Creating your Book

What does a copy-editor do?

Professional copy-editors correct errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and usage. However, copy-editing is not just about dotting "I"s and crossing "T"s. Editors also tackle the following:

Suitability of text for intended audience  Has the language been pitched at the right level? Do any terms or abbreviations need explanation?

Extent  Is the work too long/short? If it hasn't already been done by the publisher, the copy-editor, knowing the approximate number of words that the publisher wants per page in the finished book or journal, will calculate how many pages the text will make. Illustrations, if any, shouldn't be forgotten. All preliminary pages (title page, table of contents, etc.) should be included, as well as such things as footnotes, glossary, appendices and index. If the work is too long or short, a solution will be sought with the publisher.

Content and structure  Is anything missing or redundant? Is the order logical? Headings break up text and make it more readable: are there enough of them? If there are more than four levels of sub-headings, the structure probably needs to be re-thought. Are footnotes essential? Could 'supporting material' go into an appendix? Is a bibliography necessary?

Sentence and paragraph length  This is dependent on the readership, the type of copy and how the copy is going to be read (e.g. in a book or on a computer screen). In general, however, sentences should be kept short or at least uncomplicated, and new paragraphs should introduce new ideas and help break up a page. Typesetting may change line length, and the copy-editor will know what to do to compensate for this.

Consistency  A list of decisions about alternative spellings and hyphenation has to be kept. Illustrations and tables should agree with the text and captions, as should chapter headings and running heads with the table of contents.

Illustrations and tables  Illustrations should support the text and have appropriate captions. Text referring to tables should comment on the data, not simply repeat it. The location of each figure and table should be roughly indicated in the manuscript (the typesetter will have the final say when the pages are laid out). The copy-editor will also need to ensure that all artwork is suitable for printing reproduction or (if appropriate) for reproduction on the web.

Style George Orwell's six rules – contained in his Politics and the English Language (1946) – are a good starting point:

1.Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print.

2.Never use a long word where a short one will do.

3.If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

4.Never use the passive where you can use the active.

5.Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

6.Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Common mistakes – which an experienced copy-editor will be able to deal with efficiently – include:

– the overuse of exclamation marks and emphasis, in italic, bold or capitals

– very long sentences with little punctuation

– very long paragraphs

– changing between the first and the third person for no good reason.

Accuracy  All spellings of names of people and things should be checked. The extent to which facts, dates, quotations, etc. are to be checked will be agreed with the publisher.

Legal issues  All identifiable instances of the following should be flagged up during copy-editing, even though responsibility for them remains with the author/publisher:

– breaches of copyright

– libel

– obscenity

– incitement to racial hatred.

Technical matters  The copy-editor needs to know enough about the technical side of publishing (printing, web design, etc.) to be able to discuss various issues with designer, typesetter or printer, to minimize costs and maintain schedules.

What does a copy-editor not do?

Rewriting and restructuring text in depth – often known as developmental or substantive editingGhost writingProofreading, which has a different purposeText or cover designIndexing, which is quite a specialist skill. The Society of Indexers can refer you to qualified indexers.Research, beyond basic fact-checkingSeeking permission to use copyright material.