DROPPED CATCHES - THE ART OF COPYEDITING

Our Quick Guide on copyediting

We all sometimes drop easy catches.

Copy-editing is the process of going through a manuscript line by line, and eliminating these errors - spelling mistakes, typos, poor punctuation, etc. Proof-reading is another term for the same thing.

Most first time writers will NOT need to pay for copy-editing - a few dropped catches don't matter. Structural editing (getting plot, characters, and prose right) is generally much more important.

Does your work need copy-editing? Our quick guide tells you everything you need to know.

What is copy-editing?

Copy editing involves correcting your manuscript to eliminate errors. This may include spelling mistakes, punctuation & grammatical errors, typos, and inconsistencies. If your first language is not English, then a good copy-editor can ensure that your text looks and sounds right to a native speaker. Copy-editing does not involve raising issues to do with the story itself - your plot, characterisation, dialogue, pacing, marketability, etc.

In short copy-editing will guarantee you a 'clean' text, but not necessarily a good story!

Do I need to get my book copy-edited?

Probably not.

If your work is bought by a commercial publisher, then the publisher will be responsible for copy-editing your work to a high standard - and at their own expense. Copy-editing isn't particularly cheap, and there's usually no reason for authors to undertake this work themselves. But there are exceptions. Two of the most common are:

• My book is going to be self-published.

Some self-publishing companies offer this as part of the package. Others don't. If yours doesn't, and you want the job done properly, then do by all means come to us for cost-effective copy-editing. Our copyeditors are also published authors of quality, so you'll be buying some stunningly well-qualified help.

• I am a non-native English speaker and/or my spelling/grammar is poor.

Agents read a lot of work. If they find a manuscript which is hard to read because of poor presentation, the chances are that they will reject it immediately, without reading more than the first page or so. This is a brutal approach - but agents get 100s of manuscripts every month and can't possibly read each one.

I don't know if I should get my work edited or copy-edited first.

If in doubt, always come to us for regular editing first. (See our pages on fiction, non-fiction, children's, film & TV, and poetry).

If your basic story isn't up to scratch - a weak plot, cardboard characters, etc - then no amount of correcting typos will make the difference. It's essential to get the basic structure right before starting work on the more cosmetic issues. Also, one of our regular editors will be able to tell you if your work is let down by poor presentation. If it is, they'll alert you to the major presentational issues so you can make the corrections yourself.

What do you charge for copy-editing?

Unlike regular editing, we can't quote prices up front. If your manuscript is in fairly good shape, the work will be pretty quick (and therefore cheap). If your manuscript needs more work, it will take longer and be more pricey. If you want to get a quote, please send us your manuscript by email, and we'll be straight back to you with a price. On the whole, you'll find our rates are much cheaper than those advertised elsewhere on the web.

How do we arrange payment, if I accept your quote?

Easy. You simply post us a cheque, payable to the Writers' Workshop. Our address is:

The Writers' Workshop
7 Market Street

Charlbury

Oxfordshire OX7 3PH

Alternatively, we can take payment by Visa / Mastercard. Please just call us on 0845 459 9560 to arrange card payment.