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SHORT HOW-TO ARTICLES AND GUIDES Working with Editors Made Easy Copyediting Symbols: A Guide to Proofreaders' and Editors' Marks |
Copyright
Basics One of the most common questions we’re asked is what authors must do to protect their work. Each
of us is protected the moment we set pen or pencil to paper, or
fingers to keyboard. In other words, any time we write anything
— from literature to laundry lists — our work is legally
protected. To
secure a further degree of protection, we must simply affix a proper
copyright notice to the work. A proper notice has three parts: 1)
the word copyright and/or the copyright symbol, 2) the date the
work was first published or fixed in permanent form, and 3) the
copyright holder’s name. Refer to the copyright notice at the
top of this article to see one legal form. Generally,
copyright notices appear on the first page of the work. I always
advise my clients to affix the notice on every page only if the
work will be distributed unbound, but there’s no penalty for
over-notifying readers of your copyright. To afford even more protection, you can file a copy of your work with the Library of Congress, accompanied by the government Form TX. It’s not as ugly as it sounds; get a copy of your own online at www.copyright.gov/forms/formtxi.pdf
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Working
with Editors Made Easy This
article originally appeared in a National Park Service newsletter. She
called us at 4:30 on Friday afternoon, frantic for some assistance.
Her author had finally sent in the manuscript. One slight problem:
in the rush to get the book to press, the Navajo were consistently
referred to as "the Indians," potsherds had become "pot
shards," and there were numerous grammatical errors and typos.
Could we send corrected copy by Tuesday? If
you’ve ever participated in any aspect of the publication process
— as a project manager, writer, or in some other capacity —
or just been an innocent bystander, this scenario is probably all
too familiar. Yet
experienced publications managers know you must plan ahead for the
services of an editor; after all, errors are a natural by-product
of the creative process. You’ve probably seen typos that even
made it to print, much to the horror of the editor and the distraction
or amusement of readers. Good editing, however, is so much more
than hunting down the elusive typo and hacking up sentences. It
can range from creative input at the earliest stages of development,
such as collaborative conceptualization or research, to putting
the finishing touches on a completed manuscript. The latter includes
such services as reorganizing, clarifying, and tightening the text;
conforming the manuscript to specifications; cross-checking references;
and obtaining permissions. Clearly,
there are many possible points of entry for an experienced editor.
In general, to get the best results, think of the editor as a valuable
resource for specific (detailed corrections on the mechanics of
writing) and general (broad assistance with concept, organization,
or style) feedback to help you keep the project on track and express
the author’s intended message as effectively as possible. At
this point you’re probably wondering what an editor costs and
how much time to allot for editing in your production schedule.
Working arrangements and fee structures are as varied as the individuals
involved, so it depends on what works best for you and your freelancer.
However, you can estimate that professional services will range
from $20–$75 per hour, depending on the level of editing required
and your editor’s experience. As
far as timing is concerned, a good rule of thumb is to allow for
a maximum of seven hours of editing per day — ideally five
— to ensure the sharpest level of clarity. (To determine how
many days your project will require, please refer to the chart.)
You’ll also need to consider whether the editor is working
on projects besides yours; while a manuscript may demand only 30
hours of editing, you may need to allow two to three weeks for completion
if your editor is in high demand. Perhaps the most important thing to remember about working with an editor is that it’s your job to clearly articulate what you want and his or her job to make sure you get it. As with any relationship, what makes or breaks an editorial alliance is communication: between you and the editor, between the editor and the author and, most important, between the author and the reader.
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Copyediting
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Self-Publishing
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