Manuscript assessment

When you first approach an editor you may not know how much work your manuscript needs. In this case it might be a good idea to get a manuscript assessment. A manuscript assessment provides you with a starting point. It may answer some of your questions about what needs to be done next. ‘Am I ready to send this to a publisher?’ ‘How many more drafts should I do?’ are the sorts of questions that can be answered by a good editor providing a manuscript assessment.

Once your manuscript has been assessed you will receive a five to seven page document outlining an approach toward improving your manuscript. Prices for manuscript assessment depend on the quality and size of the manuscript.

Structural editing

When an editor receives a manuscript for publication one of the first things they may do is read the manuscript and make sure all the events make sense in the context of the book. This is called structural editing. Sometimes events will need to be moved to more logical positions. At other times themes may be strengthened or tension may be added to the manuscript if it is structured in a different manner. A good structural editor may be helpful in that they may be able to see a solution where an author who is very close to a work may not. Prices for structural editing depend on the quality and size of the manuscript.

Copy editing

Copy editing is a detailed examination of your work. When an editor copy edits your work they check for mistakes in grammar, correct timelines, consistency in characterisations and consistency of voice. This is a complex process and usually takes place when a book has been through many drafts. Prices for copy editing depend on the quality and size of the manuscript.

Proofreading

Proofreading is checking a manuscript for mistakes one final time. Often a book is proofread after copy editing and before it goes to press. This is usually a much quicker edit than a copy edit.

Proofreading can also mean comparing one copy of a manuscript to another. When corrections are made to a manuscript by the typesetter the editor will often check that those corrections have been taken in correctly. Prices for proofreading depend on the quality and size of the manuscript.