Things for Writers to Know

Did you know - there are different types of editors:

Acquisitions Editor

An acquisitions editor does not typically do much editing themselves. Instead, their job is to acquire promising new manuscripts for the publishing house. Note that some acquisitions editors work for literary agencies instead of publishing houses.

Acquisitions editors must be attuned to the latest and upcoming trends in publishing, as well as to readers’ expectations. They select manuscripts based on the literary talent of the author and the sales potential of their work.

As they go about evaluating a book’s potential, acquisitions editors generally follow a checklist. For example, they might ask themselves the following questions:

• Does the book fit the imprint? (For example, a romance imprint will not publish car repair manuals.)

• Is there a similar book currently on the imprint’s list?

• Is the synopsis intriguing?

• Does the author have an established online presence?

• Is the book impossible to put down?

  
  

Even if a manuscript needs a great deal of work, an acquisitions editor may decide to buy it if it has potential. Once the acquisitions editor agrees to a deal with the author and their literary agent, the editor is responsible for shepherding the author through the rest of the publishing process.

Developmental Editor

After the acquisitions editor has acquired a manuscript for the publishing house, it is then sent to the developmental editor. A developmental editor is a “big picture” editor. This professional is not necessarily concerned with smaller details like comma usage; rather, they address broader issues like structure, plot, character development, dialogue, voice and style.

While evaluating a manuscript, a developmental editor will consider many factors, including the intended audience. Specific genres of fiction books generally include certain elements that the audience has come to expect. For example, readers of the romance genre generally expect a happy ending, such as a wedding.

The developmental editing phase is often the most challenging for authors, which is why developmental editors and authors must both keep in mind that, ideally, the process should be a collaborative effort. The most successful developmental editors are those who are able to form a strong working partnership with their authors. It is necessary for both editor and author to agree on the overall vision for the project and then plan how to approach the necessary revisions.

Effective developmental editors have strong verbal communication skills as well as written language skills. They also have a team mindset and an ability to work well with people of varying backgrounds and personalities. A willingness to compromise and find common ground is another useful trait.

Line Editor

A large proportion of editors are line editors. Note that although there are marked similarities between line editing and copy editing — and the terms are often used interchangeably — they are not the same thing. Many editors, however, will perform both line editing and copy editing.

Line editing refers to the process of going through a manuscript line-by-line with a fine-toothed comb. The goal is to make the writing as polished as possible, such as by eliminating redundancies, suggesting word choice improvements, adjusting sentence structures and so on. That is why this type of editing is often referred to as “stylistic editing.”

Instead of focusing on big-picture issues like character development and plot structure, line editors focus on the style of the writing itself. As an example, consider the following before-and-after sentences:

• Before line editing: “Jessie hoped and hoped that her college acceptance letter would come today, and so she spent hours waiting by the window, staring off into the distance, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the mail truck.”

• After line editing: “Jessie sat by the window for hours, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the mail truck in the hope that her college acceptance letter would arrive today.”

  
  

As you can see by comparing these two sentences, line editors focus on making prose polished and more engaging for the reader. In other words, they improve the flow of the writing.

Copy Editor

Copy editing is similar to line editing in that it involves going through the manuscript carefully, one line at a time. These types of editing jobs focus on making improvements to “small picture” issues, rather than “big picture” issues.

When comparing copy and line editing, copy editing is technical, whereas line editing is stylistic. Copy editors focus on correcting inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization errors, shifts in tense and similar issues. For instance, a copy editor following the Associated Press (AP) style will ensure that numbers one through nine are written as words, and numbers 10 and above are written as numerals.

In short, a copy editor makes the writing more readable by eliminating distracting inconsistencies and mistakes. Remember that copy editors may also be called upon to serve as fact checkers.

Proofreader

After a manuscript has gone through developmental, line and copy editing, as well as fact checking, it is sent to the typesetter or designer to create the hard copy layout for the book. Then a galley proof is created. A galley proof is like a test copy of the book.

This test copy is sent to a proofreader. It is the proofreader’s job to comb over every detail in search of mistakes that the copy editor may have missed or that the typesetter or designer may have inadvertently introduced to the text. The proofreader serves as the final checkpoint before the finalized version is completed and printed.

Beta Reader

A beta reader is someone who reads unpublished manuscripts and provides constructive feedback to the author. Beta reading is often an unpaid volunteer position. However, it’s possible to earn income through beta reading, such as by becoming a freelance beta reader. This can be a good side hustle.

To be an effective beta reader, it’s first necessary to establish clear communication with the author. Learn what their expectations are for this round of beta reading. For example, is the author primarily concerned about character development, plot or style?

Good beta readers must also be able to phrase their criticism in a positive, constructive way. It’s helpful, for instance, to explain why you think a particular character could be better developed, rather than to simply say that you found the character unappealing. This is where a communications degree will come in handy.

Always good to have all the info to hand so you can move through your book with relative ease.

xoxo

Ciara