What is the main function of an editor?

Every editing job is different in some respect from others, and different editors may be responsible for different tasks. In general, editors do any or all of the following (or may delegate some tasks to others):

*Correct language errors, such as poor grammar, incorrect spelling and punctuation, and ambiguities.

*Identify technical inaccuracies (e.g. in a non-fiction book.)

*Improve conciseness and clarity, if and where this is of significance.

*Identify potential legal problems, such as plagiarism, ethical or moral problems, copyright infringements, and defamation risks.

*Check for uniformity and appropriateness of content and style, and make or recommend adjustments if necessary.

*Determine whether the content of a manuscript should be deleted or replaced (usually with approval from both the author and publisher).

*Determine whether additional content is required within a manuscript (usually with approval from both the author and publisher).

*Determine the order in which the manuscript is to be published.

*Liaise with all other persons involved in the production of the publication.

*Check and clear copyright material to be used in the publication (for instance, anything which is not the original work of the author should be properly referenced and used only in accordance with the law in any jurisdiction relevant to the publication).

*Prepare preliminary pages and cover, and mark up any end matter, usually in collaboration with the author.

*Prepare instructions for others involved in production, such as the designer, illustrator, typesetter and printer. (This may involve marking up the manuscript, preparing a series of ‘briefs’ and, in some cases, contract or tender documents.)

*Select illustrations, including photographs, tables and drawings from material submitted by the author.

*Identify and source additional illustrations if required (from the author or elsewhere).

*Write marketing material if required (often in collaboration with the author and/or the marketing staff).

*Monitor (and sometimes control) production schedules.

*Check proofs at each stage of production.

*Maintain a record of corrections after production for use in any reprints or new edition.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS – An Overview

The following is a summary of the production process in commercial publishing:

• Manuscript – this may be an unsolicited manuscript sent ‘on spec’ to a publishing house, or a manuscript sent by a literary agent, or a book or publication commissioned by the publisher
  
  
• Editing – a copy editor edits and marks up the manuscript
  
  
• Design – a designer commissions illustrations, designs the text, sizes and places the illustrations, and designs the cover
  
  
• Typesetting – a typesetter or desktop publisher sets the text and non-text material according to the editor’s and designer’s mark-up
  
  
• Galley Proofs – the typesetter provides galley proofs (proofs of the typeset text before they are divided into pages); the editor, author and proof reader check the galleys for errors
  
  
• Page Proofs – the corrected galleys are pasted up into pages by the designer, or laid out using desktop publishing software
  
  
• Index – the author or indexer prepares the index from the final page proofs
  
  
• Dyelines – the printer films the pages and sends a set of dyelines to the editor and designer for checking
  
  
• Color Proofs – the designer checks and corrects the color separations
  
• Advance Copies – these are provided for publicity and review purposes; the editor checks for any significant printing errors.
  
  

THE PUBLISHING TEAM

Some publishing businesses are small with multi-skilled staff. Most medium to large publishing businesses, however, will employ a team of people, each with a well-defined role. Following are some of the people an editor may need to work with in a publishing business:

*The Publisher is concerned with planning and management of the publishing business. The publisher is often, but not always, the boss or CEO. The publisher’s particular concerns are to commission new work, negotiate the acquisition of existing work (e.g. out- of-print titles that have been released from another publisher), assess and decide on the future of existing titles, and develop new areas of work. The publisher also needs to deal with unsolicited submissions, and with agents of authors. The publisher should maintain contact with authors (though the extent of such contact varies between publishers). The publisher needs to liaise with other sections of a publishing business in order to do their job properly: The editor, the marketing department, etc.

*The Business Manager may be responsible for the day-to-day management of either part or all of a publishing business. Some large publishers employ a team of business managers, putting each one in charge of a different group of publications (e.g. a business manager for non-fiction and another for fiction, one for women’s magazines and another for business magazines).

*The Production Manager or production assistant is responsible for coordinating and overseeing each of the physical stages in the production of a publication. A small publishing business may assign this task to an editor, or the publisher. A large business may employ several production managers.

*The Designer has the task of taking instructions from the editor and producing the final layout.

*Marketing Staff have the task of selling a publication. The editor should explain to these people the concept of the publication. The editor and author will have developed the book with a particular market in mind, and those thoughts must be conveyed to the marketing staff.

TOOLS FOR EDITING

A computer with an up-to-date word processing program is vital for anyone considering a career as an editor. These days almost all publications are produced electronically and, even though you will probably receive a printed copy of the manuscript, most of the editing process is done on screen.
You will also need a compatible printer – preferably a laser printer if you are self-publishing or regularly edit long manuscripts – and a modem connected to the Internet.
It may be advantageous for freelance editors to have a quality desktop publishing program such as Quark Press or Adobe PageMaker or Frame Maker. Publishers and printers to produce end-quality work use these programs, and some smaller publishers prefer to employ editors who can competently use these programs.
Essential stationery includes post-it notes, a calculator, correction fluid, magic tape, highlighter pens, pencils, and blue and red biros.

THE ROLE AND SCOPE OF EDITING

Very few people can immediately write a lucid and well-expressed piece of work. In most cases, the final draft is smoothed and polished so that others can readily understand the writer’s message. It is the editor’s role to improve the quality of the writing, whether their own or someone else’s work. The scope of editing ranges from self-editing, where the writer examines their writings and improves it as best they can, to professional editing, where an expert is employed by a publishing company to improve the quality of a piece of writing prior to publication.
There are many other facets of commercial publishing that require the skills of professional editors. These include commissioning publications; reviewing manuscripts; overseeing manuscripts through the production process; liaising with writers, publishers, printers and agents; writing blurbs, captions and press releases; and researching and organizing pictures. In smaller organizations the editor may also be responsible for the design and publication of documents, newsletters, reports, magazines and books using desktop publishing software and equipment.

Editing involves several stages, which will be examined in detail during this course. In summary, they are:
1. Reviewing the manuscript
2. Structural (substantive) editing
3. Copy editing
4. Proof reading
5. Checking proofs.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF NEWS AGENCY

• No monopoly of single news agency. There should be competition freely to provide news.
  
• The NA should not be controlled by the government.
  
• Government could provide financial assistance without any strings and its services should be qualitative having easy access to its clients.
  
• It should have the nature of public corporation.
  
• It has to promote the welfare of state and the society. It should maintain the law and code of ethics.
  
• The NA should provide their own news rather than to quote another NAs.
  
• They have to basic infrastructures at least as the regional news providers.
  
• Their news must be comprehensive, brief and in summary for.
  
• The clients charge should be equal to all, based on sound principle.
  
• The news coverage should be fast, objective, comprehensive and accurate.
  
• The news it has covered should have news values.
  
• There should be no mal-intension, when prioritizing the news. Main features of the news should not be abandoned.
  
• It should not have special editorial policy. It should not have covered the views and comments on the news.
  
• It should be free from bias.
  
• It has tried to be viable. In a democratic society, a news agency provides complete, impartial, accurate, countrywide and competitive services freely.
  
  

Role of print media

• Regular and frequent appearance
  
• Commodity form
  
• Informational content
  
• Public sphere function
  
• Urban, secular audience
  
• Relative freedom compare with any other media.
  
  - In the early age, newspapers were used for information, record, advertising, diversion and gossip.
  - It had taken place for governmental, diplomatic or commercial purpose.
  - Then used as voice of authority and an instrument of government.
  - After institutional development, offered service to its anonymous readers than an instrument to propagandists or potentates (royal leaders).
  - Its novelty consists not in its technology or manner of distribution, but in its functions for a distinct class in changing and more liberal socio-political climate.
  Nowadays, it is used for lobbying or to create pressure.