Editing is the first stage in the process of publishing a book. There are two main types of editing: structural editing and copy-editing. Both these elements will be organised by the publisher.

Structural editing involves looking at how the book works as a whole. It concentrates on the way the book is put together. In fiction this can involve looking at the plot, the characters (and how they develop) and the development of time and place. In non-fiction this can involve looking at how chapters are developed, the order in which material is presented and how the argument is developed.

Copy-editing concentrates more on the language of the book. This most obviously involves grammar, punctuation and spelling but also involves things such as writing style, concentrating on descriptions and the realism of dialogue and, perhaps most importantly, the clarity of the language used. It is often during the editorial process that questions are asked about the material to ensure that the reader will not be confused by anything that is discussed. During the copy-editing stage, the editor will also check factual information (that names, dates, etc. are correct) and also check for inconsistencies within the text.

There is also an element of rewriting within the editorial process where the editor will make suggestions to the author to bring clarity to the work.

Although most people think of editing in relation to book publishing, all other material needs to go through this process too, including catalogues, marketing leaflets and other promotional material, websites, and reports – in fact any material published needs to be edited.

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Typesetting involves using specialist software to convert a manuscript from a Word document to one that shows exactly how the book will appear when it is printed. There are two main software packages that are used in the publishing industry: QuarkXPress is the most common though PageMaker is also used.

Before a book can be typeset, things such as the format (size) of the book, the size of the margins, type and size of font, and the size of the leading (space between the lines of a book) have to be agreed. What is agreed upon will depend on many things: the type of book, the market and reader the book is aimed at, whether or not there are any diagrams or other illustrations, etc. For example, a mass-market fiction book will have a very different layout and size to a piece of literary fiction. Very often in deciding on the layout, mainly in non-fiction books, a publisher may employ a designer to make sure the best layout is used.

When a book has been typeset it can then be proofread. When the proofread is finished, the typesetter will incorporate the changes that the proofreader has indicated. When this process is finished, the typesetter will prepare the typeset files for the printer. It is these files that are used to print the book.

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By the time a project is ready to be proofread, the main editorial issues (relating to plot and character development, clarity of language, etc.) should be completed and all parties (author, publisher and any agent) should be happy with the work. When a book has been typeset, it is very difficult and very costly to make major changes to the text.

Proofreading concentrates mainly on how the book looks on the page. This is more important in non-fiction books that may include diagrams, different levels of headings and images, etc. A proofreader will look for things such as bad word breaks at the end of a line, consistency of layout (do paragraphs have the same indent, etc.), use of italics and the prelim pages (the pages at the beginning of the book before the text proper begins).

Although it is not the purpose of proofreading, a proofreader will often find spelling and punctuation errors. The proofread is an important final read through of the book to ensure it is ready for publication.

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The purpose of a reader’s report is to look at all elements of the manuscript and give constructive feedback on the work. In fiction this includes the plot, character development, realism of dialogue, and portrayal of time and place as well as the writing style, pace of the story, and the flow of the language.

In non-fiction, publishers will often ask specialists in the area to give feedback on whether or not the suggested contents of the book are enough to cover the topic adequately. This will be in addition to looking at the writing style and the clarity of the argument that is proposed.

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