What would you say is more critical to a non-fiction MS: copy or content editing? This is assuming that you would only have the finance for one or the other.
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Content vs Copy Editing
- Thread starter DoomieBey
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You seem to be suggesting a choice between finishing up with 'badly written but accurate content', or 'well written but lacking accuracy of content'.
This is presumably for a self-publishing venture and I guess one answer must be - which one does the manuscript most need?
I'm curious what the real answer is to your question -if there is one.
This is presumably for a self-publishing venture and I guess one answer must be - which one does the manuscript most need?
I'm curious what the real answer is to your question -if there is one.
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I have to second Bufty: Which one does the manuscript most need?
A book full of typographical errors and grammar mistakes may lose readers faster than one that is disorganized or lacking in compelling content, but both problems will eventually drive your readers to distraction. If you are more confident in one element, have the other edited, and get an intelligent friend to help with both.
Note: A good editor, hired to copy edit, will likely point out general problems in the structure/content of the book. I know that I can't stop myself from doing so even when I've only been hired to copy edit, although I don't go so far as to make suggestions on how to fix the problem.
A book full of typographical errors and grammar mistakes may lose readers faster than one that is disorganized or lacking in compelling content, but both problems will eventually drive your readers to distraction. If you are more confident in one element, have the other edited, and get an intelligent friend to help with both.
Note: A good editor, hired to copy edit, will likely point out general problems in the structure/content of the book. I know that I can't stop myself from doing so even when I've only been hired to copy edit, although I don't go so far as to make suggestions on how to fix the problem.
You're correct in assuming that the non-fiction book will be self published. I underscored the nonfiction aspect of the post, because that seems to make a difference when dealing with character development, plot, etc that one would find in fictional works. I wanted to be certain that a person understood what would be edited, as that Initially, I thought that the obvious answer would be that it would depend on the "condition" of the MS. Some of the search engines have sites/blogs that address the importance of one phase of the editing process over the other. So I thought it best to pose the question here to my "family".
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Hi Doomie,
It does depend on the condition of the manuscript, and yes, a nonfiction manuscript may not have the issues of character, plot, and so on, that one finds in a fiction manuscript, but then again, it may. Depends on what this nonfiction manuscript is about. Is it a recipe book, a how-to-guide, or narrative non-fiction? Those three would get radically different treatment.
It does depend on the condition of the manuscript, and yes, a nonfiction manuscript may not have the issues of character, plot, and so on, that one finds in a fiction manuscript, but then again, it may. Depends on what this nonfiction manuscript is about. Is it a recipe book, a how-to-guide, or narrative non-fiction? Those three would get radically different treatment.
And hello to you, Sarah! My book would fall into the category of self-help/motivational. I suppose having a copy editor would cover the aspects of run-on and fragment sentences, etc, so I may be better off with that. I could always use a Beta [should one be interested] for content suggestions. Thanks to you both.
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Matera the Beta?
Well thanks for the offer! I'll be in touch
Well thanks for the offer! I'll be in touch
It never hurts to get a few beta readers first anyway