Types of Editors in a publishing house

Sep 13, 2022Blog

While the editor plays a crucial role in a book’s development throughout the publication process, the editing stage refers to the work done on the text to ensure it is as good as it can be before going into production. Editing covers grammar and punctuation issues and problems with content and structure. These text editors work for publishing houses as full-time employees or independent contractors. Some publishing organisations employ both in-house and freelance editors. Online manuscript editing software is developed to help ease the writing and editing processes. Authors can now edit their manuscripts by themselves using these online book editing tools.  Here are a few types of editors found in a publishing house. 

Acquisition Editor

Usually, an acquisitions editor doesn’t do much editing. Instead, they must find a publishing house promising new manuscripts. Be aware that some editors who oversee acquisitions work for literary agencies. Acquisitions editors must know the current and emerging publishing trends and reader expectations. They choose manuscripts based on the author’s literary quality and the likelihood that their work would be commercially successful. Acquisitions editors commonly use a checklist when they assess a book’s potential. They might ask themselves, for instance, the following:

  • Does the book match the imprint?
  • Is there a comparable book currently on the imprint’s list?
  • Is the plot summary intriguing?
  • Has the author established a strong online presence?
  • Is it difficult to put the book down?

An acquisitions editor may purchase a manuscript even though it needs a lot of work. The acquisitions editor is in charge of guiding the author through the remainder of the publishing process after reaching an agreement with the author and their literary agent.

Developmental Editors

The developmental editor receives a manuscript after the acquisitions editor has acquired it from the publishing house. This expertise is more likely to be interested in more significant concerns like structure, plot, character development, dialogue, voice, and style than in little things like comma usage. A developmental editor will take the readership into account while assessing a work. The audience has come to expect specific components in particular fiction book genres. For instance, readers of romance novels typically anticipate a happy ending. Since authors frequently find the developmental editing stage the most difficult, developmental editors and authors should remember that the process is best when it is collaborative. The most effective developmental editors can create a close working relationship with their authors. Before deciding how to handle the required adjustments, the editor and author must first agree on the project’s overarching goal. Both written and verbal communication skills are essential for effective developmental editing. They also have a sense of teamwork and the capacity to get along with people from different backgrounds and personality types. Another beneficial quality is a willingness to make concessions and establish common ground.

Fact-checking Editors

Fact-checking editors often work for nonfiction publishing imprints, while certain fiction publications also need fact-checkers. Additionally, newspapers, periodicals, and scholarly journals may use this kind of editor. Frequently, fact-checkers and copy editors work together as one person for publications. However, there is at least one specialised fact-checker at more prominent magazines and publishing firms. A fact-checker is an editor who reviews manuscripts line by line to find facts that need to be verified, as you could guess from the term. The expert then does further investigation to confirm the validity.

Stylistic Editors

Line editors make up a sizable share of editors. Although the phrases line editing and copy editing are sometimes used interchangeably and share many characteristics, they are not the same. However, many editors will execute both line and copy editing. Line editing is the practice of carefully reading through a text line by line. Making the work as polished as feasible entails removing repetitions, suggesting better word choices, altering sentence structures, and other things.  Line editors emphasised the writing style more than general concerns like character development and plot structure.

Copy Editors

Copy editors look for grammatical errors, incorrect punctuation, and other issues, including confusing language and inconsistent wording. Sometimes copy editors will offer light rewriting or slight rephrasing.

Proofreaders

A manuscript goes through the fact-checking, developmental, line, and copy editing before being sent to the typesetter or designer to produce the book’s hard copy layout. A mock proof is then made. A mock proof resembles a book’s test copy. A proofreader will be provided with this sample copy. The proofreader must go through every detail and look for errors that the copy editor might have overlooked or that the typesetter or designer might have unintentionally brought into the text. Before the edited version is finished and printed, the proofreader serves as the last point of inspection.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned types of editors are found at a publishing house. But with the advancement of technology, authors can now edit and publish their manuscripts online. Manuscripts.ai is one such online book editing tool that helps authors write and edit their books professionally.