Editing Nonfiction Development
Most people have at least a vague idea of what copyediting entails, starting with proofreading tasks. Many writers perform their own editing; others are more confident in hiring a professional to spot mistakes and "clean up" the writing. However, in traditional publishing, a very different type of editing takes place long before the copyediting stage.A developmental editor may consult with the writer before any writing is started. The developmental editor can help organize the document or book, determine what features to include, and set a level and framework to evaluate the finished or in-progress work. A method for handling copyrights and trademark issues is often needed. Other tasks may include:
- determining headings, subheads
- setting a format
- finding missing information
- determining graphics style
- checking for timeliness
- rearranging text for flow
- rewriting or moving material to fit format
When the time comes to hand off the manuscript to a copyeditor, the developmental editor might provide a very basic style sheet and/or edited pages that display the required styles of form and usage. The developmental editor may also tell the copyeditor how to achieve a particular level, tone, and focus for the writing.
See all the posts on copyediting.
Labels: editing, nonfiction
posted by Georganna Hancock M.S. | 8:03 AM
2 Comments:
This whole process is a bit more complicated than what I ever imagined, thanks for making it all clear.
But I guess this only happens when you already have a contract with a publishing house. When you first need to convince them you're good enough for them to publish your books, this no longer applies.
Nonfiction books are sold from proposals, except for your very first one, sometimes. And this is part of what would probably happen anyway, once the publisher has the right to your work. No one's books are published as they are first conceived or written by the author alone.
Do you want money or do you want control?
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