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A well-received book is often touted as the product of an author’s brilliance. However, the steps a manuscript must undergo before it is publication-ready are myriad and complex, necessitating expertise on several levels. While the creative labor lies primarily with the authors who must contend with any flaws in their work, there exists an entire network of professionals who aim to help elevate a text to its best iteration. The importance of editorial services cannot be denied: Without the careful critiques of many sharp eyes and thoughtful minds, a polished book would not be possible.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing can be described as helping authors shape their vision and produce a narrative that truly communicates what they want to say. This includes analysis of narrative structure, themes and character development. An editor focused on development will ask: Is this element working? If not, what needs to be changed to make it work? This can be invaluable to writers who have no way to take an outsider perspective on their own writing.
Copyediting and Line Editing
The role of editorial services most well-known to the public is probably copyediting. This type of editing identifies errors such as these:
- Grammatical
- Factual
- Spelling
Copyediting also focuses on formatting to ensure spacing, paragraphing, etc., don’t interfere with readability.
Another aspect of editing services, line editing, is often confused with copyediting, though they have different functions. Line editing seeks to increase fluency on a sentence-by-sentence basis. Both are integral to helping writers create a particular vision within their work.
Proofreading
The last step in the editing process is proofreading, which is meant to catch typos and other minor errors before the book goes to print. A volume with multiple easily fixed errors can be seen by readers as lacking polish or as the product of a company that values profit over quality. The trouble is that minute errors can be easily missed. Proofreading is generally undertaken in multiple stages or by multiple people to render a book as perfect as possible.
Amnet understands how vital the role of editorial services can be in creating a true literary masterpiece, which is why their team is skilled in a variety of editing types.
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/feb/11/lost-art-editing-books-publishing
