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Copyediting. Why not in-house?



One of the services offered by publishers is copyediting. Correct grammar, spelling, etc., is important; but, wouldn't it make more sense to do this in-house?

The rates for freelance copyeditors range from about $5 per page for light copyediting (one freelancer I found on the web this morning quotes $2 - $5 per page).

Picture a highly proficient secretary or editor copyediting a manuscript that has been written carefully and gone through a grammar / spellcheck. Copyediting a page shouldn't take very long, should it?

There are good reasons why peer review should be blind or double- blind. Not so copyediting. Having a copyeditor work directly with the author is much more efficient than working indirectly through a journal editor.

A copyeditor who gets to know the author and their research will have more understanding of the topic matter, be less likely to make technical errors, and will be more respectful of the author's stylistic preferences.

In addition to hiring freelancers, other options are creating jobs for students with subject expertise and good language skills, or secretaries. Perhaps the same staff could take responsibility for depositing the author's final manuscript in the appropriate open access archive(s)? The skills and experience such staff would develop would lend themselves well to providing additional help to the researcher, such as helping with the paperwork involved in grant applications, thus freeing up the researcher's time, for research.

If copyediting is done in-house, it makes sense to me that publishers who charge for this service, should provide a discount.

Copyediting does not always cost, of course. There are people who enjoy copyediting, and provide this service on a volunteer basis.

Any opinion expressed in this e-mail is that of the author alone, and does not represent the opinion or policy of BC Electronic Library Network or Simon Fraser University Library.

Heather Morrison, MLIS
The Imaginary Journal of Poetic Economics
http://poeticeconomics.blogspot.com