7 Important Truths About Book Editing
On the vast plains of the Internet, there are passionate whirlwinds of thoughts and opinions spinning with just about every topic in existence. The process of book editing is one such tornado, and this can make it difficult to determine the truth about this crucial part of the publishing process. What’s fact and what’s fiction?
At FriesenPress, we’ve noticed that first-time authors often hold certain misbeliefs about the expected treatment of their manuscript’s content, the parameters of editing, and the relationship with their editor.
To help clarify the editing experience, we’ve highlighted seven important truths that all authors should understand when preparing your book for publication:
1. You really can maintain creative control.
One of the most common misconceptions we hear about editing is the concern that you’ll lose control over your story — that an editor will change your book. This is coupled with the preconceived notion that whatever the editor says goes, from punctuation to character development and organization of an argument.
When publishing through FriesenPress, each author retains 100 percent creative control over their project. Whereas in traditional publishing, the author and editor must work together to create a version of the book that best meets the publisher’s needs. In self-publishing, you are both the author and the publisher, so your vision is what the editor is working to uphold.
2. Editors offer options, not commands.
Every edit made is a professional suggestion. Editing is intended to help make your project as professional and effective as possible, but it is also intended to help you create the book you desire. As the author, you are welcome to “accept” or “reject” any edits (or suggestions) as you see fit — in keeping with your vision and goals for the project. If you consider the issue they are highlighting, you may come up with an alternate solution.
3. An editor might rework something — but they won’t rewrite it.
Editors are able to make certain revisions for structure, style, and more, and these revisions are accomplished using the guidance and understanding of editing standards and the content already existing on the page. When changes are larger in scope, however, the editor will leave what’s called a query (a question or comment in the margin) for you instead. But an editor cannot rewrite or write new content on an author's behalf.
For example, an editor might add transitions, or rework content for clarity, but the contents of the writing are the responsibility of the author … or a ghostwriter. So, if you see a query and agree with your editor’s suggestion to rewrite existing content, or write new/additional content, you would then implement the suggestion into the text as you see fit. If you disagree, you would disregard the suggestion and keep the text as is.
4. The need for an editor’s familiarity with your subject matter depends on your audience.
Your editor should act as an unbiased, third-party reader. They should consider your manuscript as your readers will, allowing them to best determine what your readers want from the book and how the project is — or is not — fulfilling those wants. To aid in this, your editor needs to know who your target readership is. If that readership has an existing familiarity with your book’s subject matter, then yes, it helps if your editor is also familiar with the subject. If not, then it may be more beneficial for your editor to be unfamiliar with your book’s subject matter — to bring fresh eyes to the content. There are pros to each of these approaches; however, it is always beneficial to work with an editor who is familiar with the conventions of your book’s genre (e.g., fiction, memoir, technical writing, etc.).
5. Even the most talented of editors is only human.
Editing isn’t an algorithm; it is a human analysis based on professional expertise, industry standards, and facilitating reader understanding. As such, industry leaders have created a standard of accuracy that recognizes an acceptable margin for human error; for a single round of editing, 90–95 percent is ideal, and FriesenPress works to uphold this standard. This means that there is an acceptable margin of error of 5–10 percent per round of editing, which speaks to the volume of edits that might be missed (per round) without compromising the overall quality of the edit performed.
To ensure the highest level of accuracy, we recommend a manuscript undergo multiple rounds of editing, utilizing more than one editor. While the margin remains the same per round, each round polishes the text more and more, creating a cleaner finished product than a single sweep could achieve. FriesenPress offers single rounds of editing, as well as editing bundles, making it possible for you to customize your editorial support.
6. A professional book requires a professional book editor.
Editing is a skill that requires education, training, and experience. Book editing is a niche of its own, entirely different from editing for journalism, for example. Someone with an English major, or a fellow writer, may be invaluable in readying a project for editing, and they may also be more familiar with certain writing conventions. However, unless this person is also a professional book editor, there will inevitably be aspects they may not know to review, may not recognize, or may not know how to edit appropriately. There’s more to editing than just dotting i’s or crossing t’s. An editor might assess the structure or delivery of ideas, what’s on the page but also what’s missing, authorial voice and word choice, as well as more mechanical matters like tense, spelling, and punctuation.
Writing a book is an incredible feat and an accomplishment of which you should be proud. A professional editor will give your book — and your efforts — the quality review it deserves in preparation for publication.
7. Writers are too close to self-edit their own projects.
If you’ve just read number six, the same applies here, too. But there is an added layer:
Even editors need editors for projects they have authored. The reason for this is that when you craft a piece, you will begin to see only what you intended to write. Your brain knows what the writing should say, and it fools your eyes from seeing what’s actually been written. So, if you wrote a manuscript, even if you are a professional editor yourself, it is incredibly valuable to have a second set of professional eyes on the project. Successful editing requires a degree of separation from the material.
The other invaluable thing an editor can provide is an outside perspective. Is your message coming across the way you intend? Is your prose engaging your readers? Is your syntax clearly understandable? Because a writer knows their own intention, it can feel like your words’ meaning is obvious — but often readers get lost along the way. You won’t be there to explain your book to strangers reading it; by explaining the murky parts to your editor, they can help ensure your meaning comes across strong and clear when the book gets into readers’ hands.
###
There are many “right” ways to edit a manuscript, and a professional book editor is a necessary part of getting that process right. Editors will correct grammar and ensure punctuation is in the right place. They will also suggest possible rewrites, additions, removals, relocations, or reworkings of certain content, wherever meaning can be clarified. Of course, some aspects of editing hinge on audience preferences, and your choice of style guide will also influence the edits made. But if you disagree with an edit, or would prefer to accomplish a revision in a different way, it’s as simple as a right-click to undo the change!
In the end, an editor’s job is to help make each book the best version of itself. To make the content as clear and effective as possible, while maintaining the author’s voice and vision for the book. Editors will make edits and pose queries, but they will not compromise the integrity of the book’s content or writing style.
And remember: every edit is merely a professional suggestion!