Copyediting
The finish line is looking MUCH closer now! My manuscript has now been switched over from UK English to American English, and I’m now in the copyediting stage. They have also formatted my manuscript, so it’s electronically styled in preparation for design/typesetting.
What’s the Copyediting Stage?
A copyeditor—who is not my main editor—reviews the manuscript and standardizes the format, as well as fixes any typos or grammatical errors that might have been missed. They look at capitalization standards, punctuation, titles, and so on.
The copyeditor also created a style sheet that included character names and descriptions, monsters, places, magical terms, etc., to ensure consistency throughout the book.
How Long Does Copyediting Take?
The standard for my publisher (DAW) is about two weeks, though they’re flexible on the changes. I don’t think it will take me quite that long, as they’re pretty straightforward.
What Are the Highlights So Far?
One of the best things is seeing another person read the book and comment when jokes made them laugh out loud! It’s always edifying to know I’m not the only one who thinks my characters are funny.
The other highlight is seeing that there are still typos in the manuscript after going through it SO MANY TIMES. It’s honestly impressive haha. My favourite might be “Shria’s face had gone the color of an overripe plumb”. That went through about five different edits without getting caught.
What Comes Next?
Once I send back my copyedits, the manuscript will go to a compositor for typesetting. I’ll then be able to review the page proofs after that.
So:
Copyediting
Compositor for typesetting
Review page proofs
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