What Kind of Editing Do You Need?
/Repeat after us: “Every book needs an editor.”
Whether you’re writing your very first manuscript or cranking out your zillionth bestseller, all writers need an editor before being published. It simply isn’t possible to produce a perfect manuscript without collaboration. For an author, the question is never if editing is needed, but what kind of editing is needed. Here is a breakdown of the most common levels of editing you’re likely to need.
Developmental editing
Developmental (or structural) editing is all about the big picture, and it’s a wonderfully imaginative process! If you think of writing a book like building a house, then a developmental editor is the one who helps lay the foundation and frame the structure. If you’re writing a novel, this is the stage where we figure out how long your book will be, if you’ll write in the first or third person, and how to pace your plot. If you are writing non-fiction, we’ll determine your mission statement, your target audience, the number, length, and content of your chapters, and things like that.
Writers may also use developmental editors when they feel stuck on their manuscript, are uncertain about the overall shape of their project, or still need to write large sections. This phase is not about technical aspects of writing. That will all come later—and with a vengeance—but at this stage, it’s about the layout of the rooms, not the finish of the doorknobs.
Line Editing and Copyediting
Once your book is fully written, it’s time to zoom in. Line and copyediting have some overlap, which is why we present them together. While they have different emphases, editors will often provide both at once.
Line editing tends to focus on more subjective things like tone and word choice: it’s about elevating your style. Think of this as installing cabinetry and selecting light fixtures: these are the touches that make things beautiful. A good line editor will massage your writing, clarify your message, and buff away the rough parts, making sure your writing sounds like you at your very best.
Copyediting elevates your mechanics. This is the type of editing most people think of when they hear “editing,” and for good reason! If there is one level of editing no one can afford to bypass, it’s copyediting. This is when your editor will go over your manuscript with a fine-tooth comb and correct all the grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors you have long since become blind to. While many writers have a superb grasp on English grammar, copyeditors go further by enforcing a manuscript’s style guide (usually the Chicago Manual of Style), obscure punctuation rules, numbering and abbreviation conventions, and all the other stuff that “normal” people won’t know (or care to learn). Just as you’d never build a house without enlisting an electrician and plumber, you should never publish a book without a copyeditor.
Proofreading
Proofreading and copyediting are similar in that they center around the technical aspects of writing. However, proofreading is the final, final step, completed right before the book goes off to the printers. A proofreader goes over the edited manuscript and pinpoints errors that have escaped notice. At this point, the mistakes are usually tiny—an extra space here, a straight apostrophe instead of a curly one there. In our house analogy, this would be like dusting a windowsill or picking a stray dandelion from the front yard. While proofreading addresses granular technicalities that may not seem like life-or-death issues (no, the world won’t end over a misplaced comma), this is the step that makes the difference between an amateurish manuscript and a professional, marketable book.
Sometimes, editors will specialize in one type of editing over another. Other times, they’ll be able to do all of them. At Inspira, we offer all levels of editing—not to mention author website development, marketing packages, books layouts, and more. Our slogan is “from idea in head to book in hand,” which means we are here for you no matter where you are in your writing journey!