Hello everyone!
Today, I’m answering another one of those questions I’m asked most often: “What exactly does an editor do, anyway?” The short answer (borrowed from one of my wonderful copyediting certificate program professors) is that it is the job of editors to infuse any written work with consistency, clarity, and elegance. We make sure that everything within a manuscript is consistent, from usage of commas, to spellings, to characters’ descriptions, to major themes. We make sure that the content is clear for readers, smoothing out any sections where the wording has the potential to lead to misunderstandings. And finally, we make sure that the language is elegant, that it both looks and sounds as pleasing as possible without altering the author’s voice or purpose in the writing.
That’s the answer in a nutshell, but the actual process of bringing those three elements to a manuscript is a bit more complicated and varies depending on the type of work an editor is hired to do. Every type of editing, however, involves at least two (and often more) very careful and detailed readings of a written work. It’s not like reading a book for pleasure, though it can indeed be quite an enjoyable process; it’s not even just checking to make sure things are spelled or punctuated according to the “rules,” though that is part of it. It is a meticulous consideration of every word and every punctuation mark to ensure that they are the words and marks best suited to convey the author’s meaning consistently, clearly, and elegantly. When the task is done right, an editor will be able to justify each and every element of the text, whether a suggested alteration or the author’s original work left as is.
And that is what an editor does! Hopefully that helps solve some of the mystery in an admittedly nebulous profession. Up next time, I’ll discuss what the editing process involves. Until then!