I'm hopeful that some professional editors here will define their specific job duties. I'm thinking of editing done at a trade publisher, Big 6 or not. Print or electronic.
The three levels of editing I've sussed out are (in chronological order):
1. Substantive, also called developmental or story editing. (Deals with the structure of the story, maybe suggestions on tightening, moving parts around, beefing up characters or reducing/adding subplots?)
2. Line editing. (Making the sentences sparkle and have good rhythm to fit the story's needs?)
3. Copy editing. (Correcting grammar and punctuation, making it fit house style?)
And then there's proofreading. (Doesn't change the text, just makes sure the galleys were printed properly?)
Does this sound right? Anything I'm missing? Some people use the terms interchangeably, which is a bit confusing.
(I'm guessing that a ms which needs a lot of the first would likely be passed over, no?)
( other AW related threads: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199209 and http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14282 )
The three levels of editing I've sussed out are (in chronological order):
1. Substantive, also called developmental or story editing. (Deals with the structure of the story, maybe suggestions on tightening, moving parts around, beefing up characters or reducing/adding subplots?)
2. Line editing. (Making the sentences sparkle and have good rhythm to fit the story's needs?)
3. Copy editing. (Correcting grammar and punctuation, making it fit house style?)
And then there's proofreading. (Doesn't change the text, just makes sure the galleys were printed properly?)
Does this sound right? Anything I'm missing? Some people use the terms interchangeably, which is a bit confusing.
(I'm guessing that a ms which needs a lot of the first would likely be passed over, no?)
( other AW related threads: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199209 and http://absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14282 )
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