Little Syllables: The Blog
Editing Business Copy
Editors are not just for books and stories; we’re also essential for businesses. Whether it’s marketing copy, web copy, product descriptions, video captions, or procedure manuals, the writing that is done for your business needs to be edited.
Potential customers are quickly put off by spelling and grammatical errors on business websites, advertisements, and correspondence. Employees can be confused and make mistakes if instructions are not clearly written.
Errors hurt your credibility with customers, employees, and others in your industry.
Errors in copy can lead customers to wonder if you really know your stuff.
So how does a business solve this problem and prevent errors from cropping up in their copy? There are automated tools available that can help, but they’re not infallible. For example, spell check won’t catch if you accidentally type exist instead of exit, or two instead of too. Word processing grammar checkers often introduce errors because the automated system misses nuance in writing. Automatic voice-to-text software can misinterpret speech and create some pretty spectacular errors (such as “drug sales” instead of “direct sales”).
The easiest way around this is to employ an editor or proofreader to check your copy before it goes live.
Editors are trained to watch for those pesky typos where one word is accidentally replaced with a similar (though incorrect) word. Editors are trained to catch easily misunderstood phrasing or references that may be too niche or jargony. And humans are much better suited to interpreting nuance!
Best of all, an editor can help your business maintain credibility, gain customer’s trust, and communicate clearly and consistently.
Copyediting Marketing Content
My initial aspiration when studying copyediting was to become a fiction and nonfiction book editor. That is mainly what I do in my freelance business. But in addition to my freelance work, I also work as a Marketing Communications Copyeditor.
You might think, “Editing is editing.”
And you’re right…but when the genre, format, and application of the writing changes, so does the editing.
Sure, I still use the same dictionary and adhere (partially) to the same style guide. But here are a few of the main differences I have noticed between editing fiction and creative nonfiction books and editing marketing copy:
The number of cooks in the kitchen.
Of course, I mean this metaphorically. When editing a fiction or creative nonfiction book, I generally work with a single author. Some books have multiple authors, but usually no more than two. Editing these types of manuscripts is more of a one-on-one relationship.
When editing marketing copy, there are a lot of eyes on the writing. The copy is written by the copywriter, then reviewed by many others within the company to make sure that the messaging is consistent, the facts are correct, the tone is right, and the purpose is adequately addressed. As the editor, I try to come in last to check for errors, make sure the copy matches the style guide, and offer suggestions to make the writing as clear and concise as possible.
Style choices are constantly in flux.
Yes, we have a house style guide that we adhere to, but the writers and I often make and record style decisions on the fly. Marketing copy is different from narrative copy. I frequently make decisions about which words should be capitalized in product names and headlines and how to style a fun play on words. Style choices are in flux because context is always in flux.
Nobody cares and everybody cares.
When editing a book, the author is extremely invested in it. A book is written over months and years (sometimes decades) and the writer is attached to it (rightly so). The copy written for marketing campaigns is often written quickly, disseminated quickly, and forgotten quickly. So when I say “Nobody cares,” what I mean is that, in the grand scheme of things, a comma splice or errant capital letter is not going to make a huge difference to any particular person. The writers are not emotionally invested in the writing (for the most part).
But when I say “Everybody cares,” I mean that everyone from the Project Manager to the Marketing Director to the Graphic Designer to the CEO is going to review this writing and feel it is a reflection of the company.
The copy needs to be great. It needs to be effective. It needs to be flawless.
It will also be gone by next week.
Of course, the favorite adage of the copyeditor—Consistency is Key—is just as applicable to marketing copy as it is to all other types of writing. When it comes down to it, the most important thing in editing is making things consistent. Consistency builds the reader’s trust, in an author or in a brand. And ultimately, it is the editor’s job to establish that consistency and maintain it.
Copyediting vs. Proofreading—What’s the Difference?
For writers who are just starting out, the publishing process can seem daunting! Knowing industry terms and procedures can empower you through the process.
Here is an illustration of the publishing process. Many of these steps can (and will) be repeated as needed.
First, create an outline or a rough draft. Consult a developmental editor to nail down big-picture details.
Second, complete a first draft.
Third, find someone to read your draft and give feedback—either on specific areas or the manuscript as a whole.
Fourth, edit and revise your first draft into your second draft.
Repeat steps three & four until you’re ready for professional editing!
Fifth, send your manuscript to a copyeditor.
Sixth, review the edits and revise. Repeat step five as needed.
Seventh, have your book designed.
Eighth, send your proofs to a proofreader.
Finally, after updating anything the proofreader catches, you are ready for printing!
Many people confuse or combine the tasks of copyediting and proofreading, but they are not the same. Read on to see the differences.
Copyediting
Copyediting comes right in the middle between drafting and printing. It is a crucial step that should not be skipped over.
By the time you’re ready for copyediting, your manuscript must be complete! Hopefully, you have gone through several drafts of your manuscript already. You’ve gotten feedback from a substantive (or developmental) editor, a writing group, and one or more critique partners. You’ve ironed out the wrinkles from the manuscript as best as you can, and the work is ready for new eyes.
Your copyeditor will take a very detailed approach to your manuscript. Of course, copyeditors are human and we all work in different ways, but ultimately, in the hands of a copyeditor, your manuscript will be read paragraph-by-paragraph, sentence-by-sentence, and word-by-word. Every punctuation mark will be scrutinized. Your word choices will be analyzed.
With the right copyeditor, you will feel like your work is under a microscope.
The First Pass
Your copyeditor will probably perform several passes over your writing. And they should be able to tell you how they will work before you sign a contract and hand over your manuscript.
I perform at least two full passes on every manuscript that crosses my desk. During the first pass, I am familiarizing myself with the full work and fixing any glaring issues as I encounter them (things like duplicate words, misplaced commas, misspellings, etc.).
During my first pass, I also highlight things I want to come back to in the following pass. Some elements I commonly flag are word choice, sentence structure, tense shifts, character specifics or setting details that don’t match, and timeline issues.
Remember, at this stage, I’m still getting acquainted with the story, so I don’t want to make any big changes at this point.
Watch the video to see a demonstration of what a first-pass copyedit looks like!
The Second Pass (and beyond)
Once I have read the entire manuscript, then I go back for a second, deeper pass. This second pass can get intense!
Not only will I be checking again for the same things I looked for in the first pass, but now I’ll be addressing bigger issues like plot, character, setting. I’ll be looking at sentence structure, flow and pacing. I’ll also be very meticulous about making sure the words you’re using are the most fitting words for the context.
While I do all that, I’ll also create a detailed style sheet (if you don’t have one already), a timeline for the story, and a character sheet.
This second pass takes the bulk of my time in a copyediting project, and hopefully you can see why!
Clean-Up
After the second pass through, I clean up the manuscript and finalize any comments I have left on it. This way, you can focus your revision time on things that need your approval—not every typo or comma.
Proofreading
Proofreading comes after copyediting, revision, and design/layout.
A proofreader looks at the pages of your book (on paper or digitally) as they will appear when printed. Because proofreading comes last, this stage is often only used to check for the most egregious errors that have slipped through.
Proofreaders check:
Typos and spelling errors.
Indentation
Page numbering
Punctuation
Formatting
Widows and orphans (keeping lines of text together on the same page)
The proofreader is the final set of eyes on your manuscript before printing (except you, the author, of course).
You Have Control
One important thing to note, especially in regard to self-publishing, is that the author gets the final word on what is printed in their book. Editors are there to make your writing the best it can be. They are not there to rewrite your book.
Ultimately, you can accept or reject any changes or suggestions that your copyeditor and proofreader make. Just know that they usually have your best interests in mind.
Tips for the Fiction Author - Prepare for Editing
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the success of your fiction writing. A good editor can help streamline the process, but your editor can’t do it all. Before you send your novel or short story to an editor, prepare the following items for your editor:
Character List
Make an alphabetical list of every character in your story. Include descriptions of the characters, relationships between the characters, and any background information that is relevant to your story. Your editor doesn’t need a full character sketch, but a basic description can help your editor catch inconsistencies throughout the manuscript. For example, if your fictional murderer has red hair, there had better be a good reason for the detective to find black hair at the crime scene.
What this might look like:
Alex: male, blonde, freckles, brother of Barb.
Barb: female, blonde, short, sister of Alex.
Chester: male, bald, bushy eyebrows, walks with a limp, angry neighbor of Alex and Barb.
Location List
If your manuscript involves more than a couple locations, it can be very helpful to give your editor a list of locations. This should include any setting description for the location, as well as distances and terrain between locations if that is relevant to the story. This could also include characteristics of the people who are found in the location, such as special accents, rituals, clothing, etc. For example, if your hero has to ride his bicycle to school, make sure the distance between the two places is feasible for a daily commute on a bike (don’t put his school at the top of a mountain 30 miles away).
What this might look like:
Alex & Barb’s house: yellow, two-story, at the north end of the street.
Chester’s house: brown, single story, south of Alex & Barb’s house.
Park: Across the street to the east of A, B, and C’s houses. Playground, soccer field.
Timeline
No matter the length of your manuscript, a timeline of events will help your editor check for consistency and flow. For a novel, break your timeline down by chapter. Indicate how much time has passed and the major event of each chapter. You can also track point-of-view shifts and the location of the action. For a short story, list major events in chronological order.
What this might look like:
Alex and Barb move into the neighborhood.
Barb joins the soccer team that plays in the park across the street.
Barb loses her soccer ball over Chester’s fence.
Research summary
This won’t apply to all manuscripts, but for those that have required research to write, be sure to offer your editor a summary of the research and a list of sources. For example, if you’ve researched that the bicycle was invented in 1817, make sure your hero could really have access to a bicycle in 1818 when the story takes place, then give your editor the evidence so that they don’t have to fact check it. Or if you’ve researched the topography of Mars for your science fiction novel, send your editor a list of facts and sources that are relevant to your story. Some facts are simple for an editor to check with a quick internet search. Others are not. Give your editor a head start and save them some time.
When in Doubt, Ask!
If you have any doubts about what items are useful for your editor to have, ask! A good editor is there to help your writing be the best it can be, and they should be communicative about what you can do to help the process along.
Editing Steps
One of the most important things I learned while completing a copyediting certificate was how to use checklists and work in a very methodical way. When you’ve readied your manuscript for editing and sent it my way, there are a series of basic steps I will follow for each project:
Save.
I copy all files so that I have a working file and an original file. I also advise authors to make sure they have a backup copy of everything before any changes are made.
Look.
Once I have all the files in order, I’ll glance through the entire document, familiarizing myself with it. I’ll look at any illustrations, charts, graphs, etc. so I know what to expect as I read. I’ll watch for any glaring problems, standardize fonts throughout, and find and replace all double spaces.
Read.
Before beginning any editing, I will read the manuscript. For a short document, I would read the entire text at this stage. For a sample edit of a larger work, I would read the portion meant to be edited. If I notice issues during this reading, I’ll simply make a note for myself and continue. No changes are made on the first reading.
Style.
A large part of copyediting is applying a consistent style to the text. In order to achieve this, editors create style sheets to record editorial decisions made on the manuscript. This sheet can include a list of characters or unique words, punctuation rules, word usage notes, details on how numbers are handled, citation examples, etc. I will pass this style sheet on to you when I return your edited manuscript.
Edit.
Now the fun begins. The first round of editing will generally look at the larger picture, then I narrow down as I work. So I begin with issues that affect the entire text (or the entire portion being edited for the sample). By the second round of edits, I’ll be looking at each punctuation mark, word, and sentence. Each of these things should work toward the whole.
Clean.
Before returning a manuscript to the author, I clean up the working file. This includes editing any queries to the author to make sure they’re clear and concise, removing anything the author doesn’t need to see, and running a final spell check. This helps ensure that I haven’t accidentally introduced any errors. After all, editors are human too!
There are a lot of variables when it comes to having your work edited, but finding an editor who is flexible and responsive is very important. Knowing how the process works can help an author and editor maintain a clear line of communication through it all.
Prepare Your Manuscript for Editing
As you prepare your manuscript for editing, there are a few things to keep in mind. As every manuscript is different, the need for these items will vary depending on the project.
Make copies of original sources for your editor to check. This should include anything that you would cite—both direct quotations and paraphrases. Be sure to include all the bibliographic information you have. Remember: it’s always better to cite the original source if you can! Your editor’s job is to make sure you’ve handled these items correctly so that you can avoid violating Fair Use Law. Your editor will also ensure that your reference sheet is complete and formatted consistently.
Procure permissions from outside sources. It’s important to play it safe and ask for permission before referencing someone else’s work. When in doubt about whether or not you need it, ask for permission! Most editors will include a clause in their contract indicating that it is the author’s responsibility to avoid plagiarism and get necessary permissions. Many things will qualify as “fair use,” and can be used without written permission, but there are several factors that come into play in determining what qualifies. You can find more information about Fair Use Law on the U.S. Copyright Office website.
Create a style sheet, glossary, or timeline for your editor. Most editors work with a style sheet. This is a document the editor uses to keep track of all editorial decisions made during the edit. An author can start their own style sheet, glossary, or timeline to pass on to the editor to speed up the process. A style sheet can include any editorial decisions you’ve already made, such as unique spellings, colloquialisms used, and stylistic preferences. Make sure any glossary or spelling list is organized alphabetically. This can be especially helpful in memoirs, personal histories, and fiction, where there will often be personal names used and place names referenced. A timeline should include any dates referenced within the text in chronological order. Include a brief description of relevant information for each date. If the author can provide this information in advance, the editor won’t have to spend time fact-checking each one.
Save a copy of everything. Your editor will probably do the same. Make sure you have a copy of all your original material in a safe place. If something should go wrong, you will be glad to have a backup!
What I’m Working On
To give you an idea of the types of projects I can help you with, here are some projects I’ve worked on this year:
Transcribing an oral history. I’m currently doing this project for a family member who spent years of visits to relatives recording stories and conversations. She has typed up summaries of the recordings, but now I’m doing a near-verbatim transcription. This will enable various family members to have better access to the information they need to complete personal and family history projects, as well as helping the younger generations get to know the elders better. This has been a fun project to work on as I know these people personally. It has required some effort getting accustomed to accents, but it has been well worth it!
Copyediting a welcome book for a rental house. This project was a great, short project. This client had written a welcome book for her second home in Hawaii in preparation of having visitors stay unaccompanied. This booklet contained information on caring for the house and yard, finding resources in the local community, and basic requests for those who visit. I was able to help this client maintain consistency throughout the document, look for missing items that a potential visitor might like to know more about, and cleaning up typos and punctuation. Now I need to visit Hawaii.
Editing a 300-page personal history. I spent several months doing a full, comprehensive edit on a personal history. This edit was extensive, including several full passes, streamlining the formatting, as well as all the usual copyediting tasks. This manuscript consisted of journal entries, letters, and commentary. Much of the text was written by the subject of the history with gaps filled by her children. It was a challenging project to nail down formatting for all these different voices within the text.
As you can see, I work with a variety of materials in my editing and transcription work. I love being in a position to help people take what they have and make it better. Contact me today to get started with your project.
I’m offering discounted rates for projects booked during October and November 2020!