example of an edited page

An example of an edited manuscript. This is particularly messy, and has clearly gone through several hands and likely several drafts, but it gives you some idea of the work that goes into real line-editing.

Your work, of course, is expected to be readable, neat, clean, but again, don't be afraid to not only query the author, but make changes where they need to be made. However, do not make changes simply for the sake of making changes. If a manuscript is fine as it is, then let it STET. This is but one example. I'll post a cleaner example as well.

more on the Galassi | the yin & yang of publishing in the literary house

• Galassi reading, The Double Agent: The Role of the Literary Editor in the Commercial Publishing House. P. 79 The Art of Literary Publishing.
  
  1. An effective editor, according to Galassi, is someone who has all the good virtues of;
  Humor, tact, courage etc , what he says, “the primary requirement seems to me to be an eductated and well-defined taste.”
• 
  2. An editor should always have ideas of his own –
  shining light where none has shone before like Verba Mundi,
  and should know about his own culture, but about other cultures as well.
  
  3. What Galassi tells us, and I agree, is that often working for a big conglomerate and publishing trade literature (that is books that are often perceived as Editor’s Books, no necessarily immediate ‘sure things’) is like infiltrating for a purpose – almost a David and Goliath struggle between the Publishing House and the Editor who wants to publish his or her own books.
  
  4. The truth is, you will have to publish other books to support your literary trade books.
  
  a. You’ll have to publish books that, as he says, “pass” for literature –
  b. but when you find a book you TRULY believe in, be prepared to act – we spoke about this before –
  c. Having to fight for your book – at Ed. Board meetings, with the Publisher and so on. You’ll have to prove that the book is worth at least a chance and in doing this, you’ll have to ask yourself seriously how much of your own reputation are you willing to stake on this.
  

galassi's yin theory of publishing - from The Art of Literary Publishing - the yang theory

(above: chinese illustration of yin and yang relationship)


Galassi's YANG theory of the Author Editor relationship

a. This is the active side of the Editor’s role.

It means to reconcile and work the book to fit the reader’s needs and expectations, but mostly, their perceived needs.

To do this you need to clarify the writer’s intentions and get to the HEART OF THE MATTER , that inner core of the manuscript, the zeitgeist, the jewel of it, you want to give it the spit and polish and this is your job.

• 
  To do this well, you MUST inspire confidence in your Author – which is but one part of Author relations – your Author must trust you. They must trust you because you are to be their Editor, and in this way, you are essentially taking their ‘baby’ and reworking it. Remember that for each book, each Author, the book is incredibly close to the Author’s very being (usually). The Author is vested in his or her work in a major way. So this confindence in you is key.
  

galassi's yin theory of publishing - from The Art of Literary Publishing

Galassi and the Author - The Double Agent: The Role of the Literary Editor in Commercial Publishing, p. 79, The Art of Literary Publishing.

YIN

a. An equation of factors that combined equal critical empathy for the book and the Author.

For this you need to know:

• 
  How it feels to the writer (the book)
  How it is experienced by the reader
  Essentially you’re looking at the intent of the Author and how this is parlayed to the reader. As the Editor, it’s your job to make sure the message comes through the way the Author intended.

b. To achieve what he calls Critical Empathy (which are all of these things combined) you need to have a dispassionate distance. In short, you need to be able to work both at a remove as well as be able to put yourself entirely in the project.

• This Critical Empathy – just think of the work empathy – is an empathy and understanding of Author, Book, Intent, What the reader would expect given what the Author is trying for and it is your job to get the manuscript there.