Words and Pictures - Writing Pros, Editing, Coaching, Critiques, Proofreading, Book Doctor, Ghost Writer

What's the difference between an editor and a proofreader?

Between an editor and a critique pro?

What's a writing coach do?

And what is a ghost writer's job?

Professional Readers

When preparing a manuscript for publication, you may need the services of one or more "professional readers." These readers range from Editors, to Proofreaders, and those who do professional critiques. They are paid to find any errors or other problems which might be lurking in a manuscript. Whether they are traditionally trained or have learned their skills on the job, their expertise is there when an author needs it.

Each type of professional reader has unique responsibilities and an appropriate place in the manuscript lifecycle. If you find yourself looking for professional help with your manuscript, it would be a good idea to know what the responsibilities and limitations of each pro are. We've written up brief descriptions of each skill to make you aware of what to expect.

Critique Pros

The paid professional who critiques manuscripts has the most extensive responsibilities of all the professional readers. They read a manuscript for:

continuity
style
POV
flow and pacing
characterization
plot holes and overwriting,

and many less tangible problems. Critiques tend to be a one-time thing. If you need someone to help you work through repeated revisions, you may need a writing coach.

Manuscript Editor

Manuscript editors read your manuscript for grammatical, spelling, and diction problems. They may advise on more literary issues, crossing over into critique territory, but do not expect that level of involvement unless the editor agrees to it up front.

Among editors, there are also levels of of involvement, the two main ones being:

copy editor - grammar, spelling, punctuation
line editor - clarity, flow and diction.

Most editors will only mark and recommend changes to a manuscript. It is the writer's responsibility to accept or reject changes and to make the alterations in the manuscript.

Proofreader

Proofreaders have one of the hardest jobs. It's up to them to make sure the submitted manuscript and published book, article or short story is "perfect." Proofreaders are a breed apart - they can read a riveting story without missing that extra space between words, or the spelling mistakes or, or...

Proofreaders come in very late in the manuscript lifecycle, but almost any writer, at least in novel length, can use one.

Writing Coach

A writing coach can be your best friend or, when they're really putting you through your paces, your worst enemy. A writing coach is like any other coach - you relinquish a lot of your control and agree to do things their way.

Anyone who's ever been involved in sports knows that feeling. It can be scary, but if the coach is a good one, your two-person team can work miracles on the publishing playing field.

Book Doctor

The book doctor is a last resort for the problem manuscript. Usually the author isn't the one to dial the literary 911 - it's the editor at the publishing house, or even the author's agent.

When the book doctor comes in, the author's involvement is pretty much at an end. The powers-that-be have decided that the author can't finish the project in the allotted time or in the form required.

Book doctors may or may not get their name on the finished book, but they will get a large chunk of the earnings from it, often more than the author of record. If this seems unfair, realize that without the book doctor, there would be NO income because there would be no sale.

Ghost Writer

You hire a ghost writer when you have a story to tell but aren't a writer. Many memoirs and corporate or personal profiles fall into this category, as do novelizations of films and screenplays of novels. The ghost writer's participation is strictly confidential - they receive no publishing credit, and they are contractually bound not to reveal their involvement.

The differences between a ghost writer and a book doctor are these:

there is no other writer
the person paying the fee is the author of record
the ghost writer often earns a flat fee.