This is our second installment of our “Journey of a Book” series. Last time we heard from Nancy Lohr, the acquisitions editor for JourneyForth. She told us about the process of submitting a book for publication. But after the book is submitted, what’s next? Dennis Cone, JourneyForth supervisor, gives us some insight into the editorial process of a book. 
When does the editorial process begin for a book being published?
In one sense, the process begins as soon as the writer starts writing. Every writer engages in self-editing, and serious writers often ask friends or colleagues to read and critique their work before they ever submit it for publication. From the publisher’s point of view, the process begins with the work of the acquisitions editor—the person who communicates with a prospective author before the manuscript is submitted to give information about what types of manuscripts the publisher is looking for. When you send your book or a sample chapter to a publisher, the acquisitions editor is usually the first person to look at it.
What is the first thing you do when you start the editing process of a book?
Typically, the place to start is with the big picture—what’s known as developmental editing. This involves organizing and sharpening a story, making sure that the characters are believable, the dialog sounds natural, and the plot works. It’s better to deal with these things before you start inserting commas or deleting words.
How long does it take to edit an entire book?
That depends on the length of the book, how well written the manuscript is, and other factors. But generally, it will probably take quite a bit longer that most people think. The editor typically works through the manuscript multiple times, focusing on different elements in each pass. A JourneyForth novel for teens, for example, may spend a couple of months in the editorial stage.
What does the editing process of a book involve?
After the developmental stage, I do what is commonly called copyediting. At this point the editor looks closely at paragraphs, sentences, words, and even letters to check spelling, capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and word usage. People tend to think editors spend most of their time fixing things (mechanics), but an editor’s main concern is meaning (communication). The question in the back of my mind when I’m editing is “Does this paragraph, sentence, or word effectively convey what the author is trying to say?” At the same time, when I’m making changes, I try to be sure to preserve the author’s “voice.” It’s important to let him tell the story his own way. The final phase of the process is proofreading, checking the typeset pages against the copyedited manuscript to make sure all the changes have been made.
If someone wanted to be a book editor, what kind of skills and experience should he have?
It is usually helpful if he has a degree in English, creative writing, or journalism, but it is probably more important that he simply has a love for words/language in general and an eye for detail. Reading widely in a variety of genres will help to give the perspective he needs.
What is your favorite part of editing a book?
I love it when I fix something and the author says, “Oh, wow! Thanks for catching that!”
What is the hardest part about editing a book?
For me, it would probably be adjusting my expectations. I want the end product to be perfect—no errors, no dangling participles, no factual inaccuracies, no awkward expressions, no inconsistencies, no misspellings—but I have to realize that some mistakes will sneak through.
Is there anything else you can tell our readers about the editorial process of publishing a book?
One thing I have learned over my years of doing editing is that when the result of the process is a piece of well-edited prose (or poetry), it’s because of the teamwork that went into it. Without the writers, graphic designers, proofreaders, and printers, an editor’s work wouldn’t amount to much. Good editing is invisible in the final product; the reader should get the impression that the author knows how to produce error-free writing.
The editorial process of a book is important, but, as Dennis said, the journey of a book is about teamwork. Next time we’ll take a look at the next step in the journey—the book design. Until next time, keep reading!—there is a lot more of the world to explore.