Editorial quality is practical work.
Editing, proofreading, layout and file checks solve different problems. A reliable edition needs each of them at the appropriate stage.
The text comes first
A first editorial review identifies what level of work a manuscript needs. Structural issues, inconsistent terminology and language errors should not all be treated as the same problem.
Corrections need a controlled process. Working from multiple untracked file versions increases the risk that accepted changes disappear or earlier errors return.
Read the actual output.
A print proof and checks on several e-reading devices can expose issues that are invisible in the manuscript file.
Print and digital editions
Typography is functional. Font size, line length, paragraph spacing, chapter openings and footnotes should make the text comfortable to read rather than draw attention to themselves.
Print files must match a chosen trim size and printer specification. Bleed, image resolution, margins and cover-spine calculations need to be verified.
Quality assurance
For eBooks, headings, contents navigation, internal links and readable text must survive changes in screen size and reader settings.
The final check compares what appears in the edition with the metadata used to sell it: title, subtitle, authorship, language, edition information and description.
Explore the publishing process.
Learn about formats, production requirements and ways to contact Sestieri.