Quick Overview of Editing

What is editing?

Editing refers to the process of selecting and subsequently preparing visual, audible, film, or written medium used to deliver and convey some sort of meaning or information through a process of condensation, correction, organization. When a form of art or information is edited, it is placed under a modification process to better convey a general meaning.

Various forms of information and art are edited in to produce a consistent, correct and complete output. As an activity, editing is as old as human communication. Various forms of media or art are edited so that the underlying information is better embraced by the general public.

That being said, those who edit a work maintain the author or creator’s general sentiment by not manipulating or egregiously altering the tone or visual effect of the work.

All forms of communication, to be mutually intelligible to the recipient (author) and the recipient, must comply with an agreed-upon standard. As a result of this relationship, the need to assure such compliance created an evolutionary process, where experts developed to further organize and deliver such forms of communication.

In a basic sense, to edit a work an individual must develop an understanding with the underlying work. The editing process must originate with the idea of the work itself. Edited works are typically the product of a close relationship between a professional editor and the coordinating creator of the work.

As a result of this parallel, edited works and the process of editing is, therefore, a practice that requires creative skills, an understanding of human relations and a precise set of methods.

Copy Editing

Copy editing is a process involved and required to edit a work or art form. Copy editing is the work that an editor places on a project to improve the formatting, the style and the overall accuracy of the underlying text. As oppose to a general edited work, copy editing typically does not involve changing the substance or tone of the text.

The term copy refers to written or typewritten text used for printing or publication. Copy editing is instituted before a work is proofread, which is typically the last step in the editorial process.

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