In my last blog post, we looked at the different types of editing you will need as a nonfiction writer. In this blog post, we will be continuing with this topic, considering what editing you should have in the later stages of the process. We will start by reviewing why you need editing for your nonfiction book, as well as taking a quick glance at the types we covered in my last blog post. We will then move on to look at the other types of editing you will need before your book can be considered ready for publication.
Editing is vital to ensure your book is at the level required for publication. Without it, your book will not look professional, meaning that many potential readers will decide not to buy it after taking a glance inside. In addition, even if they do buy it, it is much more likely that they will leave a negative review, even if the content is otherwise good. Think about what you look at when you are considering buying a book – presumably, you would expect it to be spelt right, use the correct grammar and be formatted clearly.
You will also need to make sure you hire a professional editor. While there are some parts you can do yourself, you will need an editor to make your book ready for publication – even if you also work as an editor! It is nearly impossible to check your own work accurately, as you already know what you mean and won’t be confused if you have phrased something in a way that is difficult to follow. You will also know your work inside out and backwards, so you are unlikely to notice a minor error such as a missing word.
In my last blog post, we looked at the very first type of editing you will need, which is developmental editing. This is big picture editing which will focus on your ideas and the book’s structure, not spelling and grammar. You may also have done fact-checking at this stage in the process, which is exactly what it sounds like and a necessity for most nonfiction books. The next level would be line editing. This looks at the content and style of your work, breaking up long sentences and checking for repetition.
Copyediting
Copyediting is focused on narrower issues, such as spelling, grammar and punctuation. It will be checking that the style of your writing fits with whichever style guide you have. This is a matter of consistency and ensuring your work looks professional. Firstly, using a style guide will mean that you keep the same choices for capitalisation, spellings and hyphenation throughout your work, ensuring your readers don’t get distracted by inconsistencies. Secondly, your work will look more professional as it will be in line with the standards set out in your chosen style guide. Alternatively, you can create your own based on what punctuation (and so on) you favour, which will at least ensure consistency.
So, what is a copyeditor looking for? They are focused on the language you are using, which means that as well as spelling, grammar and punctuation, they will also be looking at your sentence structure. This is not quite like line editing, where the editor is focused on the sentence style as well; copyediting is more concerned with making sure your sentences read smoothly and that there is nothing to throw the reader off or detract from what you are saying. However, they will not be looking at any bigger picture elements, such as how well your writing engages the reader and the structure of your book.
If you have not already had some fact-checking done, now is the time. For this, you will need an editor with experience in your niche, as they will be in the best position to check for any problems with what you have stated, as well as knowing how to research anything they are unsure about and verify this. You might also want to have your references checked for accuracy and that you have used the correct referencing system. Your copyeditor may fact-check and ensure your references are right, or you may have to hire someone else for this.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final step in getting your nonfiction book edited for publication and is the last chance to correct any errors before publication. As such, a proofreader will be entirely focused on things such as typos and grammatical errors, ignoring any bigger picture issues such as pace and suitability for the audience – these should already have been fixed.
Proofreading checks the layout of your book. This covers quite a few things, for example, that the page numbers are correct and in the right place, as well as that the text is aligned. A proofreader will also check the consistency of chapter headings and that these are positioned correctly.
Wrapping Up
As you will have seen, there are a lot of different types of editing available for your nonfiction book and it can be confusing to know where to start. Hopefully, these blog posts will have helped you to understand the different types that your book needs, but do feel free to leave any questions in the comments! In my next blog post, we will be looking at some of the publishing methods for a nonfiction book, so come back in two weeks for that!
Want help proofreading your work? Contact Carmine Proofreading for a friendly, professional service from a qualified proofreader.
Email: CarmineProofreading@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarmineProofed
Carmine Proofreading 