Do You Know What Type of Editing You Need?

People think editing means correcting grammar. But there is much more to it. Many authors never get the proper edits for their novel—and worse, are none the wiser after publishing it.

Here's What You Need to Know

Developmental Editing

A developmental editor focuses on the big picture of a story, such as plot, characterization, setting, POV, and more. Since every manuscript has different issues, a developmental editor may point out anything from content gaps, to inconsistent characters, or missing plot arcs.

Developmental edits can come in a variety of formats, like feedback in a lengthy letter or direct manuscript editing, which may include moving paragraphs to improve story flow, deleting big repetitions or filler, and tracking the continuity of plot, setting, and character.

Before you write your novel, some developmental editors may provide consultations or outline editing to help you plan your story and concept.

Note: When looking for the right developmental editor, don’t just compare price. Understand the value of what you’re getting and the compatibility between you and an editor. You could send your manuscript to five editors and get different thoughts and answers back from each one. Choose the editor who best suits your needs and helps you grow.

Line/Substantive Editing

A line editor goes through a manuscript line by line to improve overall flow, readability, and clarity. This includes smoothing awkward sentences, tightening wordiness, suggesting transitions, and improving word choices. Because every word has its own personality, it’s important to use the right one for the right purpose (screaming vs. shouting).

Additionally, a good line editor can improve writing rhythm, elegance, and emphasis without changing your voice. That off-key sounding orchestra is now a harmonious symphony of words.

Copyediting

Finally, copyediting — what most people think all editing is. Stuff like, “it’s whom.” A copyeditor follows the rules of grammar and style. And guess what? Copyediting can have three different levels. That’s right. Levels within levels!

Light – Corrects errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and word usage (their/they’re/there). And ensures consistency of spelling, punctuation, style, and numbers (spelled vs. numeral).

Medium – All the tasks for light copyediting, and: ensures consistency of tone, changes headings to achieve consistent structure, and flags inappropriate figures of speech and conflicting statements.

Heavy – All the tasks for medium copyediting, and: removes wordiness, smooths transitions, moves sentences to improve readability, and suggests additions and deletions. The line between heavy copyediting and substantive editing is often blurred, and can mean the same thing to some people.

Proofreading

This is not a job for your mother or English teacher (unless she’s a proofreader). A proofreader checks a manuscript, word for word, against typeset copy or in an ebook format to correct any last surface errors. This includes word spacing, font consistency, stray punctuation and grammar errors that were missed by a copyeditor, and much more. This is a final check before publishing (that's a lot of pressure), so no significant changes can be made to the manuscript at this level.