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I’ve written before about why I don’t think AI is going to replace freelance fiction editors, but it’s time to revisit the topic and dive a bit deeper.
\nMy main argument previously was that AI does not have emotional and creative judgement, and those things are incredibly important for fiction editing especially.
\nThose things are still true. But AI tools are constantly improving, and editors are increasingly being told they need to use them or risk falling behind. So I feel it’s worth revisiting the topic with a more practical lens.
\nIn this article, I want to further explore three key questions:
\nCan AI tools help professional freelance fiction editors?
\nShould professional freelance fiction editors use AI tools?
\nWill AI replace human editors?
\nLet’s discuss.
\nThere are many AI tools available these days, and I’ve been experimenting with a handful of them over the past few years. I’ve also had my ear to the ground, keeping up with what other people in the industry are reporting.
\nAnd you know what? I honestly believe AI editing tools are completely inadequate.
\nNo matter how many errors AI editing tools catch, they are so unreliable that it often takes more time sifting through their suggestions than it would to simply trust your brain as a trained editor. And that’s not to say anything about the judgement creative nuances require …
\n
Some people suggest that editors can use AI to do these developmental editing tasks:
\nThese suggested usages make me very uncomfortable.
\nFirst, outsourcing something like the first read-through seems totally pointless. The human editor needs to read the manuscript in order to understand and engage with it. A summary just doesn’t cut it.
\nAI is infamous for not being hugely accurate and for ‘hallucinating’ (i.e. inventing) things. And so if you have to check everything carefully (which you do), the time-saving argument starts to fall apart.
\nAlso, I’m against the creation of deliverables for the sake of deliverables, so any character list I create as developmental editor needs to be customised for a particular reason, and I’d need to work through the manuscript to understand what details I’d want to include here.
\nAs for analysing structure, strengths and weaknesses and suggesting rewrites … Why would someone pay an editor for this when they could just go straight to the AI?
\nRemember: AI gets things wrong, and it flattens and homogenises. Even using it for a jumping off point would be potentially detrimental, because you’d be deferring your emotional human response to a creative work to something far more sanitised and mechanical.
\nIf I were an author and I received a developmental edit that was founded on AI output – even if the editor reassured me that they had assessed it – I would feel deeply disappointed and my trust would be gone.
\nAs you can see, I don’t think AI tools are very helpful to editors when it comes to the actual task of editing. But what about other usages – writing blog posts, social media posts and emails?
\nI can see the appeal: it would save a lot of time.
\nBut the results can be damaging to your brand and trustworthiness.
\nPeople are becoming more and more attuned to AI-written content. As soon as I notice something I’m reading has been written by AI, I get angry. I feel tricked – and undervalued. There are also the inaccuracies and homogenised voice to contend with, both of which undermine credibility.
\nThat said, there are a few areas where I’ve had some success using AI in my business:
\nI’m sure there are other genuinely useful applications. But I strongly discourage using AI for editing or client communication – unless the ideas are entirely your own and you’re prepared to edit the output extensively so that it sounds like you.
\nSo to answer the question ‘Can AI tools help professional freelance fiction editors?’ – my answer is: not really.
\nSome people have a hard stance against AI and won’t touch it with a bargepole due to ethical reasons: the way most AI models are built by flouting copyright laws, the impact on the environment, the fact it perpetuates damaging biases and so on.
\nI respect that.
\nThose things bother me too. But I am still personally open to using AI tools because to live in this world – in a capitalist society – means making ethical concessions every day, from the food I choose to eat to the companies I buy from.
\nThere’s a whole (very large) discussion to be had about this, but here is not the time or the place.
\nBesides the ethical dimension, there’s the argument that editors should be using AI tools in order to keep up with modern technologies and not become obsolete.
\nI believe companies who sell AI tools – and people who sell AI training – play up to this more than is necessary.
\nAs I’ve just discussed, I don’t think AI tools are actually helpful to editors, at least not yet. It’s possible they will be in the future, but the rate of progress is slower than AI companies (and those with investments in them) would have you believe.
\nWhat I do think editors should be doing is keeping a finger on the pulse – reading up on how things are developing and experimenting with these technologies in a way that doesn’t break trust with their clients.
\nMignon Fogarty (aka Grammar Girl) has a detailed and fascinating newsletter that I recommend: aisidequest.com
\nAs someone who provides editorial training, I don’t want to be putting time and effort into a business that’s becoming obsolete. The fear that AI will take my job is one I share with many others, including many freelance editors.
\nI don’t have a crystal ball. Some people think it’s inevitable that AI will take huge swaths of jobs – we could experience something much like the industrial revolution, with a large portion of people out of work while the machine-owners profit. Others think AI is a bubble that will burst as it fails to live up to its promised potential.
\nI suspect things will land somewhere in between.
\nI predict that AI will replace some editors. In fact, that’s already happening.
\nClients where price trumps quality have already turned to AI for editing (and many other tasks). And I’m happy that AI tools can assist those who would have no budget for professional services anyway. Hopefully they find some value in it.
\nBut editing with existing AI tools still needs an actual human editor to judge the output and shape it into something useful and meaningful – so much so that most of these tools don’t fulfil the time-saving promises they make.
\nWhere I do think AI will improve is in mechanical editing – spotting grammatical errors, punctuation slips, consistency issues. The more rules-based and repetitive the task, the more tractable it becomes for a machine.
\nBut the nuanced, emotional work of understanding a story or a line of resonant prose, and knowing what a particular author needs to hear and how to say it? I don’t think AI will ever get there – because of the very fact it is not human.
\nIt’s worth addressing what authors and publishers actually want when it comes to AI.
\nAuthors who are enthusiastic about it tend to use it themselves – and often bypass professional editors altogether.
\nAuthors who seek out human editors are, more often than not, doing so precisely because they want that human connection. Many find AI involvement in their manuscript deeply uncomfortable, for reasons that go beyond practicality.
\nFiction is about connection – one human’s imagination reaching another’s. For a lot of writers, readers and editors – me included – that feels sacred, and worth preserving at every stage of the publishing process.
\nPublishers are less consistent. Some are firmly against AI tools; others are more open or simply haven’t formed a clear policy yet. If you work with publishers, it’s always worth raising the conversation explicitly rather than assuming.
\nWhat I think is non-negotiable, regardless of where you or your clients land, is disclosure. If you use any AI tools in your editing work, be upfront about it. Trust, in this industry, is everything.
\nIf you’re just starting out, all of this can feel a bit daunting and confusing.
\nWhat’s worth holding onto is that the core skills of editing haven’t changed. Being able to read closely, think critically, understand story and respond with care – those are still the things that matter.
\nAI doesn’t remove the need for those skills. If anything, it highlights their importance.
\nAI will keep evolving. What’s less certain is whether greater capability will ever translate into the kind of emotional intelligence that fiction editing actually requires.
\nFor freelance fiction editors, I recommend you keep thinking about where AI might fit (and not fit) in your processes – and to keep deepening the skills that no algorithm can replicate: emotional response, genuine comprehension and the sensitivity to serve the work and the author.
\nAnd then there’s the question no one can quite answer yet: even if AI does improve, will the majority of the people who work in this creative industry want it to be involved? Will the authors, the editors, the readers?
\nFiction exists because humans want to share their inner lives with other humans. That impulse isn’t going anywhere. And I think that matters more than any technological capability.
\nFURTHER READING
\nI found the following blog posts particularly interesting and informative:
\nWhy generative AI isn’t a useful tool (right now) for expert book editors (The Narrative Craft)
\nWhy AI won’t replace human editors – and AI agrees (The Better Edit)
\nCopyediting and AI: a manifesto (The Better Edit)
\nThe Hidden Costs of AI Copyediting Tools: An Editor’s Review (Jane Friedman)
\nInterested in training as a freelance fiction editor? Take a look at my online editing courses.
\n","excerpt":"I’ve written before about why I don’t think AI is going to replace freelance fiction editors, but it’s time to revisit the topic and dive a bit deeper. My main argument previously was that AI does not have emotional and creative judgement, and those things are incredibly important for fiction editing especially. Those things are […]
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\nAuthors can hire either a book coach or a developmental editor to help them get the foundations of their novel in place, but these aren’t interchangeable services.
\nThere are a few key differences:
\nIn essence, book coaches work with an author (often long-term) to turn them into the kind of writer they want to be.
\nIn essence, developmental editors work with an author’s manuscript to help them increase its chances of being successfully published.
\nBoth book coaches and developmental editors can help writers improve their skills and knowledge, but this is usually a secondary consideration.
\nBoth professionals are able to spot gaps in a writer’s knowledge or aspects of their craft that need attention and improvement.
\nBut learning the craft of writing should always largely be the responsibility of the writer.
\nTaking writing courses, reading books about writing craft, attending workshops, and obtaining self-discovery through practice are the best ways to learn how to write.
\nBook coaches and developmental editors cover other areas an author might need a helping hand.
\nInterested in becoming a developmental editor? Take an online course.
\n","excerpt":"It’s true: there’s some crossover in what book coaches and developmental editors do. Authors can hire either a book coach or a developmental editor to help them get the foundations of their novel in place, but these aren’t interchangeable services. There are a few key differences: Book coaches … Help authors work on their mindset […]
\n","date":"30th March 2022","wordpress_id":1527,"categories":[{"wordpress_id":8,"name":"Freelancing","slug":"freelancing"}],"featured_media":{"localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"sizes":{"aspectRatio":1.7846153846153847,"tracedSVG":"data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20width='400'%20height='226'%20viewBox='0%200%20400%20226'%20preserveAspectRatio='none'%3e%3cpath%20d='M0%2069v69h2a797%20797%200%200045-4l11%201h11l2-3%204-10%204-7%201-3%201-5%202-4c0-4%203-10%206-13l3-5c0-2%206-6%209-6l4-2%202-1-1%203-2%205-4%206c-3%204-4%207-2%206h1l-1%202-1-1h-1v3c1%203%201%208-1%2012l-1%209%201%208%202%203c2%201%200%2012-3%2013-3%200-4%201-2%201s2%201%202%202l1%201%201%201-4%201c-2%200-3%201%200%203%202%201%201%204-2%203-2%200-2%200%200%201l2%202h-2a665%20665%200%2000-57%205l-4-1%206-4c6-3%208-3%2028-5a1572%201572%200%200118-4l-14%201%209-2%209-2-19%202-61%2010-5%201v13l2-1c3-2%2012-3%2054-7%2029-2%2033-2%2034-4%202-2%203-3%203%200v1l1%202%201%204c1%201%201%201%201-2-1-4-1-5%202-3v6l2-3c3-3%204-2%202%202-2%203-1%205%200%202%202-4%205-1%204%204-1%207-2%208-4%207-3-1-4%200-2%202%201%202%201%202-2%202l-4-2v-2l2-1-2-1a1476%201476%200%2000-91%2012%203170%203170%200%200190-7c0%202%201%202%205%202s5%200%204-1c0-2%201-2%203%200l6%201c4-1%204-1%204%202v2l1-2%202%201%206%201c2-1%203%200%204%201l5-2c4-2%204-2%206%200h2l-1-1c-2-2-1-3%203-3l3-1c0-2-4-3-4-1%200%201-1%201-1-1-1-3%200-11%202-10l1-2c1-3%200-6-1-5l-1-1%202-1%203-2%202-1%201-2c0-1%200-2%202-2s4-2%205-5c0-2-1-1-3%201l-4%202-2-1v-1l1-3h-1c-1%201-1%201-1-1v-4c-1-2-1-2-1%200s0%202-1%201%200-5%201-5l1-2%201-4c2-2%201-7-1-9-1-2-1-7%202-9%202-2%203%200%201%204l-1%203c1%201%206-3%206-5l1-1c2%200%201%203-2%206-2%202-2%202%200%204%202%201%203%200%202-2l1-2%201-1c-1-1%202-3%205-3s4%201%202%203c-2%203-1%206%201%204l1-1h2c2%200%204%203%203%206%200%202%200%202%202%202%202-1%208%206%207%209%200%202%200%202%202%202%202-1%203%200%201%203h-1c0-2%200-2-2%200-1%203-1%206%201%203h1c0%203-1%205-3%205l-1%202-1%202-1%202h2l2%202v1l-1%203c0%202-1%203-3%203l-10%203%2014-3c1-1%205-2%208-1%207%202%2016%202%2015%200l-3-1-1-2c1-2-1-4-4-5-1-1-1-1%201-2h2l1%202c5%201%207%201%2010%203l4%201h1c0%202%204%204%207%203h2l3%201c2%200%202%200%201-1l-1-4c0-3%200-4%201-3v-3c-1%200-1-2%201-4%201-5%200-8-2-5h-2l-2-1c-2%200-2%200-1-1%203-1%200-3-4-3-5-1-5-1-4-2%200-2%206%200%2014%204%204%202%204%202%204%200l3-6%202-5%201-5v-12c-1-6-1-7%201-10%202-2%202-6%201-12V84l2%204c4%208%208%2014%2011%2014l3%203%204%201c4%200%205%200%205%202v3c-1%201-1%201%201%201%202-1%203%200%203%202%201%203-1%2011-2%209-1-1-1-1-1%201v2l-1%201h-1l-7%2015-1%201c1%201%200%203-1%204-3%208-5%2020-3%2020l5%203c4%203%205%203%204%205-2%201-2%203-1%203l1-2%203-2c3%200%206-2%206-3l3-4c3-4%207-5%208-2%200%202%201%202%203%201%203%200%203%200%203%202-1%202%200%203%201%203%201-1%203%201%203%203-1%201-7%202-9%201l1-2c4-5-2-1-8%204-4%204-4%204-6%203l-3-2-1-1-3%201c-2%202-2%202-4%201-2-4-7-9-8-9l4%205c3%203%204%206%204%208s0%202-5-2c-5-5-12-10-13-9l5%204c4%202%205%204%205%206l1%202%201-1c0-3%202%200%202%203s-1%203-4%200l-11-6%204%204%205%204%202%202c2%201%202%201%200%201l-8-3c-7-3-10-3-3%201l6%204c-1%201%202%202%2010%201%207-1%207-2%205-3l-2-4c0-2%200-2%201-1%201%202%201%202%202%200%202-1%202-2%201-2v-3l1%201c0%201%201%202%205%201%204%200%204%200%204%202-1%203%203%202%2010-4%204-3%207-4%207-3%201%201-1%205-2%205-1-1-4%200-4%202v1l17-7c3-2%208-3%2027-5a456%20456%200%200034-4l4%201v-3c0-3%200-3%203-3%206%200%207%200%2010%203s3%203%2012%203l9-1%201%201v-13l-1-4h-14c-14%200-14%200-14-2%200-3%201-3%2015-2h13a456%20456%200%2000-3-50l-2-1-1-2-1%201-1%202c-2%200-2%200-1-2v-2l-1%201h-2l-3%201%201%202v1l-1%207v5a993%20993%200%2001-3-91V0H0v69m269-12h-5c-4%200-6%201-7%202l-2%201-1%201h-2c-1-1-1-1-1%201l1%204%2010%202c2%200%200-2-3-3l-3-1c0-3%2015%206%2016%209l7%201c7-1%209-2%207-5v-3l2-5c0-2%200-2-3-2h-4l-1-1-2-1h-9m-99%2012c-3%203-3%203-6%202-3-2-3-2-5%201l-2%205c0%202-1%204-4%207-4%204-3%206%201%203l7-3%208-3h3c1%201%202%200%203-2%202-5%200-7-4-4l-3%202%203-5c4%201%205-1%204-5%200-3-1-3-5%202m98%2012l-8%204c-5%203-5%204%200%207%204%201%204%201%203-1l2%201c3%203%205%202%205-3l2-6c2-4%200-5-4-2m-120%2090l-1%2012v3l15-1c14%200%2027-3%2024-4-4-3-7-3-10-1-2%202-2%202%200%202h-9l-11-1-2-1-1-2c1-1%201-1-1-1-3%201-3%200-3-3%200-2%200-3%202-3l3-2c0-2%202-3%203-3%202-1%201-1-1-1-6%200-7%200-6-1l-1-2-1%209m159-8l1%203c0%202%200%202-2%201l-8-2%202%204c1%204%202%205%204%203l1-1c1%201%207-1%207-2l2-1%204-1h1l2%201c2-2%201-3-2-3-5%200-5%200-4-1s0-2-3-2l-5%201m-216%207l-16%202a552%20552%200%2000-43%204c-33%202-32%202-32%205%200%202%200%202%203%202l10-1%2078-9%202-4-2%201m93%205c-3%202-3%203%206%202%209%200%2018%202%2033%209l6%202-4-3c-5-2-6-3-3-5v-2h-3c-1%202-3%202-5%201s-2-2-1-2c2-1%201-4-1-4l-1%202c0%202-2%202-13-1-7-1-11-1-14%201m-92%2015l-20%203a35935%2035935%200%2000-72%209l24-2a4504%204504%200%200169-9c0-1%200-2-1-1m-26%2014a597%20597%200%2001-66%209%20347%20347%200%200139-3%20453%20453%200%200137-5l7-1%204-2h-5l-16%202'%20fill='%23d3d3d3'%20fill-rule='evenodd'/%3e%3c/svg%3e","src":"/static/25143f330d9580164d67510d430ca99f/0b74b/difference-between-book-coach-developmental-editor.png","srcSet":"/static/25143f330d9580164d67510d430ca99f/d43b3/difference-between-book-coach-developmental-editor.png 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You start editing, but partway through you realise there are … issues.
\nBig issues. With the story itself. Or the way it’s written.
\nThings that you can’t help address with the copy-edit you’ve been commissioned to do. Things that require some substantial rewriting …
\nWhat should you do?
\nThere’s no single right answer, but you have options.
\nYou could decide that it’s the client’s responsibility to figure out what service they need. Perhaps the big-picture issues you’ve spotted aren’t a concern to the author, and they just want their sentences polished up. That’s up to them.
\nGiving an author developmental feedback they haven’t asked for is the same as giving someone unsolicited advice (which can leave people feeling feeling irritated, shamed or judged), but with the added complication of money being involved.
\nIt might be best for everyone if you just stick to the task you’re being paid for, keeping in mind that you are still helping the author improve their book.
\nIf the first option doesn’t sit quite right with you and you can see some simple ways the author can improve their book, you might decide to provide a few pointers in a short editorial letter when you hand back the copy-editing manuscript.
\nMake sure that whatever you suggest doesn’t require substantial rewriting, otherwise your copy-edits will go to waste.
\nBut check beforehand that the author is open to this kind of feedback. A simple email saying something like, ‘I’ve spotted a few ways you could improve the story/your writing technique beyond the scope of this copy-edit. It would require you to invest a bit more work on the draft. Would you like me to send you these pointers alongside my edit?’
\nImportantly, don’t spend so much time on these things that you damage your hourly rate.
\nThe earlier in the edit you can do this, the better – as inevitably some of the writing you’ve edited will end up being rewritten or deleted.
\nA client’s budget and publishing timeline might not stretch to this, but you can give authors the option. Authors also might not be happy to hear their book needs more work, so see if the they’re open to critical feedback like this before you suggest it.
\nThis might seem like the most ethical option, but it can leave you in a difficult position where you end up with a cancelled project or a project that is put on pause, leaving you with a hole in your schedule (and out of pocket). Because of this, my preferred solution is to try to pre-empt any developmental issues in a manuscript, rather than get to this point.
\nIt will be better for both you and your client if you’re able to make sure the manuscript is ready for a copy-edit before you take it on. Here’s how you might do that.
\nBefore you agree to take on a copy-editing project, ask the author if they’ve had any kind of big-picture feedback on their manuscript – whether that’s from a professional or beta readers.
\nIf they haven’t, ask if they are sure they are completely happy with the story and their writing techniques, explaining that copy-editing should only happen once this is the case.
\nIf the author is sure they want to go ahead with the copy-edit but you still end up spotting developmental issues as you work, choose one of the options laid out in the first half of this post, safe in the knowledge you’ve done some due diligence and the responsibility sits with the author, not you.
\nAgain, before you take on a manuscript to copy-edit, ask the above questions AND ask to see a synopsis of the story and a sample. Take 10-15 minutes to analyse this – any more, and you end up wasting too much time and energy on authors who don’t convert to paying clients.
\nCan you see a compelling premise in the synopsis, with a beginning that seems like the right place for the story to start, rising complications in the middle, and a satisfying ending that makes sense? Skim the sample. Can you see any issues with point of view, scene structure or ‘show vs tell’?
\nYou don’t need to be an expert in all the things that a developmental editor looks for, but if you’re able to see whether these particular aspects are working, this will give you a good indication of whether the story or writing technique needs further work.
\nIf you think there are issues, let the author know that you recommend developmental editing before copy-editing and point them in the direction of a trusted colleague, asking them to come back to you for copy-editing when they’re ready.
\nSome editors don’t take on any kind of editing work until their clients have gone through a paid assessment of their manuscript. This involves a complete read-through (a quick skim) of the book and a short report that outlines the main issues and the recommended service(s).
\nThis assessment isn’t as in-depth as a manuscript critique (a type of developmental edit), and doesn’t cost as much. It’s generally not supposed to help the author completely redraft their book. Instead, it helps the author make the best decisions on their path through the editing process.
\nThink about how you want to work, and what feels right for you and your business.
\nHaving a plan for how you’re going to deal with those instances where you’re conducting a copy-edit and realise there are developmental issues in the manuscript will help you save time and worry.
\nLastly, keep in mind that your role is to help authors improve their books, not make them perfect.
\nUltimately, the client is responsible for commissioning the right kind of service – though you can help them make this decision (if they want help) by doing some pre-project exploration.
\nWant to learn more? Take a look at this fiction copy-editing course or this developmental editing course.
\n","excerpt":"Here’s a common predicament: Your client hasn’t been through any kind of developmental editing before hiring you to copy-edit their book. You start editing, but partway through you realise there are … issues. Big issues. With the story itself. Or the way it’s written. Things that you can’t help address with the copy-edit you’ve been […]
\n","date":"4th September 2024","wordpress_id":1774,"categories":[{"wordpress_id":8,"name":"Freelancing","slug":"freelancing"}],"featured_media":{"localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"sizes":{"aspectRatio":1.7846153846153847,"tracedSVG":"data:image/svg+xml,%3csvg%20xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20width='400'%20height='226'%20viewBox='0%200%20400%20226'%20preserveAspectRatio='none'%3e%3cpath%20d='M56%2011v11H0v27h67l17%201V0H74v19c-1%2026-2%2026-3%200%200-18%200-19-2-19s-2%201-2%2016l-1%2016-1-17V0h-9v11m184-6v5h-5l-8-2c-7-2-13-3-24-2h-12a1124%201124%200%2000-12%201l1%202%201%201h-5c-1-1-1%200-1%201l-1%202-1-1-2-2c-2%200-3%201-3%202l-1%201v3c0%202%200%203-3%204l-4%201c-1-2-2%200-1%202%200%202%200%202-2%202h-2c1%201%200%202-2%203-2%200-4%202-4%203l-2%202c-2%201-1%205%201%206%203%202%201%204-5%205-2%200-4%201-4%203l-2%202c-2%201-3%202-2%204%200%202%200%203-1%202l-1-1%201%203c0%202%202%203%202%202l1%201v1l-1%203c-1%203-1%203-2%201h-2l1%202v4l-3%203-1%202c0%204-8%203-13-1l-2-1c0%203%209%207%2012%207%204-1%206%201%204%203-2%200-4%206-4%208%201%202%202%202%2016-2%2011-3%2011-3%2011-6l1-3-1-3c-3-6%200-23%204-22h1l-1%208%201%202c2%200%204-9%203-10-3-3%204-6%2012-5%206%200%2014%207%2014%2011%201%2011-1%2015-5%2016-3%200-4%201%200%201%208%201%2010-21%202-26l3-1%206-2h-7c-1-2-1-2%202-2l4-2c1-1%201-1%202%201v4l1%201c1-1%203-7%203-11%201-3%202-3%203%200l3%202%201%203c0%203%200%203-2%203-5%200-8%205-4%206l1-2c0-1%200-2%202-2s3%201%201%202-1%208%201%209h2c3-6%205-6%207-5s2%201-2%204l-6%206c-1%203-2%203-7%203-7-1-6%200%200%202%204%200%204%200%204%204l-2%204v2l-1%202v5l1%206%201-1%202-1-1%202c-1%201%200%201%202%201%203%200%203%200%201-2-2-3%200-2%203%200%207%206%2017%206%2024%202l4-1%201-1c-1-3%200-3%202%200%202%204%204%2013%204%2018a142%20142%200%2001-5%2021c0%202-6%2011-7%2012v8l3%2014c1%208%202%2010%203%208v1c0%202%203%201%204-1l4-2c2-1%203-1%202%207a196%20196%200%2001-10%2045c0%202%20112%201%20113%200%205-5%206-8%204-10l-4-6-5-9-15-24c-12-21-18-30-23-32l-4-2h-2c-2%200-3-2-1-3%201%200%202-1%201-4l1-3%201-2c-1-4%200-4%201-1l1%203v-3l-1-2v-3c2-3%203-2%203%201v4l1-7v-7l1%202%204-7-3%201-2%202-2-2c-2-3%200-5%203-3s3%201%203-3c-1-6-3-9-3-3%201%204%202%204-6%203-4-1-3-5%201-5%202-1%202-1-1-2l-3-3%201-2c0-2%202-1%204%201s3%200%200-2c-2-3-2-3-1-7l1-3%208-1%209-1V3c0-2-1-3-3-3h-2v76h-9c-12%200-13-2-7-7%205-5%205-6-1-8-8-3-9-5-8-11v-6l2-1%202-1h-6l-7-1-3-3c-4-2-5-4-2-4%202-1%202-1%200-1l-4-2-3-3-5-2c-5-3-6-8-1-7l2-1c0-1-3-2-4-1-2%201-4-2-5-6l-1-4-1%202c1%204-1%203-2%200l-1-1-2%202c-3%200-5-1-4-2l-1-1-2-1%201-1V4c-1-3%205-2%206%201%201%202%201%202%202%201l1-1c2%200%201-1-1-3l-7-2h-6v5m-25%2056c-19%209-14%2036%207%2036%206%200%2012-4%209-6h-4l-5-1-2-2%202-1c2-1%202-1%200-3s-3-1-4%202v3l-1-4c-1-4%200-6%203-6v1c-1%201-1%201%202%201%205%200%209%202%209%205l2%201%201%201v4c1%200%204-4%203-5l1-2c1-1%201-1-1-3l-1-2-2-1-3-3c-1-3-1-3%202-3%202%201%203%200%201-6l-1-2c-1%201-1%200-1-2%201-2-12-4-17-2m-51%2035a174%20174%200%20014%2052v4l-9%203-14%205h-6l-4-5-5-5-3%201-1%204-1%204c-1%200-2%201-1%204%200%204-3%208-10%2013l-4%208-8%2022c-3%205-6%2016-6%2019l47%201a953%20953%200%200044-3v-2l-3-9-4-10c1-2-1-5-3-10-6-12-7-16-8-29%200-10%200-11%201-10%202%200%203-1%201-3v-2c1-1%202-5%202-13v-13l6%202c14%203%2015%203%2016%206%200%202%201%202%205%202l5-1-14-7c-17-4-21-7-21-13l-1-8-1-8c0-4-1-5-2-6l3-1c8-1%208-1%200-2h-8l3%2010'%20fill='%23d3d3d3'%20fill-rule='evenodd'/%3e%3c/svg%3e","src":"/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/f7fa3/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg","srcSet":"/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/c96d8/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg 116w,\n/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/12243/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg 232w,\n/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/f7fa3/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg 463w,\n/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/ce8db/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg 695w,\n/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/87cea/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg 926w,\n/static/f7b5c2823dd782ec30b0db84eaa7a386/b24a9/spot-developmental-issues-copy-edit.jpg 1560w","sizes":"(max-width: 463px) 100vw, 463px"}}}}}},{"node":{"title":"5 Weird Skills You Need to Copy-Edit Novels","slug":"5-weird-skills-copy-edit-novels","content":"Being a freelance novel editor isn’t just about sprucing up sentences, fixing wonky grammar and annihilating typos. Nope! There’s a whole lot more to it!
\nBefore you set up your editing business and start looking for clients, you’ll need to know what else is expected of you.
\nHere are a few things you might not have realised you’d be responsible for when taking on freelance editing work.
\nPrelims (short for ‘preliminary material’ – also known as ‘front matter’ in publishing lingo) are the pages that come before the start of the main story. Think title pages, copyright pages, contents, etc.
\nEnd matter (also known as ‘back matter’) are the pages that come after the main story. Think acknowledgements, glossaries, about the author, etc.
\nAs a freelance novel copy-editor, it’s your responsibility to check that all the right pages are there, that they include all the right content, and that this content is also edited.
\nIf you work with publishing houses, they will likely expect this from you.
\nSelf-publishing authors might not send you these things to check. If they don’t, you might want to ask that they do, since checking prelims and end matter is all part of editorial quality control.
\nMarking up means using textual codes to show the person whose job it is to design the interior of the book exactly which parts of the text need to be styled, and styled the same way (e.g. chapter headings).
\nMarking up the manuscript to prepare it for typesetting is part of the copy-editor’s role.
\nThese days, marking up electronic book files can be done in a couple of ways.
\nThe more traditional way (that mimics editing on paper) is to use coloured, bracketed textual codes.
\nThe more modern way is to use Word’s styles feature, to electronically tag the text.
\nMost publishing houses will expect you to mark up for the typesetter.
\nMost self-publishing authors won’t, usually because they’re unfamiliar with the needs and benefits of this process – but applying styles regardless (and explaining why) will certainly help them out when they come to designing their book files or passing them onto freelance typesetters.
\nSo it’s a good skill to have.
\nA style sheet is a reference document you create in which you record any manuscript-specific editorial stylistic decisions you make (e.g. Does the author use the serial comma?) and anything in the story you need to keep an eye on for consistency.
\nIt’s super useful!
\nYou’ll usually hand your style sheet over to the client so the author can quickly understand many of the editorial decisions you’ve made.
\nAnd further down the line, the proofreader will refer to your style sheet to help them do their final check, too.
\nAs you can imagine, it takes skill to create a good style sheet.
\nHouse style essentially refers to the editorial stylistic decisions that a particular publishing house follows.
\nSelf-publishing authors are much less likely to have created their own house style.
\nEven so, you should always ask before you start editing whether they’ve made any stylistic decisions you should be aware of – otherwise you might accidentally undo something the author has done deliberately.
\nYou need to understand how the house style applies to the manuscript and how to make this work in tandem with your style sheet.
\nThis will mean you’ll conduct your edit efficiently and to the client’s desired specifications.
\nLibel, breach of copyright, plagiarism, passing off …
\nDid you know it’s the copy-editor’s responsibility to look out for certain legal issues in a manuscript and alert the clients to these?
\nAs a professional copy-editor, you aren’t expected to have the same level of knowledge as a lawyer. (Phew.)
\nBut you should strive to understand the essentials of publishing legalities – and keep your knowledge up-to-date.
\nIf you want to be a professional copy-editor, you need more than just an excellent grasp of grammar and punctuation. You also need to know how to handle everything mentioned in this post.
\nSo where can you learn this stuff?
\nLuckily for you, I have a comprehensive online course that teaches you exactly what you need to know and how to do it all.
\nAnd unlike many other courses that teach copy-editing, this one focuses exclusively on fiction.
\n\n","excerpt":"Being a freelance novel editor isn’t just about sprucing up sentences, fixing wonky grammar and annihilating typos. Nope! There’s a whole lot more to it! Before you set up your editing business and start looking for clients, you’ll need to know what else is expected of you. Here are a few things you might not […]
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