Editors are trained to do a lot of things: fix typos, correct spelling and grammar, eliminate wordiness, and improve the logic and flow of your writing. But their most underrated skill? Fact-checking.
As a non-fiction editor, this is a big part of my job. That’s not to say that authors are being sloppy or trying to mislead you. They’re just human and prone to errors. So fact-checking is a given in our job.
But let’s get one thing straight. I don’t fact-check everything. That would be madness (and a separate service). Ultimately, authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and integrity of their work (this is embedded in most publishing contracts).
Despite this, publishers often ask me to do a basic fact-check, not just to protect their author’s reputation, but to also make sure their book doesn’t attract the wrong kind of attention.
So what is a fact-check?
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, fact-checking is ‘the process of checking that all the facts in a piece of writing, a news article, a speech, etc., are correct’. These facts may include:
names (e.g. people, companies, brands)
dates (e.g. births, deaths, historical events)
numbers (e.g. measurements, statistics, currencies)
places (e.g. countries, towns, landmarks)
quotes (e.g. missing or incorrect words, sources)
Put simply, a fact-check ensures that the information being presented is accurate and doesn't mislead, confuse or cause harm. At a time when ‘misinformation’ and ‘false information’ are rife, getting your facts straight is more important than ever.
When should a book be fact-checked?
Ideally, your book should be fact-checked before submission, either by you, an industry peer or a professional fact-checker. But even if this happens, it’s easy to mix up statistics, bungle place names or misread information. That means that an editor still needs to review your manuscript to make sure all your facts check out.
In general, fact-checking happens during the copyediting phase of the publishing process. If you do it during the proofreading phase, any corrections could affect the layout and design. (Having said that, I’ve picked up factual errors during proofreading, but this was before the pages were laid out.)
If you want to understand how editing services differ – and request a fact-check at the right time – see Copyediting vs. proofreading: What’s the difference?
Note: If you think your book or content needs heavy fact-checking, let your editor know so they can budget and schedule accordingly. In case you were wondering, fact-checking is included in my copyediting fee. To find out more, see my Services page.
How much fact-checking will be required?
It's hard to guess how much fact-checking is necessary before I take on a project (some chapters can be cleaner than others), but a sample edit gives me a pretty good idea.
If I find lots of errors in the first chapter, I contact the author or managing editor and let them know. They may choose to correct them, increase the budget or tell me to spot-check only. (One client didn’t have the time or budget for extensive fact-checking, so they included a disclaimer at the end of the book.)
I usually have a gut feeling when something isn't right. Odd spelling or accents can tip me off. If the writer made quite a few errors in the first chapter, I ramp up my fact-checking. If they didn't, I only perform random checks.
Also, the level of fact-checking can depend on the author's background. For example, I find that academics make fewer errors than new or self-publishing authors, probably because their research methods are more rigorous. Plus, many have their work peer-reviewed beforehand, so any issues are addressed before the manuscript is handed over.
How I fact-check your book
When it comes to fact-checking, different editors have different approaches. Most will check facts as they edit. Others do it before or after. I prefer to check as I go. This means I can review each fact in context (this is crucial!) and ensure that nothing slips through.
While it would be great to check every fact in a book, not all facts are created equal; they're prioritised based on importance. If a fact can mislead, hurt someone’s reputation or attract legal trouble, then we always check it.
So here are five ways I verify facts when I’m editing:
1. Using at least two unrelated sources
When I come across a name, date or claim, I check at least two unrelated sources to verify the fact. This means choosing sources that don't reference each other or come from the same publication.
If I find conflicting information, I may increase those sources to three or four, just to make sure. I usually choose primary sources over secondary sources – they're generally more reliable. If the information can't be found, I flag it with the author.
2. Choosing reputable sources
When checking sources, I make sure they’re credible. My go-to are government organisations, library databases, dictionaries or subject matter experts. If in doubt, I go straight to the source.
For example, I once needed to confirm a film character's name, but Google gave me mixed results. So I looked up the original script at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (most scripts can be viewed online) and confirmed the spelling.
If the author has provided an online reference, such as an article or website, I check this too. However, personal blogs, social media posts or low-authority websites are often discounted, unless there are no other sources available.
3. Ensuring my sources are up to date
I make sure my sources have the latest information. While some facts don’t change (like JFK's assassination or when women got the vote in New Zealand), other facts will, like mental health statistics or the President of Uganda. I once edited a book where an author cited a law that had since been repealed. I take nothing for granted!
4. Checking famous quotes
It’s too time-consuming to check all the quotes in a non-fiction book (unless something looks odd, in which case I’ll query the author), but if there are any famous quotes, I’ll check these against printed sources, which can usually be found online. You’d be surprised how many lines by Gandhi, Mark Twain and Jane Austen are misremembered or wilfully distorted, so I always check these.
5. Doing a gut check
Editors often talk about doing a ‘gut check’ on facts. We often get a feeling something is wrong. (This is more scientific than it sounds; I’m convinced it’s our subconscious at work!) If a place name has unusual spelling or a statistic doesn't support the argument, we investigate.
I recently proofread an article that referenced Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’. However, the writer had written ‘Enter the Sandman’. I had a feeling that ‘the’ shouldn’t be there. A quick check confirmed I was right.
But my gut can respond to less obvious errors. For example, one author mentioned an infringement that would attract a $25,000 fine. I thought the fine was excessive, so I looked it up and discovered that it should have been ‘up to $25,000’. That’s a pretty big distinction, so I flagged it.
Do I ever use Google to verify facts?
Yes, I’ve used Google to check popular culture references. It provides articles, blogs and social media posts that help verify celebrity names, events or quotes. While these are considered low-quality sources, they may be the only ones available. I’ve also used LinkedIn for people's names and companies, or YouTube for webinars and film clips.
Summing up: Getting your facts right
While authors do their best to verify facts before submission, many editors do a light or medium fact-check, even though publishers don't officially request this service. It's something we do as a matter of course, not because we're pedantic, but because we want your writing to build trust and keep readers immersed (rather than questioning the veracity of your facts). There's nothing worse than publishing something wrong or misleading and going into damage control when readers find out!
Got a non-fiction book that needs editing and fact-checking? Get in touch via my contact page or request a sample edit.
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