Are you beginning the editing process of a manuscript? Or maybe you’re thinking about getting your manuscript professionally edited, but you don’t entirely know what that entails. What does the process look like? How is your work evaluated, refined, and prepared for publication? At Christian Editing & Design (CED), every manuscript goes through a structured process while still being tailored to the unique needs of each author. In this post, we will answer your questions by taking you inside the process through a question-and-answer with CED’s project manager.
Getting Started
Before any edits are made, time is spent reviewing the manuscript and connecting with the author to understand their needs, goals, and expectations.
Question: When a new manuscript comes in, what are the very first steps you take?
Answer: “I review any notes I have about the client based on information Rachel (an owner of CED) has sent me. Then I read through the manuscript and take notes about what it does well, what kinds of errors I find, how much editing it needs, and what CED editors would be a good fit based on their specialties and availability.”
Question: What kinds of questions do you ask authors during the initial phase?
Answer: “I always make sure to ask whether an author is familiar with and comfortable using the Track Changes and Comment features in Microsoft Word. If not, I have a short tutorial video I can send them. Those features are crucial for a smooth editing process. We want our authors to be able to review and approve or reject any changes our editors make using Track Changes, and in turn, we want our editors to easily be able to see any and all changes an author makes based on our feedback. Our editors use the Comment feature to ask questions tied to a particular paragraph, sentence, or even word; it’s much easier for an author to find exactly what an editor is talking about if it’s in a comment on the manuscript itself rather than in an email.
“I also want to make sure I know if an author has any goal dates for finishing certain stages of a project or, conversely, any times an author may be busy or unavailable. That way I can ensure that the project moves forward smoothly while keeping an author’s schedule and our team’s availability and workload in mind.”
The Editing Process
Once the initial details are in place, the focus shifts to the editing process. While many manuscripts follow a general structure, each one is carefully evaluated to determine the level of editing it truly needs.
Question: What are the main stages of editing a manuscript at CED? And what are some examples of manuscripts that don’t follow the normal structure of editing?
Answer: “I almost always recommend a comprehensive edit, which involves the following:
– 1 round of content editing
– 2 rounds of line editing
– 1 round of pre-formatting proofreading
– 1 round of post-formatting proofreading
“If a manuscript seems to be well-organized and well-developed but still has a lot of Scripture that we’ll need to check or quotes that need sources, for example, I might recommend 2 rounds of a combination of content & line editing and then our usual pre- and post-formatting proofreading. Occasionally, if a manuscript has already been thoroughly edited before coming to us and I can see that it just needs to be checked for consistency, spelling, and punctuation, I’ll recommend pre- and post-formatting proofreading only.”
Feedback and Revisions
After the editing process begins, authors begin the collaborative process of feedback and revisions with the editing team. This gives authors the opportunity to stay actively involved as their work is refined.
Question: What can authors expect in terms of feedback and revisions?
Answer: “The first round of editing is always the heaviest. An author shouldn’t be afraid of a lot of mark-ups on a document! That does not indicate that an author is a poor writer. Our goal is to make a manuscript the best it can possibly be, and that means it’s our job, not the author’s, to know all the ins and outs of writing rules.
“Like I said, our authors have the chance to review all revisions and comments thanks to Track Changes and comments in Microsoft Word. We want our authors to ask questions, and if they don’t like a certain change, that’s okay! Our editors will explain why they made a certain change, but ultimately, we will honor an author’s preference. We want to help you tell your story the way you want to tell it.”
Beyond The Editing Process
Once the editing stage is complete, the manuscript begins its transition to being publication-ready. But at CED, the process doesn’t stop with editing! Other key services can play a role, like design, formatting, and marketing.
Question: What other services might a manuscript go through besides editing? And at what point do those services typically come into play?
Answer: “Unless we’re waiting for photos or graphics from the author, a cover designer can get started on the front cover right away. The back cover can be completed after an author’s bio and book description are written, edited, and proofread.
“Because of the way formatting programs work, it’s crucial that all of a book’s text is finalized, edited, and proofread before formatting occurs. Once—and only once—an author has approved the final proofreading corrections, formatting begins. That’s when a manuscript goes from looking like a Word Doc to looking like a book!
“Our marketing team typically comes in when a book is finished or close to publication. However, they can talk with an author at any point in the process about what kind of marketing an author would like to pursue and begin thinking about what will be best for the book.”
Question: What’s one thing you wish every author knew before starting the process?
Answer: “All material that’s quoted, paraphrased, or taken in some way from another source needs to be cited! Endnotes, footnotes, and parenthetical references don’t need to be written perfectly; they just need to exist! We’ll make sure they’re correct, but it saves us and them a lot of time (and some money) if authors keep track of their sources.”
Conclusion
Bringing a manuscript through CED is a step-by-step process that balances structured framework with flexibility to meet the author’s needs. From the very beginning, time is taken to carefully review each manuscript and ensure it’s paired with the right editor and team. Whether a manuscript has a full comprehensive edit or a more tailored combination of services, feedback and revisions remain a collaborative effort, allowing authors to stay engaged with their editing team and guarantee their work is heading in the right direction. Even beyond editing, CED offers services such as design, formatting, and marketing to carry the manuscript all the way to publication. If you’re working on a manuscript and ready to take the next steps, reach out to CED today. Our team would love to be a part of your publication journey!