Word of the Week #284:
So, a couple of weeks back, we spoke about the kind of authors that irk me, right?
Well, what kind of authors do I really like, then? What can an author do to make things easier for the editor in general?
Well, first of all, be nice. Easy. Everyone likes working with someone nice, right?
Second, if you’re actually a good writer, you’ll naturally be easier and more fun to work with, right? That way, the editor can really focus on what you want them to do instead of struggling to just parse what you have written.
Third, have some understanding of the editing process and what you should expect from. Understand the different types of editing services available and which one would suit you. If you don’t know, just ask. We’d be happy to tell you in significant detail. This also includes stylistic preferences such as US or UK spellings, single or double quotes, Oxford comma, etc.
This should help you temper your expectations.
Lastly, try to format the manuscript well. This is really not difficult, especially if the manuscript does not contain any images or such. Now, it doesn’t need to be typeset and ready to print already. Clean, consistent formatting goes a long way in improving readability—and by extension “editability.”
This is what I would normally recommend: 12pt, Times New Roman, 1.5 spaced with extra 12pt at the end of the paragraph. Simple. Clean. Consistent.
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