Different Types of Editing

Developmental Editing

Do you need big-picture help on your manuscript? Developmental editing deals with these aspects, like plot, structure, pacing, characterization, and scene dynamics. If you’re still working out what works for your story, then this is the kind of editing you need. If you need this kind of help, but not a lot, or you just want to make sure you’re not missing anything, then the better choice for you may be the cheaper option of manuscript evaluation, which covers the same issues but not in as much depth. This is the level of editing that must come first because it can require rewriting and deleting, adding, or moving things around.

Copy and Line Editing

I offer this as a combo, though some offer this as two separate services. Line editing by itself didn’t really exist until about ten to fifteen years ago. Copy and line editing, as a combo, deal with the mechanics of writing and prose. This takes things such as grammar, punctuation, syntax, clarity, coherency, and flow into account. Of course, typos will get fixed here too. Repetitive words and phrases and changing phrasing to active voice are also common aspects of this kind of editing. This level of editing must go after developmental editing because you don’t want to be changing big-picture elements after getting the grammar and punctuation sorted out. Otherwise, new errors could get reintroduced into your manuscript.

Proofreading

This is the last phase of editing, and it is traditionally done on the PDF of the already-laid-out book pages. That way the proofreader can find any egregious errors that have slipped past the other stages of editing or got reintroduced during the typesetting process. Also, formatting issues such as stacks, rivers, header issues, pagination issues, and the like can be fixed before publication. This step absolutely must come last.

That should sum everything up for you! Please reach out if you have any questions.