What does an academic (human) editor do?

The context

It became clear in a recent chat with my edibuddy (GG) that, despite our weekly catch-ups, we still didn’t know exactly how the other worked. As an academic editor, I work on papers, reports, case studies, and books; and GG works with traditional publishers – occasionally indie authors and hybrid publishers – on (mostly) non-fiction books.

The misconceptions

It’s easy to make assumptions about the editing process, as if there were a universal approach. And of course some people think our job is really simple – even glamorous: that we glide through a book correcting the odd typo while sipping cocktails and soaking up the sun in our destination of choice.

The reality

The reality – and the diversity of editing methods – tell a different story.

First up, for example, many editors take in corrections, while others raise queries for the author to resolve (common in academia, which loves a deadline). Second, I do a minimum of two read-throughs (which others might call rounds or passes), while other editors do one thorough read-through (a copy-edit or proofread). And finally, many editors create separate style sheets, whereas I tend to build mine into the Word file or PDF (in a – very long – comment box).

These are just three differences, which became apparent in the Amanda–GG edichats.

My ten-step process

In light of this information abyss, I’m going to detail how I edit a standard academic Word file using Track Changes – for any clients, edifriends, or word-shapers who might be interested:

1.        Absorb the style guide, brief, and any links to the target journal or publication.

2.        Select text, choose target language (e.g. UK or US English), uncheck ‘Do not check spelling or grammar’, run ‘Spelling & Grammar’, then run PerfectIt.

3.        Zoom out (e.g. 150%), check heading hierarchy, tables, and figures, amend any obvious issues, or flag up as queries, and get acquainted with the document.

4.        Zoom in (e.g. 200%) and start the first read-through, which is usually a copy-edit, addressing syntax, grammar, formatting, consistency, and jargon (removal of), checking key facts or obvious issues, and creating author queries (in comment boxes in the Word file). This is done in All Markup view.

5.        At this stage, or during the first pass, I may email the client with any global queries that need resolving before the second read-through.

6.        For the second pass – the proofread – I switch to Simple Markup, ensuring that no issues remain, everything reads as smoothly as possible, and I haven’t introduced any errors in the copy-edit.

7.        After the two passes, I run the spellcheck and PerfectIt again, time and document size permitting. Then I zoom out, again, to revisit the bigger picture, including table/figure numbering, justification, and paragraph and line spacing.

8.        This is also the time to check the Contents list against the body text, making sure the wording and numbering match. Doing this at the end means I am already familiar with the document’s structure and content.  

9.        And if a client wants their references and citations checked and cross-referenced, this is a good time to do it.

10.  Finally, I zoom out to around 100% and scroll through the entire file to see if anything else jumps out at me. You’d be surprised how often it does.

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Whether you’re working on a blog post, a business report or an academic paper, small details like punctuation and word choice can make a big difference to your writing. If you found this post helpful, you’ll find more practical tips on grammar, punctuation, and writing in my other blogs. Or get in touch if you need professional support.