The people around the manuscript
Every role should have a defined responsibility, permission boundary and finish line. Explore what each professional does before creating a book-specific brief.
Interactive team planner
Choose the work in front of you. PocketAuthor will suggest roles—not people—and show the boundary of each job before you create a brief.
The right editorial pass—developmental, line, copy or proof—at the manuscript’s current maturity.
Learn the role and build a brief →Roles people often confuse
A ghostwriter creates agreed manuscript prose from your material.
A coach guides your decisions, habits and progress while you remain the primary writer.
Choose based on who will write the pages.Developmental editing addresses structure, argument, pacing and missing material. Copyediting addresses correctness and consistency.
Proofreading is the final error check after editing and layout—not a substitute for either earlier pass.
Work from largest decisions to smallest: developmental → copyedit → proof.An agent represents the author, submits work and negotiates deals, usually for commission.
A publisher acquires or contracts the book and manages some combination of editorial, production, sales and distribution.
The agent represents you to the publisher; the publisher publishes.A publicist pursues earned attention such as interviews, reviews and press coverage.
A marketer operates audience, channel and conversion activity such as email, partnerships and paid campaigns.
Publicity earns attention; marketing builds and converts demand.