The different levels of editing
and the editorial professionals
who can bring the best out of your book
The joy of a finished manuscript... At last, the sizzling keyboards are cooling down and the crashing tabs in the browser are closing one by one. After weeks / months / years / decades it is done, and it is…
…in need of some type of editing.
Relax! If you know where and what to look for, you’ll find an amazing person who will help you in one / two / all of these stages.
This post will give you an idea about what the different levels of editing involve. However, always check your chosen expert's description about the services they offer – there can be slight differences.
Let’s dive in!
Developmental editing
(you can also find it under substantive, structural, or content editing) often deals with the whole of your book, what makes it work. Plot, narrative view point, characterisation are only a few aspects your editor will examine – and yes, it takes time, it’s costly, and you might need to change things around. You’ll receive comments in your text linked to an editorial report (often 15–20 pages long) which will focus on strengths and weaknesses, and make suggestions for improvements such as in pace or the efficiency of dialogue. You can take or leave the recommended changes, but they share your aim: to create an engaging, page-turner story.
An alternative solution to developmental editing is finding an editor who offers manuscript critiques. They will read your manuscript and send you an editorial report which is a similarly unbiased, professional evaluation of the storytelling components, only – depending on your agreement – less descriptive and more gentle on your finances.
Line editing
is what shapes your ideas, what gives the hypnotic sense to your words, that ‘Just one more chapter!’ nudge. No one will tinker with your style. It’s about grasping the root of the meaning and giving it a fixing tug, so the sentence structures are clear, the dialogues work well with the character and the reader, and the overall prose reads smoothly without repetitions and over-descriptions. These are only a few examples you will find fixed directly in your manuscript, plus you’ll get a style sheet with all the major decisions your editor has made.
Copyediting
is about saying bye to distractions. Your editor will address issues in consistency and accuracy (like capitalisation, hyphenation) while checking grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Again, you can expect to see the changes in your text and a style sheet if you didn’t have one already. Copyediting and line editing are often combined services, so always talk to your editor about your text’s needs before the work starts.
Proofreading
is the finishing touch once the copyediting stage is done and your text is designed, ready for printing and publication. It is the last chance to catch inconsistencies, typos, or misplaced commas, while also looking at the lay-out, chapter titles, page numbers, widows and orphans, etc. Usually, you’ll have a PDF file or a hardcopy, where the proofreader will mark-up any faults or queries.
Proof-editing is an emerging, hybrid editorial service, which is proofreading on a Word document using Track Changes. Often this involves more thorough changes in the document, but the depth of the suggestions and amendments depends on your editor or proofreader. It is an inexpensive solution which works well for electronic publications.
There you have it!
The basic outlines of what to look for and what to expect when your fiction novel is finished. Remember, the right editor will advise to your advantage – none of us will try to sell you a service that doesn’t suit your text’s needs.
Also, check out this handy fact sheet from the CIEP if you need further information.
Hope this article helped, and you’ll be more confident to seek out an editor.
If it’s a proofreader you’re after, then you’re at the right place!
Take a look at my Services page where you can download a free booklet
about proofreading.
Or contact me for a chat, and let’s see where it takes us!
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