August 2, 2011

As a freelance writer, I am often asked to fill in the roles of editor and proofreader too, and for good reason. In the publishing industry, where a single manuscript is produced for a mass audience as the company's primary product, these roles are generally filled by a large staff of specialized editors. Development editors, research editors, subject matter editors, copyeditors, proofreaders, the list is long. No wonder it takes a book months or years to go from manuscript to bookstore shelves.

Clearly, business marketing calls for a more streamlined process. But that doesn't stop a girl from dreaming. 

My personal fantasy: A dedicated editorial staff to vet out my ideas, rewrite my awkward sentences, hone my diction, check my facts, deliver pertinent research to my inbox daily, and catch my errors.

What's yours?