A literary editor reads and evaluates fiction and non-fiction for publication, writes pieces for publication, and prepares other writers’ works for publication. They work for book, magazine, or newspaper publishers and ensure that all pieces meet the publication’s content and style guidelines. Freelance literary editors work for many different publications as consultants and specialize in certain fields. They also proofread and copy edit materials submitted by writers.
A literary editor reads and evaluates fiction, such as short stories, or non-fiction, such as reviews, for publication. He or she may also write pieces for publication, as well as prepare other writers’ works for publication. Literary editors work for book, magazine, or newspaper publishers. Instead of traditional commercial pieces, they deal with literary or academic works. The exact duties of a literary editor depend on the specific publication, as well as whether the job is undertaken full-time or on a freelance basis.
Freelance literary editors typically work for many different publications as consultants. They can help plan the publication’s content, as well as rewrite some of the writers’ contributions. A freelance literary editor might specialize in a certain field, such as working only for academic publishers. He or she may also write original work for one or more publications.
Literary editors ensure that all pieces meet the magazine, newspaper or book publisher’s content and style guidelines. Book editors often spend a lot of time reviewing proposals and communicating with writers. Literary editors employed by newspapers often deal with magazine writers and prepare their content for the weekend or other supplement sections. Literary magazine editors generally accept stories from writers and ensure that the length, style, and wording are in line with the publication’s standards.
While some literary editors accept suggestions from writers, such as reviewing a particular book, others may assign assignments. A literary editor usually communicates via email or phone with a group of writers who regularly contribute to the publication. Literary publishers also often place advertisements to encourage new writers to submit work for publication. They ensure that writers have access to guidelines that include word count minimums or maximums and specific style details.
Literary editor tasks often include a lot of proofreading and copy editing. Literary editors should thoroughly read materials submitted by writers to review each piece for the format and style of the publication. The editor usually corrects spelling, grammar and punctuation errors and may shorten sentences or paragraphs to make them clearer and more concise for the reader. Literary editors also check the continuity of stories. For example, he or she will have to look for inconsistencies, such as a character who in one chapter turns out to be allergic to shellfish, but later in the book casually orders a shrimp dinner.
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