By Lucille Lamb


The main work provided by a copy editing service is preparation of pieces of texts that are meant for publication. This they do by checking the manuscript of the author. This manuscript is what is referred to as the copy. Most editors normally work on books. However, they may also edit text for brochures and even articles that are meant to be published in a journal.

Some of the functions of these service providers include correcting errors that touch on grammar, spelling and punctuation. Another thing is to ensure that the house styles are adhered to. They also ensure that meaning conveyed by words in a text are clear. References too must be corrected to ensure that they have been quoted correctly. Pictures are also checked to ensure that they have the right captions.

Authors may compose their text without knowing that it has legal significance. This is also the work of copyeditors. They have to ensure that the copy does not have legal issues that can lead to the publishing firm being sued. These issues include defamation and libel, breach of copyright and also partiality. If a work containing libelous contents or other forms of legal matter is published, the publisher will be sued. They will them be faced to pay a lot of money in damages.

Copyediting basically deals with correcting mistakes in a text. You may think that if you are very good in English, you do not need the services of a copy editor. This is not true. Good writers know that they have to revise their work after they have written the original work.

However, it is not possible to capture every mistake in the text. This is because, when they are reading, their minds normally read what they thought they wrote and not necessarily what is in the paper. For someone who did not write the text, he or she will be more efficient since he or she is a stranger to the text. Also, the copyeditor would not possess emotional feeling to the manuscript, so he will approach it with an open mind.

For one to become a copyeditor, they have to obtain a degree which should then be supported by publishing experience. There are several universities and colleges that offer these degrees. For specialized editing, you must study that specific discipline. To work in scientific publishing firm for instance, you must have a science degree.

Professional copyeditors know the sort of mistakes that most people make, so they will be looking exactly for these. Given that they are seeing your document for the first time, they are able to bring sharp and fresh perspective. They are able to analyze each word, phrase or sentence. The end result is that they catch mistakes that you missed, and analyze the work for clarity, flow, conciseness and style.

If you plan of going into freelance job, the contacts will be very useful for you. If you land at a firm that offers on-job training, it can be very good as this helps you improve your copy editing service. This will really help you in your freelance editing.




About the Author: