Book Editor
A book editor is a person who is specially trained to check your manuscript for punctuation, spelling, grammar and typographical errors. They look at your choice of words and your sentence structure. They copy edit, which means they read every word in every line. Any pointless, ambiguous or puzzling words in your story are reviewed and edited. Sentences are checked to see how they flow, and if they have transparency, continuity and regularity. They are also checked for repetitiousness. They consider whether the narrative is being accessible in the best way possible and there are no sub-plots that are left dangling. They also consider the way in which the work will be conceived by your potential readers.
In essence, the editor is your book's first unbiased reader. The tips they give you are invaluable and can spell the difference between a good seller and a dud. Some book editors have a degree in different specialties such as arts, business law, communication, mathematics, music or science which can bring a degree of specialization to the editing of your manuscript.
Sometimes the writer knows what they want to say but can't seem to find the words to express it. They know what they want the reader to feel while they are reading certain parts of the book, but they cannot make it come to life. That's what the editor is for. They can take your words and make them say what you intend for them. They can rearrange them so that the reader feels exactly how you want them to.
Just as there are all kinds of books, there are all kinds of book editors. Some specialize in fiction, some in non-fiction, some in biographies, some in mysteries, some in cookbooks and some in children's books. There are more, but you get the idea.
A ghost-editor can transform your story into a professional piece but you take all the credit. You receive a complete line-by-line edit that makes your work a masterpiece, because a ghost-editor is a writer too.
Editors critique your work and mark the manuscript to correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. They also mark sentence structure and technique errors. This allows you to make the corrections or leave them alone if that was the way you wanted it. Some potential authors don't want to change some of their work because that's the way they intended it to be. That's why most professional editors have unlimited discussions about the manuscript so the finished product is a hit.
A book editor is a valuable asset to any author who wants their book to be a success and a potential best seller.