The editorial process is the way a manuscript progresses from author to finished book. A large publishing house will have several kinds of editorial positions. A small independent publisher might contract an outside editor to work on a particular manuscript, or the owner may do all the work. Each editorial position, however large or small a publishing house, represents work that every book will require:

Acquisitions Editor

• Finds and signs authors with publishable work or book proposals that fit the publisher's goals
• Responsible for knowing a book's market and articulating a project's potential for success

Project Editor

• Schedules all aspects of the editorial process, which can include hiring the editorial team
• Responsible for setting and maintaining editorial standards
• Insures communication between members of the editorial team, including the designer

Developmental Editor

• Works with the manuscript, sometimes right along with the author, to develop a publishable work
• Work can include asking the author for additional content, restructuring and rewriting passages in accordance with a particular format or style, and/or excising content that does not fit a book's focus
• Establishes a skeletal style sheet with sample pages to be used by copy editor

Copyeditor

• Corrects errors in grammar, usage, and consistency
• Queries the author with questions about conflicting statements or facts and incorporates the changes

Proofreader

• Scours the typeset manuscript for typos and other errors

Production Editor

• Responsible for the entire production process, including scheduling and tracking
• Responsible for hiring a designer and acquiring estimates from printers
• Assures that books are well printed and delivered