Copyediting Fiction Basic One-on-One Instruction

Novel writing is a craft, but it’s also an art form. In fiction, the editor’s role is to come alongside the author and  help them realize their artistic vision. This means that a fiction editor must understand the art of novel writing as well as the craft of copyediting. Great writing often goes off the edge of the map into uncharted territory beyond the bounds of a stylebook. To help our clients create great art, we must exercise discernment about when to correct and when to stay out of the way. Having all the commas in the right place doesn’t matter if the sentence doesn’t sing.

In Copyediting Fiction 101 we will examine the scope of work for copyeditors in fiction and how we can tactfully draw attention to substantive problems in the manuscript without overstepping our bounds. We’ll talk about grammar and vocabulary in light of character authenticity. And of course, we’ll look at sentence structure and how to help writers create sentences that both sing and have all the commas in the right place.