We spend hours every week working closely with clients on their editorial projects, from annual reports to public inquiries, and we have refined the process to a point where we know every stage inside out.

We also know that not all our clients are able to use us on every job, so we have pulled together some helpful free guides for project managers who are setting out to brief teams for a new document, project or report: read on to find out how to get hold of them.

Managing an editorial project is all about being forewarned: organisation and communication are both key. Before you even begin to assemble the information you want to produce, you need to give some thought to the various stages of a document’s existence, from outline to draft form and final edit. Proofreading, copy-editing and editing are all different tasks, and come in at different stages in the evolution of the text.

After your team has established the purpose of the information, and the form, or different forms, it will take, you will ask for a first draft. At this stage you will need an editor who will look at the information at an early stage and be able to suggest changes to the structure, tone of voice, choice of language and so on to make sure everything is in keeping with your organisation’s brand and the goals of the project.

After the first draft has been edited, and further worked on by your team, you will need to pass your document onto a copy-editor who can look at the text in more detail, covering the spelling, grammar, clarity, punctuation and consistency before the text is laid out.

Then, in the last stage, once the copy (and other information) is all in place on the page or screen, you’ll need a final proofread from a professional proofreader to make sure the layout is correct and there are no stray errors in the final document.

The three jobs are all very different but what they all have in common is the need for clear communication about processes, standardised information, software choices and deadlines.

Our three Accuracy Matters guides come in the form of checklists and they address the specific needs of each stage of the project, so that managers can plan accordingly with their teams to make sure everything comes in on time and on budget.

Just follow the Free Editorial Project Guides link and input your email address to access these handy PDFs which are yours to keep.

And don’t forget if you have any questions we are always on hand to help with all your editorial requirements.

Image from Marten Bjork on Unsplash