Copy Editing – Check For Content As Well As Style

An author writes an article, book or screenplay. Before publishing it must go through a series of editing. The editing process is often the most painful part of writing for many authors. Someone else goes through their masterpiece and in effect turns it upside down and inside out. Although their experience in editing is invaluable to a published author, it is a delicate relationship.
Copy editors work line by line through a finished manuscript. Copy editors are mostly concerned with correcting sentences that are already written. There are five areas that copy editors particularly look at:
Needless words
Words in the wrong order
Unbalanced sentence elements
Imprecise relationships between subjects and verbs
Inappropriate punctuation
The copy editor has many varied responsibilities. There is much beyond the mechanical accuracy of spelling, punctuation and grammar. They are also responsible for the stylistic consistency of the writing.
The copy editor also checks that the work is concise, clear and engaging. Editing for content is a very subjective part of the editor’s duties. It is probably the most difficult talent to develop. The editor is a voracious reader. Frequent reading and analysis of fiction and non-fiction on a daily basis can help the editor recognize high-quality content.
There is often confusion between the terms copy editing and content editing. Many times the terms get used interchangeably. In fact they are two different things. While they are both editing the difference is significant. The current trend is leaning towards combining copy editing and content editing.
What value is there in a copy written in perfect English, if the content isn’t right? Content editing checks for factual errors, inconsistencies and contradictions. The plot’s character or dialog needs to well-integrated into the story.
The author, with the help of content editor, re-writes parts that need change. Once the editor is satisfied the text will grab the reader’s attention, it is time for copy editing. Often the same person does both the content editing and copy editing.
The resources cited and the footnotes much match up. The editor checks that all the links are relevant and correct. The time period and the details, events, available appliances, automobiles and history must match the time period written about. For example a story set in the 1800’s cannot have the heroine talking on a cell phone. The content editor checks for inconsistencies such as these.
The thoroughness of the editor often saves the authors reputation and expertise by finding errors and allowing the author to make corrections before publishing.