6.5: Editing for Publication

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Phase 5: Editing for Publication

Before you start the publication process, you will need to get a final edit. The rule of thumb with this type of work is to always base this editing off of a final proof. You need to see the final proof and edit from that in order to get a full sense of what your text will look like and to identify errors that will have cropped up in the production process. This type of editing is different than the standard editing that might come into play when you’re working through the prototyping and iteration phase. You will want to have a settled text that is ready for your final audience and publication when you start your final editing pass. The goal in this pass is to identify any missing content, any mismatches between your design and the final proof, and to catch any mistakes previous passes missed.

Remember that editing before production is a risk-mitigation strategy. Any errors you can catch before you go into final production will prevent costly and potentially embarrassing mistakes where you have a final run with glaring errors throughout. It costs much more money to pulp an entire print run than to reprint a proof.

In particular, focus on the colors, the quality of images, the location of content on the page, and other major features that can only be assessed once the deliverable has been put into its final form. You don’t want to end up with images that are too pixelated or blurry or pages that are aligned too close to a margin for readability.