Unfortunately I have reached the point in my career where I am being made painfully aware that authors don't aways understand the role of an editor and don't always know what to expect when their piece comes back from a professional edit. Let's take care of that now:
Expect:
*a manuscript containing suggestions to help YOUR voice be heard. Using an editor does not mean that you are no longer the author. You choose whether to accept changes or not.
*most (90%) of spelling and grammatical errors caught. This does not include colloquialisms from different countries. This does not include corrections to proper names (unless they are widely known). This does not include every error (after all, editors are people too :)
Do Not Expect:
*data entry. If there is material missing, it is the author's responsibility to provide the editor with the full manuscript
*artistic commentary. It is not the editor's job to give writing advice. They specialize in grammar and spelling. If you have chosen to get what we call a "Content Edit", you receive commentary on the story, including pace, flow, continuity, character and storyline consistency (or for non-fiction, organization and logical flow)
Hope this helps you in your writing career!
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