What does an editor do?
Lewis Birchon, our Head of Publishing Solutions, sheds light on the key role of the editor in educational publishing - and how it can change in different contexts.
It’s a deceptively simple question.Â
Unlike the author whose words you can see on the page, or the designer who has shaped the pages, or the illustrator who has turned abstract concepts into accessible graphics, the editor’s work is hidden.Â
The editor is a conductor and their invisible hand shapes and guides work of the publishing orchestra.Â
But there’s more than one way to play a tune. One of the joys of working with local publishing teams is exploring different solutions to the same problem.Â
Cambridge has been working with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education to provide training and guidance for the publishing teams responsible for creating new teaching and learning materials aligned to their revised curriculum. I headed out to Addis Ababa in late November 2022 to talk all things editorial.
How editors pan for gold
Western publishers tend to use a ‘horizontal model’ where separate editors filter for different layers of editorial work:
- a development editor will work alongside authors during the drafting process
- a copy editor will take the final draft manuscript and prepare it for the page designer and illustrator, and
- one or more proof-readers will comb through the fine detail for errors.
This process is like panning for gold. Each subsequent layer filters for a finer and finer level of detail until all that’s left at the end is precious metal.
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An example of a horizontal publishing model
Typically, these editors are all different individuals. At each stage of the process, you’re bringing in a fresh pair of eyes and fresh expertise. Without wishing to add one metaphor too many, this helps to see the wood for the trees.
The straight and narrow approach
There are many alternatives to this horizontal model.Â
In some cases, authors wear multiple hats. Which is to say, self-editing or acting as an author for some chapters and an editor for others. This is a common approach, particularly in organisations where publishing work is being done alongside a multitude of other tasks, or where experienced editors may be in short supply.Â
However, in Ethiopia, the team is using a different model to draw on specialised expertise. Each subject has three editors. So far, so familiar. However, the role and remit of those editors is substantially different from the approach described above.Â
Each editor is involved throughout the process – from draft manuscript through to final print-ready files. But each editor has a narrow remit:
- the content editor is a subject-matter expert responsible for checking accuracy
- the pedagogy editor is responsible for ensuring high-quality learning design, and
- the language editor is responsible for linguistic clarity.
Where the horizontal model typically used in the UK requires each individual editor to review materials for each of these aspects, the model used in Ethiopia has the same specialised experts review and re-review. The editorial process consists of three vertical pillars.
An example of the vertical publishing model, as used in Ethiopia
How to choose the right tools for the job
The vertical model used in Ethiopia builds consistency and greater institutional knowledge within the three editors, in that they are involved in decision-making through the whole development lifecycle. Provided each editor has a clear understanding of the objectives of their role, this model allows them to follow and refine decisions within their remit through each review stage.
The editors must have real clarity around the models that they are applying to their work. For example, there are many different definitions of active learning in use – from physical activity in the classroom to the amount of hard thinking each student is doing. The pedagogical editor must have a well-defined conceptual model and a deep understanding of how classroom activities implement the model.
Good communication is vital. The responsibility for decision-making in the horizontal model is clear because there’s only one editor. In the vertical approach, we have three editors working in parallel. Without due care, there may be circular decision loops, or changes made by one editor may affect the work of another.
However, the vertical model is similar to an approach Cambridge uses for translation projects, where we have a subject-matter expert and a linguistic expert working side-by-side. The linguistic editor focuses on clarity and accessibility of language. The subject-matter expert ensures the content is technically accurate in the target language. They are in constant communication to make sure a linguistic decision doesn’t undermine technical accuracy, and vice versa.Â
Ultimately, the decision about whether a horizontal approach or vertical approach to editorial is more appropriate comes down to the local context. In the West we have a long-standing editorial tradition. This means there are enough expert editors that we have the luxury of being able to pass three or four experienced sets of eyes over our materials.Â
Where there isn’t that depth of experience, it can be more realistic to assign a narrow role to multiple editors to get high quality results. After all, a broad pool of expertise takes many cycles of production to develop.
Three solid gold tips for self-editing
What if you’re an author having to wear different hats? It’s all very well and good recommending fresh eyes and broad expertise, but what can you do if that’s not available?
Well, here are three top tips for self-editing:
- Think about structure first. Before you start writing, create a skeleton document with headings and short bullet lists about what you want the reader to take away from each section. Review and revise this several times to make sure the foundation of your work is solid. It’s much easier to make big structural changes at the planning stage.
- Read your work out loud. Evidence indicates that this is the most effective method to catch errors. It’s also a good prompt to consider style. If you’re short of breath, consider whether your sentences are too long. If you sound too formal, think about the register.Â
- To proofread, consider changing the font. If you’re writing and editing in English, Courier is the traditional choice. Courier is monospaced, meaning that you are more likely to read each letter rather than whole words that appear to be the right shape. And, if you’re being extra-thorough, read your sentences backwards so you consider each word in isolation and in context.
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