A Day In The Life Of An Editor

Coffee. All the coffee.

But in all seriousness, editors need a clear head to start their day. Editing takes a lot of concentration.

Each editor will work differently, but the basic skills remain. Many prefer to work on a hardcopy manuscript and then return to the computer to create a final document version.

Editors will do a full read of the story without making changes. This gives them the basic story structure, knowledge of the characters, and an understanding of what it would be like to read this book as a reader.

Following the first read, the editor will make general notes on the characters, storyline, structure, tone, voice, and any areas where restructuring would be helpful or elements missing from the story.

The editor may go back to the reader for clarification on some points. If an editor sends you an email, try to respond quickly so they can continue the editing process.

During a second read-through, the editor will mark out areas for improvement, cross out unnecessary words, note where sections need to be added, deleted, or moved, and check for structural integrity.

At this point, the editor will have a break away from the manuscript. Editors may have a couple of manuscripts on which they are working. Taking a mental break from the manuscript is essential as it enables the editor to pick up more errors or areas of improvement when they return to the document fresh.

A final edit may be done on the computer, highlighting all suggested changes and errors, and providing notes to the author on structural issues, problems with tone or voice, or concerns about consistency.

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