Organise, organise, organise

When you write anything - from a letter right through to a 90,000-word book - your utmost priority needs to be how you organise the content. Forget about pretty and accurate language for now - that can come later. You need to meticulously plan your structure before you even begin writing, and give a great deal of thought to how the reader will most easily access your information.

Unfortunately, many writers get the process topsy-turvy. If you're writing a stream of consciousness piece or highly creative poem then fine, let the muse take over and lead you wherever she likes. But for any other writing (and that's 99.9 per cent of your writing) you need to plan what you say before you say it. If you don't, your reader gives up on your beautifully worded piece after page one, because the material is chaotic and confusing.

Readers like organised, logical, coherent structures. They like to read your info in manageable chunks (not two-page paragraphs) and to know exactly where they are and where the text is moving to.

A writer who spends time creating a detailed plan for her writing and mapping out the structure of the piece is much more likely to create good writing. I am always happier to review a writer's initial plan and iron out any problems at that early stage than wade through the final piece and try to work out what the writer's haphazard structure should become.

If you want the best out of your writing, do the groundwork and you'll find everything else falls into place from there. If you want the best out of your writing and you don't do the groundwork, you may find yourself in the frustrating situation of having to go back and rewrite much of your beloved text.

Proofreading anthologies

This weekend I've been proofreading a collection of short stories, written by various authors at the turn of the last century. The anthology brought up two editorial issues:

1. Where a book comprises works from different authors, the editor/proofreader must decide whether to impose a house style upon all the stories, so that the book as a whole is consistent, or whether to respect each author's individual style. Clearly, each story was edited by a different editor a century ago, so each had a differing style. For this book, we've respected the author's style in many cases, but made some overall changes where the inconsistency may have bothered a reader (e.g. style of ellipses).
2. Because these stories were written 100 years ago, the authors used grammatical and linguistic styles that we wouldn't employ today - e.g. 'inquire' where we'd use 'enquire' and spellings such as 'to-night'. In the main, we left these original styles intact, which gives a greater sense of the author's original work.

If you're a fan of crime fiction, the book's a must-read. Look out for The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes when it publishes soon.

The difference between proofreading and copy-editing

I write a column for InPrint, the magazine of the Society of Young Publishers. The following is a column from earlier this year that explains the difference between proofreading and copy-editing in the world of publishing.

Freelance glance

I’m commonly asked to explain the difference between a copy editor and a proofreader and my answer is this: A proofreader ensures accuracy and style consistency; a copy editor goes one step further and also improves the text. Clear as mud? Read on.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the last stage in a book’s editorial process - the final check-through before it’s handed over to the typesetter/printer. To ensure effective proofreading, the book should be in pretty good shape when it arrives on the proofreader’s desk, having been professionally copy-edited beforehand. Thus the proofreader focuses on spotting those odd mistakes that have slipped through the net, rather than being inundated with a sea of errors that overloads the eyes, making it much harder to spot each and every problem.

Proofreaders look at two areas as they read: accuracy and consistency. Firstly, proofreaders correct errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar: catching all the misspellings, spotting that misplaced apostrophe and sorting dodgy verb agreements. We also check things like page numbers, headings, formatting and references, and may be asked to verify facts and indexes as well.

Secondly, proofreaders are sticklers for consistency. We bring the text neatly into line, ensuring a consistent style is applied in areas such as capitalisation, italicisation, hyphenation, punctuation, spelling styles and formatting. Elements such as numbers, abbreviations, titles, bulleted and numbered lists, and tables and figures must adhere to one global style, usually laid down by the publisher.

Copy-editing

A copy editor improves text, as well looking at accuracy and consistency in the same way as a proofreader. There are varying levels and styles of copy-editing, and a copy editor must be flexible and edit according to the publisher’s preferences. Work on the text may be light or intensive, restrained or hands-on. When I copy-edit, a publisher may give me free rein to roll my sleeves up and undertake major restructuring and rewriting, or I may correct only the most awkward phrasing and diplomatically suggest larger improvements in separate comments.

So what exactly does a copy editor focus on? Well, it varies depending on the style and level of edit, but the job typically includes looking at the overall consistency and effectiveness of the plot, characterisation and structure; considering the author’s voice and its interpretation by the reader; watching out for anything that may be offensive, inaccurate or on a shaky legal footing; and, of course, addressing any weak areas of writing. A copy editor may also be expected to take on jobs like laying out material; liaising with designers and typesetters; choosing artwork and arranging permissions; and managing budgets - it all depends on how the publisher defines the scope of the role.

Different publishers expect different things from their freelance copy editors, and an editor must carefully follow the publisher’s instructions. This means that if the publisher commissions me to do a light edit only, that’s exactly what I do - even if I’m itching to rework sections that I can see could be improved. Editing with restraint is hard work at times, but just as the customer is always right in business, so the publisher is king in the world of editorial freelancing.

Keeping to editorial guidelines, however, doesn’t preclude intelligent copy-editing, by which I mean discussing with the publisher any major issues you can see that fall outside the remit of your edit. Most publishers appreciate perceptive copy editors who flag up important issues. Laying out exactly when and how a copy editor should do this is impossible: intelligent copy-editing is about intuitively adapting to each publisher’s style and knowing where the boundaries lie. It’s about effective communication and, above all, a careful and sensitive approach.

Proofreading and copy-editing sound like cushy numbers - reading books for a living. The reality is not all that easy - knowing the English language inside out; reading material several times over at an eye-wateringly slow pace; being permanently unable to turn off ‘editor mode’ when you want to read for yourself, for pleasure; and understanding when to change something, and when to steer well clear.

Both copy editors and proofreaders are writers at heart - they have to know how to write and what constitutes good writing in order to spot mistakes and improve others’ words. But this improvement must be made with sensitivity and respect for the author’s voice, and this is the true challenge of proofreading and copy-editing. Both proofreaders and copy editors must be chameleons – matching their style to the author’s as they work and always taking care not to tread on the author’s toes and impose their personal preferences and style on the text. We must know when to step back, when to respect the creativity of the writer, when to simply let go.

Development Editing For Dummies

This month I've undertaken a new role with John Wiley & Sons (the publishers of For Dummies guides). As well as a Wiley proofreader and copy editor, I will now be a developmental editor as well, which basically means looking at the 'bigger picture' of a book and working with the structure, organisation, flow, content and tone of the material, rather than purely the language.

My first developmental editing job is under way and is called Tax Guide For Dummies. Hopefully, I'll pick up some tips on saving money on my tax bill along the way . . .