How Copy Editors Tailor Their Work to Different Genres
A book’s author is the one to put ideas to paper; copy editors are the ones who fine tune it. Without a thorough copy editing process, books would be published with errors and typos from the first page. Even the most acclaimed and highly esteemed writers would never publish a first draft.
Editors of all levels are necessary to make sure every book is ready for publication. There are typically two kinds of editors in the publishing world: general and copy editors. General editors are more focused on guiding the creative process of book writing. They mostly offer suggestions to the author about the content of the book.
Copy editors are there for proofreading, checking that the book is written without significant grammatical or stylistic errors. Instead of looking at the content of the book, copy editors look at how the book is written. An author can have a great idea, but if it is sloppily written, it will not be successful. Good copy editing is invisible; the reader should never be distracted by grammatical errors or typos.
As with every part of the publishing process, copy editors must across a wide array of genres. Namely, fiction and non-fiction books have unique considerations to take into account during the editing process. Much of the actual work is the same, but the copy editor’s approach can be slightly different.
This article will break down the differences in copy editing fiction and non-fiction books. While most readers and authors are not copy editors, understanding their methods smoothens the publishing process.
Understanding the Book
The most important thing for any copy editor to do is to understand the book they are editing. While it is helpful to understand the book’s content, this mostly means comprehending the book’s genre, tone, and intended audience. Each copy editing assignment should be tailored to the book being edited. Appropriately copy editing a book contributes to its future success and readership. It is difficult to market a book riddled with mistakes.
This distinction can often be broken down to fiction and non-fiction books. Each requires slight modification to how one copy edits.
For non-fiction books, the subjects are often more serious and based in facts. There are lighthearted non-fiction books, but if the content is fact based, the text should be treated with care. Non-fiction book genres run the gamut from self-help to spiritual guides to memoirs and beyond. Copy editors should never suggest changes to the meaning of accurate non-fiction books. This could lose the spirit of the text. Therefore, a copy editor may be more limited to strict grammatical checks in their review process for a non-fiction book
For fiction books, the copy editor may have more room for creative input. While not as involved as a general editor, a copy editor can often suggest slightly more substantial changes. This should never change the content of the book from the author’s intention. Fiction covers almost every genre under the sun.
Each specific fiction genre has its own considerations. It is a copy editor’s responsibility to make sure their work is appropriate for the genre. In doing so, they should look at the book’s tones and themes to tailor their editing. The number one priority is making the book accessible to its intended audience.
Reacting to the Characters and Dialogue
Nearly all books, even non-fiction ones, have characters. In this context, a character is just who is being written about in the book, whether real or imagined. Copy editors should always be respectful to the author’s intention with their characters.
For non-fiction, the characters are likely to be real people, or inspired by real people. As such, there is less wiggle room for changing their characterization or dialogue. If someone said something in real life, that cannot be changed. A copy editor’s work here will be focused strictly on grammatical concerns.
For fiction books, a copy editor can have more of an active role. Sometimes, a copy editor can suggest alterations to the text to make dialogue flow smoother. Or, they can suggest minor thematic adjustments to ensure consistency. All work must be in conjunction with the author to ensure the author’s intent is never lost, just clarified.
Working Across Genres
No matter the genre, copy editors have a similar task. The ultimate goal is to make the book as readable and error-free as possible. This is the industry norm that all professional copy editors understand. This includes checking for grammatical errors, typos, misspellings, and formatting and style inconsistencies. Authors can purposely deviate from these norms, and the copy editors should be in the loop. Consistency is the key.
With Cloverly Children’s, our team of professional copy editors will thoroughly review your book from start to finish. We adhere closely to the Chicago Manual of Style, the industry norm. We never use artificial intelligence to review your book because we understand the importance of the human touch. You worked hard writing your book, and we want to make it the best version it can be.
