book together and performs all the necessary functions of various in-house publishing employees. A packager can research, write, edit, design, illustrate, index, and even print the book (or hire others who can), delivering a finished product to the publisher. The book packager blends the roles of agent, author, editor and publisher, and acts as a middleman (or middle woman) between the publisher and all the other people who work together to make books. Often the packager doesn’t wait for the publisher to approach them. Instead, they create their own book projects and pitch them to the publisher.
WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL ELEMENTS OF A PUBLISHING AGREEMENT/CONTRACT?
It is not always easy to understand the nature of a publishing contract. At its most basic level, a contract is simply a record of an agreement—a memorial or reminder of an original agreement—agreed to and signed by the author and the publishing company. Contracts deal with future uncertainty by spelling out solutions for different possibilities. In essence, they say, “Here is what I’ll do if this or that happens, and here is what you’ll do if this or that happens.” Another way to see the contract is as an imperfect attempt at a fair division of the cost of losing and the rewards of winning.
Not every contract is alike, but they do follow predictable patterns, and most of the contracts you will come across will be fairly standard. This is not to say that even standard contracts can’t be modified. They can. Most publishers are used to making various changes in the contract.
As the author, you should be aware of some of the more typical contract provisions, things like amendment of law, time limit for publication, royalty and royalty payments, subsidiary rights, accounts due, insurance, termination, right of first refusal, assignment, infringement of copyright, and limitation of agreement. Click here for a detailed explanation of these and other publishing terms.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THE PUBLISHING PROCESS FROM BEGINNING TO END. CAN YOU RECOMMEND SOME HELPFUL RESOURCES?
Before we can answer this, we will have to see your writing project. That will give us some idea what needs to be done and how long it will take us to do it. Our fee will depend on what service is needed, whether research, writing, editing, proofing, design, or something else. We will then send you an estimation of the time and cost required for the work (we can base the estimate on either an hourly rate, usually $25 to $50 per hour, or an agreed-upon flat rate per project). At that point, you decide whether you will use GoodEditors.com or not. You will sign the contract we send you and return it to us by surface mail.
If you are a new client, it is customary to pay a part of the estimate before we begin our editorial work, and then the balance would be due when we complete our work. Payment can be handled with check, money order, or wire transfer. For established clients, we can bill you after our work is finished if you desire.
HOW DO I HIRE YOU?
That’s easy. Click here for a “Contact Us” link and tell us what you have in mind. We’ll respond quickly.
WHAT WRITING RESOURCES DO YOU RECOMMEND?
We could recommend hundreds of good books for authors and editors, but click here for a beginning:
