7 Tips for Communicating With Your Professional Book Editor or Proofreader

One of the most important steps you can take to ensure a positive experience with your professional book editor or proofreader is to communicate your needs and expectations clearly when you submit your manuscript for review. You might assume that your editor is the professional and knows exactly what to do, but editors differ in their approaches and ideas about what your document needs. While any editor can revise your manuscript to remove grammatical errors and typos, book editing can involve additional aspects you may not have considered. Before you submit your manuscript for review, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I need to follow a specific style or formatting guide?

If your publisher, agent, or institution requires a particular style guide, such as Chicago, APA, or MLA, let your editor know upfront. If you're self publishing and have your own formatting preferences, share those too. The more information you give your professional book editor at the start, the less back and forth you'll need later.

2. Does my publisher or adviser want me to follow certain conventions?

Your publisher, agent, or writing supervisor may have specific requirements that go beyond standard style guides. For example, they might want you to avoid passive voice, limit the use of first person narration in certain sections, restrict block quotes, or follow particular conventions for describing events or referencing other works. There's no reason to feel hesitant about sharing these requirements with your editor. They're there to help you meet them.

3. What tone does my book or document need?

Tone varies enormously across different types of writing. A literary novel, a self help book, a memoir, and a business nonfiction title all call for very different registers. Let your professional book editor know the context of your manuscript and the audience you're writing for, so they can help you tailor the phrasing appropriately. If you find tone difficult to describe, phrases like "informal but warm," "authoritative and clear," or "conversational and engaging" give your editor a useful starting point. Telling them your target audience, such as "young adults," "industry professionals," or "general readers," helps even more.

4. Do I need to meet a specific word count?

If your manuscript has a target word count, whether set by a publisher, a contest, or your own goals, let your editor know. Decide in advance whether you're comfortable with your editor trimming redundant text to bring the count down, or whether you'd prefer suggestions for sections that could be developed further to bring it up. This avoids surprises when you receive the edited manuscript back.

5. Do I want suggestions about vocabulary or phrasing?

This is particularly worth considering if English is your second language and you're writing or publishing in English. You can ask your professional book editor to enhance your vocabulary, improve phrasing, or revise passages to read more naturally for a native English speaking audience. These choices are personal, so think about how much latitude you want to give your editor before you submit.

6. Do I want my editor to address flow and organization?

A professional book editor may notice that certain sections, chapters, or paragraphs would read better in a different order, or that transitions between ideas need strengthening. Let your editor know whether you want them to flag or address structural and organizational issues, or whether you'd prefer they focus only on sentence level editing and leave the overall structure as it is. Being clear about this scope upfront saves significant time.

7. Are there sections I don't want my editor to touch?

If your manuscript contains placeholders for citations you haven't finalized, highlighted passages you plan to revise yourself, or sections still under development, let your editor know when you submit. This prevents them from spending time on sections that aren't ready, and ensures the feedback you receive is focused on the parts of the manuscript that need it most.

Your professional book editor wants to return a manuscript you're proud of. But when you and your editor have different ideas about how the finished product should look, it's much harder to achieve that result. Thorough, upfront communication at the start of the editing process saves you time and money, reduces the likelihood of needing additional rounds of editing, and gives your editor everything they need to deliver exactly what you have in mind.

About Editor World: Professional Book Editing and Proofreading Services

Editor World offers professional book editing and proofreading services at affordable prices. Every editor on our team is a native English speaker from the United States, United Kingdom, or Canada, with advanced degrees and years of professional experience. Our professional book editors are available 24/7, 365 days a year.