Book editors have a a course in miracles for one of the most significant steps in the book publishing. They analyze a manuscript and turn the same into a polished product after requisite corrections, which can then be printed. This may sound simple, but is very demanding on the part of Book Editor, as he has to take care of several aspects of the book editing which goes into the making of a market ready book.
When we talk about the role of book editor, we are referring to his work of copy editing or checking the manuscript for the punctuation, grammatical or spelling mistakes. Copy editors also check for the section of the books that are in conflict. They make sure that a character that had green eyes with brown hairs on page 30 still has green eyes with the brown hairs on page 223. Their contribution directly leads to reader’s enjoyment of the finished product, which is book. Copy editing process takes care of the book’s flow, checking proper word usage and making the manuscript interesting.
A book editor is also involved in some more technical aspects for preparing a book before it is ready for the printing. If the situation so demands, editor may be required to cross check facts in the entire book for the accuracy. Book editor is also responsible for compiling together the index which is found at the back of most non fiction books, which makes it easier for book readers to find the information they may be looking for in the book. Editor actively involves himself in the page designing, selecting fonts, size and finalizing the positions of any illustration or images in the book.
Another important task performed by the book editors is the permissions editing. In this the editor notes any place in the book where author has made use of some other author’s work, like say a part of poem, article or an illustration, and then using due procedures of taking the requisite permission to use such work in the book. Technical editing is used in preparing the how-to books, and it ensures that reader of book will have clear concept of the topic discussed and will have every information he needs to execute the task. Technical editor ensures that instructions presented in the books are written in reader friendly way and may also involve enhancement in book layout and design.
There is lot of planning and teamwork that goes into the conversion of a fresh manuscript into a market ready book. Depending upon the complication and depth of the book, several editors or even editing teams may work to bring out the desired book. A short story book may need just one editor to work upon, while a complex university textbook may need several editing teams to work upon. There is such a setup in publishing industry that book editors work in close proximity with book’s authors. The process is cumbersome, lengthy and stressful, but after the entire grueling, author has a thoroughly refined book which is now ready for printing.
