The Fundamentals of Editing

You write the final sentences, read the article one last time and think, "Whew! Finished."

Not quite. When the writing is done, the editing begins. Editors guide the manuscript to publication, performing several different types of edits along the way.

The Content Edit
The first editor reads a manuscript for overall completeness, clarity, creativity, logic, flow, structure and tone. ("Manuscript" refers to a document that has not yet been published; "article" is a published piece.) This is called a content, substantive or developmental edit. If the editor's changes are extensive, he or she might have the writer rewrite sections.

The Copy Edit
When the content edit is complete, the manuscript heads to the copy editor, the arbiter of grammar and punctuation. This is where debates over dashes, commas and subject/verb agreement are ironed out. (The copy editor knows when to use a semicolon; most of us don't.) The copy editor also ensures that print or electronic communications adhere to the style guide—a reference of preferred punctuation, terminology and word usage. The two most common style manuals are The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual of Style. Your publication probably will use one or the other, as well as a customized list of your company's own style preferences.

The Production Edit
After the designer places the manuscript's text into a design template, another editor performs a production edit. This editor tweaks the text so the story fits into the available space and reads easily and cleanly. He or she also writes headlines and captions. Some elements the editor looks at are:

• Headline: Does it appropriately convey the meaning of the story?
• Subheads: Do they fit on one line?
• Text flow: Does the text reach the bottom of each column? Or is there too much text, requiring cutting?
• Widows: Are there any incomplete lines sitting alone at the top of a column?
• Orphans: Are there any single words sitting alone on a line?

Sometimes writers are frustrated by the editing process. No one likes to have words s/he has labored over changed. But editing is necessary to make sure that a story reads well and fits in properly with the entire publication. Even the most talented writers always have a second eye looking over their material and are subject to being edited.