Written by Susan K. Stewart

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Whether we’re working as editor for a publishing company or freelancing, we need to follow specific procedures.

Some publishers hire in-house editors. These editors are employees of the company. Not only do these editors correct the technical details of a manuscript, they also ensure it meets the publisher’s standards.

No matter what we may have learned about editing, each publishing company has its own approach. The first tool needed is the company’s style guide. This guide will give information about what is expected in their publications. It indicates if a comma is to be used before “and” in a series or if deity pronouns are to upper or lower case. This is a case of the “customer is always right.” If we don’t follow the company’s guide, we may not be invited back.

Another important consideration is the publisher’s philosophy. If, for example, we choose to sign a contract with a company that publishes material for the general audience, our personal beliefs may not be used as part of the edit. If the company is a Christian publisher, it may have a different viewpoint of various issues such as healing or tongues than we do.

In addition to understanding what the publisher expects, we also have tools available to help you with the project. Besides the publisher’s guidelines, four other tools are also needed. These come in handy whether we’re editing for a publisher or not.

• The Chicago Manual of Style (cmos- https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html) is often considered the bible of writing and editing rules. It’s available in hardback or online. Although I have both options, I use the online version most often because of the easy search feature.
• The Christian Writers Manual of Style (CWMS) is the standard for Christian writing. Although it repeats some of the CMOS rules, the information is targeted for Christian writers and editors. There is no online version, I use the Kindle edition, again for the easy search feature.
• AP Style Guide (https://www.apstylebook.com/) is generally for newspapers and magazines. Some Christian magazines, such as Charisma, use the AP Style Guide. On the other hand, some publications use other style guides such as Sojourners, which follows the Society of Professional Journalist (SPJ). SPJ offers a code of ethics rather than specific guidelines (https://www.spj.org/spj-code-of-ethics/).

Many Christian publications post extensive style guides at their website, such as Today’s Christian Living todayschristianliving.org/writers-guidelines/. The Christian Writers Market Guide (https://christianwritersmarketguide.com/) is a good resource to find these guides.

• Bible Gateway (https://www.biblegateway.com/)- Bible Gateway is a searchable online Bible. The website includes devotionals, audio Bibles, and newsletters. The website was developed in 1993 by college student Nick Hengeveld. One of Hengeveld’s goals was to make the Bible accessible to everyone. (More about the history of Bible Gateway can be found at https://www.biblegateway.com/about/). I use this site because various versions can be compared side by side. A “Plus” membership is also available. It offers access to more than fifty premium resources such as Matthew Henry’s Commentary, Unger’s Bible Dictionary, and other Bibles.

A publisher must meet the needs of their audience. They know better than you on how to meet those needs. We can’t bring our own biases to these situations. Remember, we’re an employee of the publishing house.

Many of the manuscripts we edit have already been edited prior to submission which means we aren’t line editing or copyediting. Generally, we’re proofreading specifically following the publisher’s style and instructions. For example, I prefer a comma before “and” in a series. If the publisher doesn’t want that style (which is the AP style), I need to set my likings aside

Another aspect of the working with a publisher that freelance work doesn’t usually require is being sure the manuscript follows the format style of the company.

Usually, our name is not listed on the copyright page. We’re a silent partner in the success of the book. While we may not be credited with the superior editing, Working with a publisher can be demanding because of the requirements. On the other hand, it’s also rewarding. The rewards are many and come when we have had a part in seeing a polished book introduced to the public.

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