What is editing
Once you have written a book, the next thing you need to do is to edit it. Editing is a specialized task that requires special skills, so it is ideal that you hire a professional book editor to edit your book.
Why you need your book to get edited
The primary reason that you need to get your book edited is that it can contain language mistakes and maybe some content-related inconsistencies. So, in order to make your book readable, the minimum you need to do is to get it proofread and copyedited. This will make the book clear in its theme or message, free of language errors, and comprehensible to your audience. This is also an essential requirement for a publisher before he agrees to publish your book.
What kind of editing you may require for your book
Before a book is published, you need to get it edited by a professional editor. This is, however, a very basic type of editing. Your book may require a higher level of editing, which is termed developmental editing, structural editing, contextual or conceptual editing. Developmental editing not only focuses on getting the language right but also helps get the content right. The content has to be written appropriately with no factual or logical mistakes. Developmental editing has the potential to make a book from a rough draft to a compelling narrative. So, for a book writer, especially one who is writing a work of fiction, developmental editing can be hugely important for the overall outcome of the book.
What developmental editing can contain
An overall analysis of content is done in its entirety, and major changes can be made in structure as well as content as part of developmental editing.
Editing is such an important process before publishing a book. The developmental editing effort makes your book free of errors and better in every sense of the word. Developmental editing can contain a thorough examination of the overall structure of the manuscript. It can look for consistency in the core theme. Analyze the various characters of the narrative and their development in the narrative. The developmental editing process also examines the overall narrative and plot structure.
The scope of copyediting
Copyediting can be much smaller in scope than developmental editing; however, it is a very important and unavoidable process for each manuscript. A copyeditor not only looks at language mistakes but also ensures that the style, clarity, and overall tone of the written work is fine. Proofreading is one final step for correcting last-minute errors. Proofreading is a natural part of all types of editing wherein you take a deep look and correct all basic language mistakes like usage of articles, punctuation marks, spelling checks, and other elements.
Editing costs in India, US and UK
Editing costs can vary. There are a number of factors that determine the editing costs. The depth and complexity of editing is an important determinant. The more time and effort that a manuscript consumes, the higher the cost.
Usually, the editing charges are decided per word, per page, or per hour. Typically, the charges per word can be a few cents, and the costs will depend on the editing level required. One of the important things that an author should keep in mind is that the choice of an editor or an editorial company should not only depend on the cost. An author should look for an experienced and reputed editor in his genre of writing. A skilled editor can significantly enhance the content and can bring great value to your content. Therefore, the choice of a content editor should consider the overall skill of the editor that you are hiring.
Copyediting and the principle of the 5 Cs
The 5 Cs of copyediting are important and are generally expected from a copyeditor. These 5 Cs are Clarity, Correctness, Conciseness, Comprehension, and Consistency of content. A copyeditor needs to be precise on all 5 Cs. The primary aim of the editor is to make the text clear. The content should be well articulated so that the readers are able to understand it clearly. Language correctness is another important goal of an editor. Most of the time, an editor or proofreader is hired to check the mistakes in a content piece and correct them. Apart from that, the copyeditor looks for consistency in tone and style in the overall manuscript.
Manuscript assessment
Manuscript assessment is an important service for authors. This is prior to the actual editing of the book. On an assessment basis, the authors can bring changes to the book before they hand it over to the editor for final editing. The assessment basically assesses the fact that the overall manuscript is meeting the goals of the book. It answers questions like:
- Whether the book has the potential to engage with its target audience
- Will the book meet its financial goals, that is, whether it is marketable as per the expectations of the author and the publisher
- What changes should be brought to the book to give it the intended look?
Manuscript assessment is an important step that an author should take. It works as a sort of guide to reach the intended goals of the book. It can also save much of the editing costs as the author can begin making the required changes in the narrative as per the assessment. The assessment offers detailed and constructive feedback. The assessment not only talks about what needs to be improved, but it also tells the strengths and the right things about the book, which can work as a confidence booster for the author.
Manuscript assessment service is especially beneficial for authors who have written complex narratives or bulky books that have a lot of intricacies. It is important for the authors to get a secondary opinion on whether the written work has substance and is on track.
How much does manuscript assessment cost?
It depends on a number of factors, such as:
- Expertise level of the assessor: The expertise of the assessor is an essential consideration in the costs. The experience and reputation of the assessor go a long way in deciding the costs.
- Length and the depth of the assessment are also deciding factors.
- Prevailing market rates impact the overall rates for manuscript assessment services.
What is the cost of book editing
The costs can vary depending on the complexity and expectations and the kind of editing required. Basically, the more complex the task, the higher the costs will be. The costs of a book editor in the UK and the US can be much more. Therefore, one can look forward to countries like India where the expertise level can match that of editors in the US and UK, but the costs can be comparatively lower. Content Connects provides expert book editing services with some of the most experienced editors.