#PublishingReinvented 102 - Editing for All! But Why Bother?
Editing Anyone?
There are multiple phases of editing, which any author who wants to do well with a book should carefully consider.
In the past each of these type of editing could cost $1,000+ leaving authors to pay $3,000 or more just to get a book ready.
Those days are gone. BooksGoSocial and others are allowing authors to get a proofread and a structural editing report for under $800 in most cases.
Here’s what the phases of editing are.
1. A structural or development report - ours are usually 3 pages, more expensive ones comment on every page or two - will identify issues with the structure of your book, the story arc if fiction or the argument development if non fiction. This also covers character development and plot holes and issues of emphasis in fiction as well as use of examples, the flow of the book and missed aspects of the topic in non fiction.
2. Copy editing focuses on the paragraphs and sentences and words. Do you have them in the right order? Are your sentences going deep enough into the subject matter? Are your words appropriate? The aim is to improve readability. Copy editors also ensure the style of writing is consistent, and that the text flows organically from one sentence to the next.
3. Proofreading has traditionally been about fixing typos introduced at any stage. This will involve looking for:
Grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation errors.
Issues with fonts and formatting.
Inconsistencies in all the above.
If you are not doing at least two of these stages for every book you publish, you are doing your writing a disservice.
The books you see in book stores typically have a team of editors working on them with at least the above three phases of editing, and often a repeat of the first and last phases too.
As writers, we are up against stiff competition when we publish a book. We don’t have to pay the high prices of years ago, but we do have to pay something if you want your book to get good reviews and sell well.
It takes a team to make a successful book.
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Laurence O’Bryan
Author
Founder BooksGoSocial & The International Dublin Writers’ Festival