Is writing a book your dream? Well, if yes, then this series is all you need to understand the minute details to create an impactful book. From understanding the structure, research, and submission to finalizing the content, this series will include everything you need.

Once your content submission is done, what should be your second step? Editing? Designing? Or anything else?

Well, this can be hard to decide if you are a newbie writing a book. But with this guide, you have all the details at your fingertips. So, it is time to learn about the external support you will need while writing the book. So, let us get started.

Understanding The External Help For Writing Book

External help while writing the book refers to the assistance you will need to give your book a final and professional touch. This will include transforming your manuscript into a finished product that can be published and shared with readers. 

This help is very critical to ensure that there are no flaws in your book. Now, when we are considering external help to write the book, here are the prominent contenders of the same.

• Writers or Instructional Designers

• Editor

• Re-writers

• Quality Checkers and Experts

With the help of these experts, you can approve and disapprove the things in your manuscript until you have the final piece ready. So, let us explore each of these external supporters in detail to see how they help you write a good book.

Writers or Instructional Designers: Know Their Need

The first external support you need will be from a writer or an instructional designer. Now, the main thing you should know about this is that they are different. So let us first know more about them, and they do.

1] Writer

A writer is a person who will convert your raw information into proper content. This raw information can be in audio or video format, which will help the writer to get an idea of what has to be done and in what way. 

When a writer is working on the content, they will be clarifying your thoughts without transcribing or changing them in any way.

2] Instructional Designer

This is the second and one of the most important external help you need. Now, these are people who will work in collaboration with you, and they will help you properly organize your ideas.

For this, they will connect with you, ask you multiple questions, record your responses, and then finally organize your knowledge properly, logically, and useful. Additionally, they will share a manuscript with your particular knowledge based on different discussions and viewpoints you shared. 

What is the difference between the two?

Now, when it comes to understanding the difference between the two, there are a few checkpoints that you need to check. They are:

• Cost: In terms of budget, writers are less expensive as compared to instructional designers.

• Service: When you are looking to get your knowledge indexed and organized, you need the service of an instructional designer. But if you want to just get your content written per your idea and need, then a writer would be the best.  

• Organizing: An instructional designer will help you get your knowledge in the proper setup so that raw data becomes easier to consume. The writer will finish the raw data in the form of a draft.

So, if you want to start your book from scratch, you would need to get the support of an instructional designer. A writer will be a good choice when you need proper content based on your organization of raw ideas. 

In either case, you will get the first draft of your manuscript ready to be shared with the second external supporter to simplify and streamline it.

Editors: Know Their Need

Once you have the draft ready, you must check, edit, correct, and modify the content. This is where the services of the editors come into play. Now, when it comes to editing, there are 3 types of edits that you would need for the book:

1] Technical Edit

The first edit you need in your book is the technical edits. Now, the technical edits answer the basic questions like:

• Is the information correct?

• Is there anything wrong with the book?

• Is everything that is needed is shared?

• Is there any technical error, especially if it is a non-fiction error?

A good technical editor will get you the answers to these questions. To get the best outcome, you must select an editor from the same field as the topic of your book, as they will be looking for tech info only and not language or anything else. 

This is an important phase of edit because even a single error in your content from the fact-check perspective can make your book flawed to a certain extent. Remember that the technical editor is not to argue but to ensure that there are no facts in your book that can make it flawed.

Let us better understand this with an example. Say you are working on a book of finance. Now you mention that banks offer only savings accounts. This is factually wrong information. The truth is a bank will offer you both savings and a current account. Now, that is what a technical editor would do. 

2] Language Edit

This is the second type of editing that you would need to do. This is called the language or grammar editing. Now, here you would check if you have made correct sentences, using proper grammar, and if the punctuation is in the right place.

Why? Well, even when the content is okay but the sentences are off or hard to understand, there is a chance that your reader won't find the book a good catch. The main issues that are addressed when you go for grammar editing are:

• Correcting spelling mistakes

• Fixing grammatical errors

• Adjusting punctuation where necessary

• Ensuring proper use of tense and voice 

3] Inline Edit

Inline editing is also referred to alongside copy editing in your text. It is one where you get deeper into the structure and flow of the content. The idea is to ensure that your writing content is clear, cohesive, consistent, and has good readability. Some of the key aspects involved in the inline edit are:

• Revising sentences for better clarity.

• Improving the flow of paragraphs.

• Ensuring consistency in the presentation of ideas.

• Highlighting and questioning unclear or ambiguous statements.

• Adjusting the structure of content where there are obvious errors at the paragraph or sentence level.

It is important to know that grammar and inline editing can be done together. Why? Because the aim of both is to ensure the effectiveness and professionalism of the writing. While grammar editing is more about the technical correctness of language, inline editing focuses on the coherence and clarity of content presentation. Ideally, one editor could handle both tasks, streamlining the process and maintaining a consistent editorial standard throughout the book.

How Does Editing Work?

Now that you know the three types of editing, it is important to know how the editing works. There are two ways you can get the editing done. 

One is you can hire the editor on your own and get the work done. 

Second is a situation when you are working with a publisher. At times, the publisher will assign you an editor to complete your editing tasks.

What do you do when you get edit comments?

The first thing that you should understand here is that when you get the edit comments from the editor, you will need to work on the content. This can be done by rewriting the content or making minor changes. At the same time, ensure that you go through all the content after the edits are made so that when you share with the editor, the chances of reworks are reduced.

Making the right edits will ensure that you have a good-quality book.

Rewriters: Know Their Need

Now, these people will be working on the edits that have been shared with you. They will check the mistakes made and the right way to make the changes and work around them to ensure that you have the needed content in place.

These are your book writer only. The main tasks of the rewriter will be:

• Check the comments made by the editor.

• Make the relevant changes to keep the content in line.

• Look for the grammar and rest once edits are done.

• Ensure that the content is now factually correct.

Quality Checkers and Experts: Know Their Need

You are now very near to ending your book. With quality checks,  you can ensure everything is in line, and the content is properly articulated to make sense.

A quality checker will be the champion of the process. They will be in a position to approve or disapprove the sections. They will make sure that the overall quality of the book is high, meets the needs of the readers, and that your content makes sense to them. 

The final result will be responsible and worthy content that is a book you need. This will ensure that the book is of such high quality that you can sign your name on the book and get ready to market it.

This will make you the champion of the process. You will be aware of everything that you need to do in the process. You are the one who will be finalizing every single detail of the book, so make sure that you have clarity about what you need and what you might not. 

Championing the Book Publishing Process

Unlike any other profession or job, you, as an author, need to champion the book publishing process. The main steps that will be included in this are:

1] Primary Decision Maker: You have the ultimate authority over what content is included, how it's presented, and the final aspects, like the book's title, cover, and marketing approach.

2] Quality Control: Ensuring the book meets your standards requires reviewing and revising content repeatedly, approving or rejecting every detail.

3] Collaboration with Professionals: While you will collaborate with writers, editors, designers, and possibly publishers, your vision leads the project. Their suggestions aim to support, not supplant, your decisions.

4] Selecting and Managing the Team: You are responsible for choosing the right professionals whose skills align with your book’s needs. Your role includes managing their contributions towards achieving a cohesive final product.

5] Feedback and Revisions: Be prepared to engage deeply with the feedback from your team, often requiring significant revisions to align with your vision.

6] Final Approval: From the manuscript to the marketing plan, you have the final say on all aspects of the book, ensuring the end product truly reflects your intent and quality expectations.

7] Ownership of the Process: As the driving force behind the book, you embody both the creative and managerial roles, ensuring that the project's direction aligns with your goals.

This streamlined approach emphasizes your central role in the publishing process, highlighting the importance of leadership, quality control, and effective collaboration.

Conclusion

As we conclude this chapter, it’s evident that crafting a book is an intricate process that stretches beyond mere writing. We've mapped out the structure, embraced the research, and tackled various strategies for gathering raw content to suit every author's unique situation. The journey from concept to manuscript isn't solitary; it's a collaborative endeavor requiring external expertise to refine and enhance your work.

The steps outlined here are practical, aiming to transform your knowledge into a tangible book. It’s a testament to the power of dedication and the importance of seeking the right support.

Moving forward, we're set to explore language guidelines in our next chapter. This exploration will sharpen our writing, ensuring our message not only reaches but also resonates with our audience. So, let's step into the next phase with the same enthusiasm, ready to perfect our craft and make our mark.

Key Takeaways

1. External help transforms your manuscript into a polished, publishable book.

2. Writers clarify thoughts without altering the essence, while instructional designers organize knowledge.

3. Editing is categorized into technical, language, and inline, each serving a unique purpose.

4. Technical editors ensure accuracy in content, focusing on fact-checking and technical details.

5. Language editors correct grammar and punctuation, enhancing readability.

6. Inline editing improves content flow and clarity, addressing structural issues.

7. Rewriters implement editors' feedback, refining the manuscript further.

8. Quality checkers oversee the entire process, ensuring the final book meets high standards.