Hiring copy editor for multi-author manuscript

[foralurker]

I'm coauthoring a journal article with several other authors. We each wrote our assigned sections and, as expected, it needs one person to go through it top to bottom so it reads as though one person wrote it. That person was supposed to be me, but I ended up with COVID and I'm having a hard go of it.

Would it be unethical to hire a copy editor to make corrections for consistency in the tone of the journal article? I'm assuming this is something a copy editor could help with.

Thanks for what I'm sure is a silly question. The idea of paying someone to do what was supposed to be my job feels weird.

[Puget]

I don't see why it would be unethical. For example, journals frequently suggest English copyediting when non of the authors speak English as a first language. I do wonder if a generic copy editor would do a very good job on this though-- editing for tone and voice is very different than editing for grammar, punctation and correct word usage. Can one of the co-authors take over this task? I would certainly step up and do something like this if someone was sick. Or if not, could you hire one of your grad students to do this? They would probably do a better job, and be eager for a little extra money.

[dismalist]

Or if not, could you hire one of your grad students to do this?

Absolutely! The point, I think, is to get an editor with knowledge of the substance.

In my yute I did quite a bit of this, for the cash.

[foralurker]

Great! Thanks for easing my mind! And yes, I'll be sure to share what my goals are for the copy editor.

[Parasaurolophus]

Not unethical, but potentially expensive. They usually charge by the word.

[mamselle]

Interesting, we were always told to charge by the hour, rather than by anything tied to the paper's length itself, because snarls could get really gnarly and untangling them could take longer than the word or page length would have suggested.

But that could also vary by discipline, I suppose (although the group I used to belong to was multi-disciplinary, and that was the general consensus, as I recall).

But yes, I've done copy editing for articles where the overall editor was tied up and wanted more work done on the pieces than they could put into it for various reasons (a newborn, in one case)...the usual rule was, if you pay them, you don't have to name them in the thank-you's is all, unless you want to.

M.

[dismalist]

Hard to monitor the hours, but one must monitor the output.

I used to work prix fixe, depending on length of manuscript.

[Hegemony]

Not unethical, but I can imagine paying a lot of money and then having to go over it anyway and fix it. I presume the copy editor will not be an academic in your field, and so potentially will change wording in ways unsuitable to the field, or that unintentionally misrepresent your thesis or results, or the like.

And who's going to pay? If the copy editor is revising everyone's work, all the authors should pay, not just you. But I can imagine that some might object.

I suggest just sending the manuscript to your intended journal, and letting them offer their comments. Because you might well have another round of revision ahead of you anyway. If you are too ill to do that, ask your co-authors who wants to take it over. And maybe that person is most suitable to do the revisions that a copy editor might have done.

[ergative]

In my yute I did quite a bit of this, for the cash.

*snrk*

[mamselle]

Not unethical, but I can imagine paying a lot of money and then having to go over it anyway and fix it. I presume the copy editor will not be an academic in your field, and so potentially will change wording in ways unsuitable to the field, or that unintentionally misrepresent your thesis or results, or the like.

And who's going to pay? If the copy editor is revising everyone's work, all the authors should pay, not just you. But I can imagine that some might object.

I suggest just sending the manuscript to your intended journal, and letting them offer their comments. Because you might well have another round of revision ahead of you anyway. If you are too ill to do that, ask your co-authors who wants to take it over. And maybe that person is most suitable to do the revisions that a copy editor might have done.

One can locate field-specific editors via various editorial networks; the Editorial Freelance Network is the most extensive, and there are others.

If it's done correctly, you shouldn't have to re-do; run a test page or two and evaluate before taking them on.

M.

[foralurker]

Thanks for the great advice!

[jerseyjay]

I do not think it is unethical. Both my books were copy edited by freelancers who specialized in a particular subject. (The press hired them.) I assume you could probably hire somebody like that. I have had friends who have been freelance copy editors. I believe that at least one of the indexers I hired for my books also did copy editing as well. My understanding is that copy-editing is much like being a philosophy professor: it requires a fair bit of knowledge, training and experience, but it is very hard to find a full-time job doing it.  I have no idea what it would cost to hire a freelance copy editor, though.

[mamselle]

The EfA site has pricing lists, or used to.

It also has a community bulletin-board type posting page where people advertise their areas of expertise, conditions of employment, etc.

Expect to pay more for a rush job: most good editors balance their work in advance among a stable of clients and/or publishers, and are often booked through the year for known upcoming projects.

M.

[Parasaurolophus]

In my experience, by-the-word charges tend to be around $0.06-$0.10. But they can get as high as $0.30.

[dismalist]

In my yute I did quite a bit of this, for the cash.

*snrk*

I do own a copy of the film! :-)