The Different Stages of Editing
Once you’ve finished your book and self-edited as much as you can, what’s the next step? Likely, it’ll be searching for an editor.
But where do you start? And what sort of edits does your book need?
Let’s figure it out!
Is there an order for editing?
Yes, there is. And for simplicity’s sake, here’s the order of editing:
1. Developmental Editing
2. Line Editing
3. Copy Editing
4. Proofreading
Once we get more into each stage of editing, it’ll make more sense why a book is edited in this order.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing comes first. Full stop.
Beta readers may get their hands on your manuscript before a developmental editor, but they do not get to determine if you need a developmental editor. Their feedback is typically from a reader’s perspective.
A developmental editor’s feedback is specific, detailed, and looks at all the big-picture elements of your story.
NOTE: Sometimes it’s called structural editing or even content editing. But personally, I don’t love it being called content editing simply because it’s a bit too vague for my liking.
Here are several of the big-picture components that a developmental editor looks at:
Plot: How the sequence of events from beginning to end unfolds.
Structure: How the plot is organized either via a particular story structure or otherwise.
Characterization: How the characters are presented; do their decisions make sense; and do they complete their arc?
Pacing: How the speed of the story unfolds and does it feel vary throughout the story?
Viewpoint: Ensuring that the POV character remains the POV character throughout the entire section or chapter.
Narrative Style: Is the narrative viewpoint conveyed in first, second, or third person?
Tense: Is the story told in present or past tense?
2 Need-to-Know Things About Developmental Editing
1) There are different types of developmental edits:
Full Developmental Edits – An editor will heavily annotate the margins of your manuscript, make revision suggestions, write up a lengthy editorial letter detailing the strengths and weaknesses (and include suggestions for revisions and/or rewrites), and some include a book map.
Manuscript Evaluations or Novel Assessments – These are lite versions of a full developmental edit. An editor will read through your manuscript, write up an editorial letter detailing the strengths and weaknesses, and provide suggestions for revisions and/or rewrites.
Check with what your potential editor offers and see if that works for what you want.
2) Developmental does not focus on spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
Line Editing
Line editing is the next step in the editing process. The level of editing goes line by line, revising for style, sense, and flow.
NOTE: Sometimes line editing is called substantive editing or stylistic editing.
Here’s what a line editor looks at:
Authenticity of phrasing and word choice in relation to character voice
Character-trait consistency
Viewpoint and narrative style consistency
Clichéd metaphors
Sentencing flow and pacing, with attention to overwriting, repetition, and redundancy
Consistent tenses
Show vs. telling in the prose and dialogue
& much more
2 Need-to-Know Things About Line Editing
Line editors may define their services differently. Some include a combination of line editing and copyediting, where line edits will occur first and then you’ll come back to the line editor for a round of copyedits. Check with what your potential editor offers and see if that works for what you want.
The line editing stage is not the place to be fixing the problems that should have been cleaned up in developmental editing.
Copyediting
Copyediting is the technical side of sentence-level work, that’s why many line editors will either combine services or offer them in separate passes.
Here’s what a copyeditor looks at:
Chapter sequencing
Consistent spelling of names, places, and things
Dialogue tags and punctuation
Letter, word, line, and paragraph spacing
Logistics of timeline, worldbuilding, and character traits and personality
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, and more
1 Need-to-Know Thing About Copyediting
Some editors will offer line and copyedits as one service—often as one pass or two separate passes. Check with what your potential editor offers and see if that works for what you want.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process before a book is published; it’s the last quality-control check, typically after it’s been formatted for print or digitally.
Here’s what proofreaders look for:
Any errors that may have slipped through the cracks.
Layout issues either missed in previous stages of editing or introduced during the formatting/design stage.
When you get to this stage, proofreaders can either annotate page proofs or work on the raw text if you’re looking at eBook publication or audiobook narration.
1 Need-to-Know Thing About Proofreading
Keep in mind that proofreading is not the only type of editing you need. It’s the last line of defense from self-edits all the way through developmental, line, and copy edits.
Why is the order of editing important?
It comes down to efficiency and money.
Keeping to the order is important if you want to handle all potential plot holes, pacing issues, and incomplete character arcs first before your manuscript goes off to a line editor or proofreader. It gets really complicated when you find plot holes later in the editing process.
If editing phases are completed out of order, you’ll be wasting a lot of time and money. And that’s exactly what we all want to avoid.
Do I really need every stage of editing?
Short answer, yes. It’s ideal to go through every stage of editing, however, I know the state of the world (and inflation) is making things close to impossible.
You don’t necessarily have to hire a professional for each stage; you can turn to writing groups, books, editor’s blog posts, and more for low-cost or free editorial support.
Here are some of my favorite books to help you with editing:
However, if you decide to work with a professional editor, invest in one who specializes in your weaknesses.