Probably the most essential and most
misunderstood functions in the production of a book are
editing, typesetting (composition), and proofreading. While
these functions are not the same, they are complementary. A
good editor is also a proofreader; a proofreader must have a
certain amount of editorial savvy.
Once a manuscript has been written, the
editor becomes the author’s first partner in the
production process. The editor’s goal is to help the
author express himself or herself in the clearest, most
reader-friendly way. The best editing, according to The Chicago Manual of Style, requires “close attention to every detail in a
manuscript, a thorough knowledge of what to look for and of the
style to be followed, and the ability to make quick, logical .
. . decisions.” A polished editor does not rewrite an
author’s book, but helps the author present his or her
material skillfully and articulately.
The editor will edit a manuscript using
three simultaneous processes: substantive editing, mechanical editing, and disk editing:
• Substantive editing involves
attention to style and presentation. The editor will suggest
ways the author can rewrite or reorganize material for a
smoother presentation. Substantive editing also requires the
editor to catch any errors and infelicities.
• Mechanical editing involves
attention to such matters as consistency in spelling,
capitalization, and treatment of numbers; subject/verb
agreement; punctuation; syntax; and other similar details.
• Disk editing
involves ensuring the electronic integrity of the disk prior to
composition. This involves cleaning the disk of all errant
keyboard strikes, such as tabs, spaces, and hard returns. (a
.pdf entitled Primer on Disk
Editing is available free, click here).
The skilled editor always prepares a
detailed style sheet showing the author what has been done in
terms of spelling, hyphenation, grammar, and so on. The editor
also prepares a list of queries to the author when
communication about some aspect of the project is necessary.
Typesetting is that aspect of the
production process that transforms the words of a manuscript
into actual type faces and sizes. Typesetting follows the type
specifications created by a type designer or outlined in
standard designs publishers may use. Typesetting today is done
with a computer using a page layout program such as QuarkXPress™ www.quark.com or Adobe® InDesign® www.adobe.com.
After a manuscript has been typeset, the
proofreader becomes an integral part of the team, responsible
for reading the edited manuscript against the typeset copy
(known as page proofs). Before beginning to read, the
proofreader reviews the editor’s style sheet to become
familiar with the overall project. He or she will then make a
number of passes through the page proofs, checking such
essential page elements as headers/footers, folios, end-of-line
breaks, and note/figure/table sequences. Only then does the
proofreader do a meticulous reading of the page proofs.
While the proofreader is primarily
responsible for correcting mechanical aberrations, he or she
will also read page proofs for “sense,” noting any
grammatical or substantive problems and bringing them to the
editor’s attention. Once text is composed in a page
layout program, any changes made by the author can be charged
as author’s alterations, billable to the author. It is
prudent to ensure that writing and editing are complete before
giving composition authorization to proceed.
