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.
