Welcome to the “Editing Myths” series, where I’ll be unpacking some of the common misconceptions about the work of editors.
Often when making small talk, the topic of jobs comes up. Something I realised very soon after becoming an editor, is that many people don’t have a grasp of what an editor does, or the many different types of tasks that can fall under the banner of ‘editing.’
Usually, the conversation goes something along the lines of:
Them: “So what do you do?”
Me: “I’m a book editor.”
Them: “Oh cool! So you like, fix spelling mistakes and stuff?”
To be clear, in no way does this bother me – part of why editing is an unclear industry is because a lot of things fall under the banner of “editing” and the role of an “editor” can mean different things in different industries.
This post will be focusing on the “And Stuff” that many editors do. (for brevity, I’ll be focusing on editors primarily within the publishing industry)
Because while yes, proofreading is a type of editing, for many editors it doesn’t cover the bulk of what they do.
Commissioning Editor
This is the type of editing you might see in films like The Proposal where the incredible Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate – an editor-in-chief. Also think of Hilary Duff’s character in Younger (a junior editor for most of the show, who then becomes a senior editor).
Many of the editors seen in films tend to work as commissioning editors, even if their exact job titles vary.
In very basic terms, a commissioning editor evaluates and makes a case to the publishing house about why a particular book should be published. They also (the title gives it away) commission books from writers on particular topics, and managing a list (or entire imprint) of books.
Because of the increased responsibility of a commissioning editor, more often than not, these editors are highly experienced. To be an effective commissioning editor, you need a good understanding of the current (and future) book market, as well as solid communication and people skills.
Other tasks might include:
- Author care: (In The Proposal we see Sandra Bullock’s character regularly on the phone to her author, Frank) Especially in the case of a book being commissioned, an editor may have many conversations with an author to ensure they are confident and capable of delivering the manuscript.
- Managing Projects: Commissioning editors take on a greater degree of responsibility in the publishing process. Oftentimes, they’re the ones who the publishing house ultimately tasks with the role of making sure a book is published according to time and on budget.
- Costings and proposals: While an author generally only hears about the pitch they give to the editor, an editor also has to pitch the book to their colleagues in-house. This is because publishing a book is a risk (both financially, and for the reputation of the house). Often it’s part of the commissioning editor’s role to justify why a particular book is worth the risk.
- Collaborating with other departments: from design to sales, the commissioning editor has conversations with other publishing professionals. As the editor, next to the author, they know the book best so serve as its advocate throughout the entire publishing process.
Developmental editor
This type of editing is concerned with the big picture of a book. It’s the story structure, the characters, the world, and all the elements that need to work cohesively before we even begin to think about the sentence level.
Because what’s the point of having a technically grammatically correct book, when there are gaping plot holes? The result is an unsatisfying reading experience, which is just as big of an issue as a stray comma.
Line or copy editor
After developmental editing, this type of editing focuses on the sentence level of a book. While yes, line editors will pick up on issues of spelling and grammar – their main concern is clarity and consistency.
It’s important for a piece of writing to be clear and effective. This often comes down to word choice. What an author has written may be technically correct, but there may be a clearer way to say it.
A good line editor will not go overboard – the point is not to rewrite an author’s book, but rather suggest changes in keeping with their style and vision for the book. Oftentimes, there will be a lot of back-and-forth conversation and comments left in the margins asking about intention, debating effect, and exploring different connotations of words.
This is the type of editing that I do the most. I find it highly satisfying to suggest edits that authors find agreeable. I enjoy mirroring their tone and style in a way that further strengthens their work.
Ideally, it’s a collaboration with the author being able to suggest solutions to identified issues in the text. This results in a polished work that has been reasoned and thought through on a sentence-by-sentence basis.
Proofreading
We get to the… the “spelling and stuff” – a very important step! Proofreading is what many people think of first when it comes to editing. It’s the final polish before a work is published or submitted.
This is the type of editing most people have experienced, whether through schooling or having a friend give feedback on your CV. It’s important work and helps to get rid of any niggling distractions.
Other Editing:
While I’ve covered the main areas of editing above, there are also a variety of other tasks that might be undertaken in the editing process:
- Indexing: Particularly for non-fiction, indexing is especially important. In essence, it’s the creation of a roadmap for the book and helps readers quickly find the information they’re looking for. You’ve likely used an index when using a cookbook or perhaps a textbook.
- Layout: Some editors are especially involved in layout, such as in magazine or newspaper editing where space is at a premium. Editorial decisions are often made with layout considerations in mind. This might mean coming up with or amending titles, or commissioning accompanying images, among other things.
- Typesetting: some editors are involved in the formatting of books, especially with the rise of self-publishing resulting in an increased demand for these types of services. Historically, this would be more exclusively the work of typesetters or printers.
- Manuscript Assessment: before editing begins, authors or publishers may ask an editor for their professional opinion on a manuscript. This helps to give the author or publisher an idea of the type of work needed to bring the book up to publication standard. In a competitive market, a manuscript assessment can help to give an overview of the revisions that may be necessary to give a book its best chance of success.
- Pass pages: this is when an editor or proofreader will review typeset pages before they go to print as a final quality control check.
- Sub-editing: often discussed in relation to newspaper or magazine copyediting, and can on occasion, involve fact-checking. A sub-editor also ensures that articles adhere to a publication’s style guide and fit within the determined layout parameters.
A combination…
Many editors do a combination of the tasks I’ve mentioned, depending on the project and the stage they’re up to in their career.
The work of an editor is often varied and that’s part of what makes it a satisfying and engaging job.
If you enjoyed this post…
Sign up to my newsletter. If you enjoy book industry chats, book reviews, and author interviews, you’re in the right place.
Or leave a comment below – tell me, who’s your favourite fictional editor? Film, TV, and books, are scattered with editors. Some are more accurate than others… if you’d like a full post on that topic, let me know!
—Steph
Steph Huddleston 