Editing Types

Do you know about the different types of editing, and when it is best to hire a certain type of editor? Knowing the difference in editors helps you get the right pair of eyes on your work as you progress towards publication. Every writer and each draft will need a different set of editors. In this article, I describe self-editing and the different types of professional editors, and when each is best for your work.

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Hello Inkers!

Now that the ink on your draft is dry, it's time to move on to editing! I firmly believe one of the best ways to improve your work is to get another pair of eyes on it.

I would like to preface with a note for the new writers and young writers: do not equate editing with your worth as a writer! A writer's worth is in their love for their story. Just because a writer needs assistance finding the best way to tell their story, doesn't mean their story is bad. Some writers may lean more on editors than others, and that's okay!

Before you hire an editor, you should self-edit, and the most vital step of self-editing is stepping away from your work for at least two weeks. Many recommend a whole month.

Stepping away is important for two reasons. Firstly: rest. You've just written a complete (or mostly complete) draft, celebrate and give your brain some time to relax! Secondly: refresh. By stepping away from your work and resting, you should transform yourself from brainstorming-and-writing mode to editing mode. Your brain shouldn't be as crowded by ideas and what-ifs and should instead be more focused on what is in front of you, what is on the paper/screen.

When you come back to your work, you should prepare to read through it and rewrite it a couple or few times. At first, your focus should be on character and plot. You may even find continuity errors you hadn't noticed before. Then you can work on the flow and pacing of your story, and you'll catch grammatical errors as you edit.

Keep in mind that self-editing will never be 100% reliable. Your eyes can be fooled by your brain, reading over errors as if they aren't there because your brain believes you wrote it a certain way. In addition, it's just generally difficult to correct yourself, and I think that just has to do with human nature.

COPY EDITING

When you think of editing in general, you're probably thinking of copy editing. Copy (text) editing is editing that focuses on grammar, sentence structure, and voice. It's focused on the writing being professional and consistent.

Copy editing is a near final step. You won't need a copy editor until you think your story is finished. If you were to make dramatic paragraph changes to your manuscript after a copy editor evaluated it, these new chunks could have grammatical errors.

DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

Developmental editing is editing focused on story instead of technical writing. They read the story for plot holes, character discontinuities, flow, etc. They're not focused on sentence level edits like grammar. They keep in mind how a story usually flows in your work's genre, and what its intended audience expects of the piece.

A developmental editor is your first step in editing. While more advanced writers may skip developmental edits, I highly recommend new and young writers hire a developmental editor. Developmental editing is usually the most expensive, but trust me when I say it is worth the price. Most editors offer payment plans.

You do not need a complete manuscript for a developmental edit. If you're having issues with plot in your story, you can reach out to a developmental editor and they will edit what you have and help you with where you're stuck. Of course, I would then recommend reaching out to the editor again once you have finished the manuscript so they can edit your additions to the work.

Some editors offer other category names as versions of developmental editing: content/substantive editing and evaluation editing. I view it like a spectrum of story editing from specific to broad. Content editing is more specific, while evaluation editing is more broad, and developmental editing falls somewhere in the middle.

LINE EDITING

As it sounds, line editors work line-by-line. Both in your editing timeline and by their type of editing, line editors work between developmental editing and copy editing. They think about story, but also about the line on its own in a technical sense. Line editors evaluate writing for good flow, style, how readable they are, and if the lines work together in the paragraph.

Line editing requires a complete manuscript, but is not concerned with character and plot overall.

PROOFREADING

Proofreading is the final editing process. Once you truly think your manuscript is complete, you send it to a proofreader. Proofreaders are only focused on grammar and spelling.

You may not need a professional proofreader if you have a handful of trusty critique readers. However, critique readers may also just glance over grammar issues as they are invested in the story. I think it comes down to how well you know your critique readers. To learn more about critique readers, check out my post on them here!

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Editing Timeline

• finished draft

• self-edit

• developmental edit

• line edit

• copy edit

• proofread

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Whenever you hire an editor, make sure there is a contract which both of you sign that states the final price and the timeline of the edits. Both you and the editor should have a copy of that document!

An important note: there are many variations among writers and editors alike on the different types of editing. Some may think there are more categories, while other's may think differently from my explanations. This is why, when you're looking for an editor, you should ask for or be able to find their exact set of editing skills. From there, you make your requests and payments!

Thank you for reading, and happy editing!