Editing

Editing makes sure you haven't got any embarrassing mistakes in your book. If you wrote it, you're the last person who will see these, because you know what you mean. The rest of us don't, and if you write something ambiguous, we may guess wrong. And typos can happen to anyone.

The order of edits I tend to follow is this:
  1. Structural edit
    This is when the editor works with the writer to make sure the overall text structure works. Are the chapters in the right order? What about the paragraphs? Is anything missing?
  2. Copy-editing and style check
    This is the grammar and spelling check, basically. It's also when decisions are made like: Do I use a comma before the 'and' in a series? Do I prefer single or double quotes? Do I hyphenate 'co-operate' or not? Do I write numbers as words (ten) or as figures (10)? Write Edit Print: Style Manual for Aotearoa New Zealand  (AGPS Press, 1997) has a good description of this process.
  3. Design proofreading
    This is where the editor looks at the designed copy, making sure that no text has been lost in the design process, that there are no widows, orphans, or other lost family members wandering round the pages, and that the design doesn't conflict with the text. Page numbering is checked. Heading levels are checked. There's a good checklist on page 316 of Write Edit Print.
  4. Fresh-eye check
    This is what it sounds like. Get someone who's never seen the work before to read it through, looking for typos. Even if you decide to do all the other editing yourself, get someone else to do this. And don't use the same editor for this stage as for the previous stages. The fresh-eye check is the last stage before printing.
Hiring an editor costs quite a bit. Copy-editing and proofing normally take about an hour per 1000 words, for fairly 'clean' text, and it is possible to hire good freelance editors for between $50 and $60 per hour in New Zealand. Expect to talk about your preferences for spelling, punctuation, and grammar before the editor starts work.