Role of Copy Editing in Digital Publishing

Digital conversion of books is suddenly on the rise and among all digital publishing services the area that has gained large momentum is the copy editing field. Although it is the mechanical aspect of book publishing, it plays a major role in the development of successful web pages for e-Books.

Traditional Set Up

Copy editing is basically the set of activities involved in assessing whether the written content is ready for publication. It usually comprises of improving the accuracy, style and format of the document. Traditional publishing houses depended on the personal experiences of copy editors to assess the work and the effort needed for early completion of the task. Also, in the traditional setup copy editors were required to correspond with writers and fix publishing schedules.

Internet Usage

Internet technology has clearly caused wide changes in the role of a traditional copy editor and has completely changed the way contents are now manipulated. Now after the onset of digital publishing services through the Internet, all communication tasks have been made considerably easy for offshore editorial services. Also, to make the publication more saleable, information on target viewers is gathered from the Internet.

Technology Advancements

Latest technological advancements and the influence of Internet have expanded the boundaries of copyediting. New software applications now provide professional touches to the otherwise monotonous looking contents. Some publishing houses have remotely placed copy editors who are professionally trained on these applications and mentored to deliver on-target copy editing. Most of them are now equipped with sophisticated operational systems and qualified resource base to meet the growing and demanding readership base.

Conclusion

As technology advances at a fast rate bringing in new software to aid copy editors in their daily work, the personal touch that they leave behind in every finished publication cannot be denied. Their personal copy editing judgment in absence of a publisher’s style sheet to achieve stylistic consistency and accuracy needs to be applauded at all times.