How to Edit an Academic Edited Collection (and Stay Sane)

A messy desk covered in a laptop, papers, notebooks, and stationary.

Editing a book sounds impressive, doesn’t it? And an academic book, no less. But when you open the file and discover fourteen chapters written by twelve contributors in three different citation styles … well, let’s just say the shine wears off quickly.

Unlike an academic monograph or journal article, editing an academic edited collection means working with multiple voices, writing styles, and levels of clarity – all within a single manuscript that still needs to read like a coherent whole.

Sound like fun? Great, because we’re breaking down how to edit an edited volume, so you can approach your next project with confidence (and hopefully keep your sanity intact).

Table of Contents

    What Is an Academic Edited Volume?

    An academic edited volume is a book made up of chapters written by different contributors, usually on a shared theme or research area. It’s typically overseen by one or more volume or series editors (not to be confused with language editors). Their names are usually what you see on the book’s cover: “Edited by …” or “Editors: …”. These editors take a more managerial role by inviting contributions, shaping the structure, and often writing the introduction and conclusion.

    Edited volumes are common in the humanities and social sciences, where a single topic is explored from multiple angles. Each chapter stands alone but also contributes to the overall narrative or argument of the book.

    For language editors, this structure introduces interesting challenges.

    What Makes Editing an Academic Edited Volume Tricky?

    Edited collections come with unique (maddening?) quirks that make them a different beast from single-author manuscripts. You can expect:

    Inconsistent Style Across Chapters

    Each contributor writes in their own voice and with their own habits. That means punctuation, spelling conventions, capitalisation, heading levels, list formatting, and citation styles can vary wildly. One chapter uses ‘Figure 1’, the next uses ‘fig. 1’. One has Oxford commas everywhere, another has never heard of them. The trick? Standardising all of this without losing each author’s intent.

    Terminology Tangles

    Different authors may use different terms for the same concept, or the same term in slightly different ways. Understandably, this can confuse readers. A style sheet will become your best friend here. 

    Structural Mismatches

    Not all contributors will follow the same structure. Some provide detailed introductions and conclusions, others don’t bother. Some use subheadings, others stick to dense blocks of text. You may need to suggest restructuring or work with the volume editor or publisher to set a standard.

    Repetition or Gaps Between Chapters

    Since contributors often work in isolation, chapters may unintentionally repeat background material or refer to key ideas that aren’t actually covered. For example, we edited a collection where each chapter’s introduction was identical to the previous one. The only difference was the last sentence, which contextualised the specific chapter. In the end, each contributor rewrote their introduction.

    The Publisher’s Style Guide: An Editor’s Best Resource

    Clearly, consistency is scarce in an edited volume. That’s why editors should make the publisher’s style guide the first port of call. This document should answer all of your editorial questions regarding spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, use of numbers, structure, and references. Admittedly, some publishers’ style guides could be a bit (a lot) more comprehensive.

    Tip: If you find the style guide lacking (or non-existent), you can fall back on reliable conventions such as APA Style or the Chicago Manual of Style. An unbeatable all-round resource is New Hart’s Rules.

    Even if you don’t work directly with publishers like we do, you might work with the volume editor who is planning to submit the manuscript to a publisher. You still need to check the publisher’s style guide, or submission guidelines at the very least, to help increase the manuscript’s chances of getting accepted.

    Getting to the Good Stuff: How to Edit an Edited Volume

    So, you’ve got the manuscript, the style guide (or at least a fallback), and a mug of something caffeinated. This is how we tackle the edit methodically, efficiently, and (dare we say?) satisfyingly.

    1. Read the Brief (Yes, Properly)

    Before you touch a word, make sure you understand the expectations. Are you editing or proofreading? Has the publisher or volume editor asked for a specific type of edit or left it open to your judgement? Remember: Clarity upfront saves back-and-forth later.

    For example, one of the best briefs we’ve received divided tasks into macro and micro checks:

    We have clear instructions about what we can and can’t do. What more could an editor want from a brief?

    2. Get Familiar with the Style Guide (and Make a Cheat Sheet)

    If there’s a style guide, read it once, cry once, then pull out what matters: spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, references, formatting, figures/tables, etc. Create a one-page cheat sheet or editing checklist. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re knee-deep in the seventh chapter and can’t remember whether it was ‘chapter’ or ‘Chapter’.

    Don’t laugh – it’s true! The biggest lie editors tell themselves is “I don’t need to write that down. I’ll remember it.” Wait until ‘21st century’, ‘Twenty-first century’, and ‘21st Century’ are staring at you, asking you to remember.

    3. Start with One Chapter – and Build Your Style Sheet

    Pick a chapter (we like starting from the front with Chapter 1) and edit it thoroughly while building a custom style sheet for the volume. Note recurring terminology, formatting quirks, citation styles, and anything else that needs to stay consistent. This becomes your master reference.

    We take a bit of a longer route by first drafting on paper and then later transcribing it onto an MS Word doc for the client. That’s just our preference (we like to scribble and highlight). The biggest advantage of doing it straight in an electronic doc is that you can copy and paste examples. Sometimes, showing truly is better than telling, especially if you have exceptions or use cases. 

    Take en-dashes. Instead of ‘Use en-dashes with no spaces (closed) when dealing with date and page ranges, but use spaces (open) within text for emphasis or parenthesis’, try:

    En-dashes (–) [Alt 0150]

    Closed (no spaces). Use for date ranges, page ranges
    E.g. The exhibition ran from 12 June–18 August 2025 and is documented in the catalogue on pages 45–52.

    Open (spaces on either side). Use for emphasis, parenthesis
    E.g. She had one goal in mind – win at all costs.
    The final report – despite several delays – was delivered on time.

    Note how the entry shows what an en-dash looks like and provides the alt code for easy reference. The examples also demonstrate and contextualise each use.

    4. Edit One Chapter at a Time (But Keep the Whole in Mind)

    Treat each chapter as a mini project, complete with introduction, body, and conclusion. But don’t forget you’re working on a team effort, not a solo piece. You’re aiming for editorial consistency across the whole volume, even if each chapter has its own author, voice, and pet punctuation habits.

    While editing, ask yourself:

      • Does this chapter feel like part of the same book?
    •  
      • Are terms used consistently across chapters (e.g. ‘neoliberalism’, ‘neo-liberalism’, or ‘free market reform’)?
    •  
      • Is the referencing style identical? (Look out for sly variations like ‘p.’ vs nothing, or ampersands where there should be ‘and’.)

    We like to jot cross-chapter notes as we go: a separate list for terms, concepts, or citations that pop up repeatedly (or contradict each other). Sometimes you won’t realise there’s a problem until Chapter 8 suddenly mentions a theory introduced in Chapter 2 – except Chapter 2 never did. Whoops.

    This is where your style sheet earns its keep. When in doubt, check it. If it’s not in there, now’s the time to add it. 

    When sending the clean style sheet to the client, we like to list the overarching styles first and then break it down into chapter-specific styles. So, something like this:

    5. Watch for Cross-References

    Chapters in edited volumes often refer to “see Chapter 5” or “as discussed above”. These need to be checked because text moves. Chapter 5 might now be Chapter 7 or even Chapter 2. So, make sure you check any in-chapter references BUT also check the Table of Contents (TOC), Introduction, and Conclusion. Often, the Introduction and Conclusion summarise what readers can expect from each chapter, and they may never have been updated after chapters were reorganised.

    Now remember: if you’re editing for a publisher, the manuscript will be typeset. That means the A4 page on your screen is going to change to a smaller size. The book designer/typesetter will apply specific page, paragraph, and character styles. The font and its size will differ from the Times New Roman or Arial you’re editing in. Margins and design elements will mould the text further. So, something that was “shown below” or “discussed above” may no longer be.

    Don’t panic. It’s not as scary as it sounds. We simply highlight such instances in a specific colour (green is our go-to) and add a comment: “For the typesetter”. Mention it again in your email to the publisher, so they can flag it to the designer. They’ll then ensure these references correspond while typesetting. 

    6. Flag Repetition and Gaps for the Volume Editor

    You’re not the content overlord, but you are the one with the widest view. As you work through the chapters, you’ll start to notice overlaps, inconsistencies, and missing links. The things individual contributors might not see.

    Maybe Chapter 3 and Chapter 6 give a lengthy overview of the same theory (almost word for word). Or maybe a chapter keeps referencing “Smith 2009” like it’s foundational, but Smith is nowhere in the references. These issues affect the reader’s experience and the volume’s credibility, even if the prose itself is clean.

    Flag these in a clear, constructive way. You don’t need to rewrite, restructure, or referee academic disagreements. Your job is to notice and note – politely, precisely, and with enough context that the volume editor can follow up if needed.

    7. Tidy Up the Back Matter

    Ah, references. The unsung chaos gremlins of academic editing. Authors tend to polish their arguments but leave the reference list like a teenager’s bedroom: everything technically there, but in a state of questionable order.

    Start by checking that the reference list follows the correct style: Harvard, APA, Chicago, Oxford, something terrifyingly custom? Look at punctuation, italics, capitalisation, date placement, journal titles, and publisher details. Also check for alphabetical order, missing page numbers, inconsistent use of et al., and spacing issues (especially if the list was pasted together from multiple contributors). 

    Tip: Does the editorial brief say you have to include DOIs? Forget about looking up references individually to find them. Copy and paste the whole reference list into Simple Text Query from Crossref. It will bulk-check DOIs for you.

    Next, do a match-up between in-text citations and the reference list. Every Smith (2009) mentioned in the body needs a corresponding entry at the end.

    Tip: Confirm whether the references are in a reference list or a bibliography. A reference list means every reference on the list must appear in the text and vice versa. But a bibliography can contain references that don’t appear in the text. The point is to present readers with additional resources they might useful.

    It’s tedious work, yes, but it makes a huge difference to the book’s professionalism. And you, dear editor, are the last line of defence.

    8. Review the Table of Contents and Front Matter

    By the time you reach this point, the main chapters might feel like old friends (or adversaries). But don’t forget the front matter. It sets the tone for the entire book, so it deserves just as much care.

    Start with the TOC. Make sure all chapter titles match the final versions (including subtitles), the order is correct, and page numbers (if added) are accurate. If any chapters were renamed or reordered during editing, double-check that those changes made it through to the contents.

    Tip: If you’re editing for a publisher, the TOC is less of a headache. The typesetter will generate a new TOC after completing the layout.

    Next, look at the author bios. Are they consistent in style and tone? Does one list every academic achievement since 2001 while another simply says “Dr Smith teaches history”? Standardise phrasing, punctuation, and what details are included.

    Tip: It’s best practice to include ORCiDs in author bios. So, if some bios include them and others don’t, leave a recommendation that authors add their missing links. 

    Don’t skip the Acknowledgements, Foreword, or Introduction. These often slip through the editing cracks. Apply the same editorial eye you’ve used on the chapters: clarity, tone, grammar, and formatting. These sections set expectations for readers and offer insight into the volume’s purpose, so they should be clean and coherent.

    9. Do a Final Pass for Flow and Polish

    You’re on the home stretch now! But before you send it off, give the entire manuscript one last pass. You’re not deep editing – it’s a top-level skim to make sure everything hangs together smoothly.

    Read in order, from the front matter through to the last reference. You’re looking for anything that breaks the reader’s flow: inconsistent formatting, stray headings, mismatched figure numbering.

    This is also your chance to double-check things like:

      • Consistent chapter headings and numbering.
      • Uniform formatting across sections (especially references, figures, tables, and footnotes).
      • Any last-minute additions or deletions that might have disrupted previous edits.

    Think of it like smoothing the tablecloth after setting the table. The hard work’s done. Now, it’s just about presentation.

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    How to Edit an Edited Volume: It’s All About the Reader

    When you’re deep in the weeds of hyphens and citations, it’s easy to forget who you’re really editing for: the reader. Not the contributors, not the publisher, not even the volume editor – but the person who picks up the book, curious and possibly confused, and needs a coherent path through complex ideas.

    Your job is to make that journey easier.

    That doesn’t mean erasing differences or flattening voices. It means shaping them into a volume that feels intentional, not accidental. One that trusts its readers and respects their time.

    It’s detailed, sometimes thankless work. But it matters. And if you’ve made it this far (and still have enough brain left to spot an orphaned ibid.), you’re doing it right.

    Blue Leaf Team

    The Blue Leaf Editing team has over 15 years of combined editing, publishing, and book industry experience. We’re passionate about content and storytelling, and sharing our knowledge with others.