MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Why don't people use professional copy editors?

Michael J Hunt · 05-07-2010, 05:49 AM

Hi, Neil,

Good to hear you're back in good form after the op.

About your explanation of the developmental editing, copy editing and proof-reading processes, I'm reminded of how you did it for me, three times, through BeWrite, and I wonder how your system differs from the big-time mainstream publishers.

For those who haven't been published by a top of the range Internet publishing outfit I can thoroughly recommend the experience. Firstly, and in my view, most importantly, the author is included at the developmental editing stage. What happened is (and you can correct me if my memory's at fault here, Neil) I received a detailed developmental edit, which consisted of two major edits and a number of queries and explanations about details thrown up by them. After that, I received an e-copy of the pdf, together with a blank correction template. I printed off the pdf and went through it line by line. This gave me the opportunity to make minor stylistic changes, correct any factual discrepancies and spot any spelling and grammatical faults that had slipped through at the developmental stage. I then marked each error/change on the (paper) correction sheet and transferred it onto the computer. The corrections were then done on the pdf by BeWrite staff. After that, I received a 'final' pdf (final, that is, for me), which I read, on screen, to check the corrections and anything else that might have been missed. The manuscript was then proof-read by BeWrite staff and sent to the printers. The final stage that involved me was when I received the printer's 'mock-up', at which point I was asked not to make any stylistic or structural changes, since they would incur extra cost.

Why I've gone into detail about the whole process is to impress on anyone thinking about self publishing what an incredibly time-consuming task it is to produce an error free manuscript. Even if you 'buy' a professional development edit, you still have to go through those final stages yourself (unless you 'buy' a copy edit and/or a proof-read as well).

I now have three books - Matabele Gold, The African Journals of Petros Amm and Two Days in Tehran, that, in production terms, are as good as anything you'll find in any bookshop.

MJ

05-07-2010, 05:49 AM	#63
Michael J Hunt Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 50000 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lancashire, England Device: none	Hi, Neil, Good to hear you're back in good form after the op. About your explanation of the developmental editing, copy editing and proof-reading processes, I'm reminded of how you did it for me, three times, through BeWrite, and I wonder how your system differs from the big-time mainstream publishers. For those who haven't been published by a top of the range Internet publishing outfit I can thoroughly recommend the experience. Firstly, and in my view, most importantly, the author is included at the developmental editing stage. What happened is (and you can correct me if my memory's at fault here, Neil) I received a detailed developmental edit, which consisted of two major edits and a number of queries and explanations about details thrown up by them. After that, I received an e-copy of the pdf, together with a blank correction template. I printed off the pdf and went through it line by line. This gave me the opportunity to make minor stylistic changes, correct any factual discrepancies and spot any spelling and grammatical faults that had slipped through at the developmental stage. I then marked each error/change on the (paper) correction sheet and transferred it onto the computer. The corrections were then done on the pdf by BeWrite staff. After that, I received a 'final' pdf (final, that is, for me), which I read, on screen, to check the corrections and anything else that might have been missed. The manuscript was then proof-read by BeWrite staff and sent to the printers. The final stage that involved me was when I received the printer's 'mock-up', at which point I was asked not to make any stylistic or structural changes, since they would incur extra cost. Why I've gone into detail about the whole process is to impress on anyone thinking about self publishing what an incredibly time-consuming task it is to produce an error free manuscript. Even if you 'buy' a professional development edit, you still have to go through those final stages yourself (unless you 'buy' a copy edit and/or a proof-read as well). I now have three books - Matabele Gold, The African Journals of Petros Amm and Two Days in Tehran, that, in production terms, are as good as anything you'll find in any bookshop. MJ Last edited by Michael J Hunt; 05-07-2010 at 05:51 AM.