Copy Editing

Many authors find the most difficult part of completing their manuscript is editing their work. Copyediting and proofreading your own work can be daunting process and even the greatest authors overlook small mistakes.

We recommend some form of editing for any book you are planning to have printed.

There are many copy editing services available out there. They can really help you put the finishing touches on your manuscript and free you up to do the more important work, like writing the next book.

Most copy editing services will offer at least three levels of service. They will roughly fit into the following categories:

Proof Reading 

Proof reading will give your manuscript that final once over, before it goes to print and covers the following areas:

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Hyphenation
  

Basic Copyediting

This service is meant to help improve the readability of an author’s book and usually includes:

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Hyphenation
• Suggestions to improve syntax
• Suggestions to improve word choice
• We may recommend light structural changes

Advanced Editing 

This level of copyediting may be required for a special reference or technical book where critical language and structure are required:

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Capitalization
• Punctuation
• Hyphenation
• Suggestions to improve syntax
• Suggestions to improve word choice
• We may recommend light structural changes
• Suggestions to improve consistency of information and ideas.
• Suggestions to improve consistency in the characters and/or time line

How the proofreading/editing process works

To start, find at least a couple editing service you like and send them details on what you need, the number of words in the manuscript, and request a price quotation. By contacting a few different services, you can get a idea of the price range.

Most editing services prefer manuscripts in Word, WordPerfect and RTF format, as these formats work the best for editing purposes. If your manuscript is NOT in one of the above formats, make sure to let the copy editing provider know BEFORE you send it to them, and tell us what type of file you are sending and the version of the software it was created in. 

Important Note: If you are sending a manuscript that has been created in an older version of software no longer available, in order to edit file they  may need to use a newer version of the same software, which means they will create a new edited file. Under some circumstances this new version file may NOT be able to be read by your older version software, which means you may be required to upgrade your own software in order to read edited files.

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