A recent newsletter I received from Ally Machate, who runs a editing and marketing firm, mentioned three costly mistakes authors make when publishing. The first mistake is rushing to publish without proper editing. “Skipping professional editing might save time (and money in the short term),” she writes, “but it often lead to … negative reviews.”…
Read More
Last week, I wrote about the importance of critical thinking in book editing. Read it here. Buried in the 11th paragraph of that piece was this sentence: Are my edits removing the author’s voice? Too often, one editor takes a manuscript and butchers it in such a way that the author no longer recognizes it.…
Read More
I have long believed that critical thinking is a skill that is lost among much of the population. People who can think critically can evaluate information and decide if it’s true, false, necessary, or unnecessary. They can take that information and make better judgments and hold well-informed opinions. That seems to be disappearing in society,…
Read More
Early in my career as a book editor, and edited a manuscript of an expository essay in which the author asserted that the presence and existence of ISIS signaled that Armageddon, as described in the Book of Revelation, is here. I had to do a lot of fact checking, especially making sure the author correctly…
Read More
Sixth in an occasional series about stories and ideas worth telling. When I visit bookstores, in Palm Springs and elsewhere, I often seek the history sections and look for guidebooks and tour books that show old photos of the area compared to what it looks like today. Then I start reading the text, looking for…
Read More
In my last post, I highlighted several typers of editing one could use to improve their manuscript. Today, I’m delving into more detail about line editing. As I previously wrote, line editors focus on more creative uses of language and how the word choice affects how clearly the story is communicated. Is the language clear,…
Read More
In addition to ghostwriting, I also edit. My editing days go back to 1990 and my days working in newspapers, where the editing mantra was, “The fewer the words, the more powerful they are.” Once a manuscript is completed, it’s really important to have a neutral set of eyes look at it. I tell all…
Read More
When it comes to developmental editing, different developmental editors provide different services. For example, some provide line editing or proofreading services. Some will offer coaching, in which the editor regularly meets with the writer and provides support and feedback throughout the writing process. The most important service a developmental editor offers is the manuscript critique.…
Read More
Writing a book requires a great deal of organization and focus. The same holds true for developmental editing. Throughout the process, a developmental editor will ask many questions and make sure they’re answered in ways that won’t confuse or distract the reader. These questions can be organized into broad categories. Various developmental editors will tackle…
Read More
Last week, I introduced developmental editing and gave an overview of what it is. This week, I’m describing what it’s not. As developmental editing is its own animal, it doesn’t deal with any of the following: Copy editing. This type of editing focuses on word choice, punctuation, capitalization, style, typographical errors, and grammar. Copy editors…
Read More