Friday 7 June 2013

How Copy Editing Service Can Help Fine-Tune A Book

By Lucille Lamb


By the term copyeditor, most people would have the image of a man hunched over troves of papers, a pen in hand, and looking at the papers through smudged glasses. This was the image in the days when publishing firms were the controllers of writing flow from writers to readers. With advancement in technology however, copy editing service has improved. But still, there is a need for a person to hire these editors.

Copyeditors mainly correct errors including spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors. Also, they ensure that a particular work has adhered to the house style. Words are also checked for correct meaning. It is also the work of a copyeditor to correct references so that they appear correctly quoted. If there are any pictures, they have to be accompanied by the right captions.

Copyeditors are also tasked with ensuring that there are no legal issues that might arise from the copy. These issues are things such as libel and defamation, copyright breach or partiality. In case extensive revision of a text is required, the copy editor will consult the author about the issue. Most of the time, copyeditors work on-screen although they may also edit hard copy documents.

Copyediting basically deals with correcting mistakes in a text. You may think that if you are very good in English, you do not need the services of a copy editor. This is not true. Good writers know that they have to revise their work after they have written the original work.

The annual take-home of a copyeditor is between $16,000 and $33,000. This amount is not constant, and varies according to the location of a publishing firm, as well as its size. When it comes to freelance copyeditors, the society for copyeditors and proofreaders set a guideline on the minimum hourly rates. Publishers are however not bound by these rates.

Becoming a copyeditor requires that an individual obtains a degree that is then followed by publishing experience especially at the level of an assistant. Publishing degrees can be pursued at a number of universities and colleges. If you intend to work in specific area, it is important to acquire a relevant degree. If, for instance, you are to work in a scientific publishing firm, you will require a science degree.

Professional copyeditors know the sort of mistakes that most people make, so they will be looking exactly for these. Given that they are seeing your document for the first time, they are able to bring sharp and fresh perspective. They are able to analyze each word, phrase or sentence. The end result is that they catch mistakes that you missed, and analyze the work for clarity, flow, conciseness and style.

If you plan of going into freelance job, the contacts will be very useful for you. If you land at a firm that offers on-job training, it can be very good as this helps you improve your copy editing service. This will really help you in your freelance editing.




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