What is copyediting?

Copyediting is the process of reviewing written text, or ‘copy’, refining and polishing it to make it clear, consistent and correct. It works on the sentence and line level, unlike developmental editing, which focuses on big-picture items like structure and plot, and comes earlier in the publication process.

At Hoss Publishing, our copyedits check for:

• correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation

• consistent language, tense, and style

• continuity errors in timelines, characters or statements

• clarity, surfacing any awkward phrases or flow improvements.

We do all of this while preserving your unique voice. The story and narrative are yours, and that won’t change. We’ll just help you, the author, deliver it to the reader.

Why should I copyedit?

Our copyedits don’t just help you as the author. In self-publishing, you’re also the publisher, formatter and designer. Our copyedits help make life easier for each persona you’ll have to become. We’ll produce a comprehensive style sheet, documenting every decision we – that’s you and us – have made for the manuscript, be that hyphenation, capitalisation (or capitalization!), or choice of speech marks, and we’ll provide it to you so that you use it for the next stage in the publishing process, whether that’s with us or not, and you can keep it to hand when writing your next book.

In addition, our copyedits also help your readers. We’ll make sure the language – vocabulary, grammar, syntax – is appropriate for your chosen audience, and if there’s anything we think needs attention, like obscene or discriminatory language that doesn’t fit your narrative, we’ll flag it for your consideration.

What is proofreading?

Proofreading is the final stage in the process of producing text before publication, and applies whether you're publishing digitally, in print, or both.

Proofreading surfaces any mistakes that have not been picked up previously – even by the copyeditor! – but a good proofreader should also consider what effect their changes have on the document as a whole. Think of proofreading as Quality Assurance, while the editing that has gone before is Quality Control.

Why should I proofread?

No matter how careful you, your editors, or your early readers have been, errors can still creep through. Even the most successful authors have sent their work out into the world with mistakes in it! Our minds filter out some textual errors – especially if we're familiar with what we're reading. That's why every piece of work can benefit from a thorough proofread – a fresh pair of eyes to catch anything that has crept through, confirm it reads as intended, and make sure it's consistent with the style sheet throughout.

What is formatting?

Formatting, in a publishing sense, is defining how your text appears across all versions of it, without changing any of the actual words on the page.

Why should I format?

Depending on how you wish to distribute your book, you will need to create a specific type of file – or format. 

For example, if you want to make your work available digitally (as an ebook) the type of file you need is not the same as the PDF you'll need for printing. In most cases, files with the extension .epub will work. They allow functionality like different font style and size, and pages will automatically resize relative to the reader's device. Chances are you've used word processing software – like Word or Pages – to write your novel. That's a different file type altogether, and will need to be converted before it can function as an ebook. We can take care of that for you.

Book cover design

A cover does more than protect your pages – it signals to potential readers that they're in the right place. Genre, tone, and font all matter, and we'll make sure your book hits the right notes and is on-trend.

Whether you've got a cover design or artwork ready, or you need a cover designed from scratch, we can help. We'll either incorporate your existing artwork into the finished product or we'll create one for you, involving you every step of the way. All Hoss Publishing book covers are created without the use of AI – our designs are proudly human.

Where should I publish?

That depends. You need to decide where you want to focus your time and energy, particularly if you're publishing digitally (an ebook). For independent authors, there are typically two approaches: publishing 'wide' or sticking to Amazon.

There are pros and cons of each strategy – we can talk you through them all – but it essentially boils down to weighing up the benefits of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Amazon exclusivity (which opens up Kindle countdown deals, plus access to Kindle Unlimited subscribers) with the combined reach of other, smaller platforms such as Kobo and Apple Books. 

What about print?

For print distribution, you face similar considerations. Sticking with Amazon's KDP platform gives you access to print-on-demand services, which avoids the need to shell out large sums of cash on a stack of copies, plus Amazon gives you a free ISBN – International Standard Book Number – which typically costs £93.00 each (less if you buy in bulk). This locks you to Amazon as the publisher of record, who will provide the national library with a copy on your behalf – this is a legal requirement for all printed books. The trade-off is availability – copies of your paperback or hardback can only be ordered through Amazon, and most independent bookshops won't stock them. Some will actively refuse to order them.

What can I do myself?

Honestly? Almost everything. You can learn how to complete every step of the publishing and distribution journey yourself, if you've got the time and the desire. A word of caution, however: there are lots of resources claiming to be 'experts' who can teach you everything for a fee. Be very wary. You can learn from genuine experts for no cost at all (see David Gaughran's Starting from Zero course). If you'd rather we take care of it all first time around, you can shadow us and learn as we do it.

What can I NOT do myself?

Editing and proofreading, and that's because you – the author – are too close to the material. Sure, every rewrite and fresh draft you create is you editing your own work, but every author needs another mind – one trained to edit – to pick through their manuscript. Even the very best and most successful writers never let their work out into the world without a proper editor – sometimes several editors! – working on it.

Unless you have graphic design expertise and a deep knowledge of your genre and the wider market, designing a cover that ticks all the boxes is genuinely difficult.

Can I find my own editor and book cover?

Of course! That's what makes our packages stand out. You can choose which parts you want, and leave out the things you don't need. If there's anything you're unsure about, or a proposal you've received from elsewhere that you want some advice on, we're happy to talk it through with you – free of charge. We're here to help, whether you're a client or not.