Every writer must face the reality of editing at some point. It may not be an enjoyable process, but it is something that is required to produce a professional-level book.
Being a writer requires you to develop a thick skin, and the best way to do so is by politely receiving feedback through the best editing services. However, it is unlikely that you will require every sort of editing available. Because let’s face it, there are several styles of editing, including professional proofreading services, line editing, copyediting, etc.
Read on to see which is which. The article explains the optimum applications and times for each form of editing so you can publish the finest book possible.
Developmental editing
A developmental edit is frequently the first step in editing a book. A manuscript evaluation is also known as content editing or substantive editing. This sort of editing takes a broader look at the manuscript’s general structure.
Some people who are suffering with their tale seek assistance from a developmental editor, as this is a type of editing that may be done before the complete book is finished.
Developmental editing is reading the entire manuscript and providing you with an overall summary (referred to as an editorial report) of what works and what doesn’t. A developmental editor will check for flat characters, story flaws, confusing situations, a lack of tension, and unexplained character motivations. The editorial report also highlights what is functioning well so you know what to keep!
Structural Editing
Structural editing also examines the overall structure of your manuscript like developmental editing. Structure and flow are inextricably linked and difficult to define separately. Every book (fiction and nonfiction) requires a decent flow to keep readers interested, whether entertaining or informative.
This is exactly what structural editing is about. In contrast to developmental editing, a manuscript critique or evaluation edit typically requires a finished document to be submitted to the editor. Once again, you’ll receive a summary of the suggested adjustments (what works and what doesn’t), as well as a marked text with extensive remarks.
Editorial Assessment
An editorial assessment can help you identify whether or not your work requires editing. Alternatively, what type of editing do you require? This may appear unclear, so allow me to clarify. Assume you have completed your manuscript but realize it requires expert editing because 99% of manuscripts do require editing. You don’t know what form of editing will help your novel the most.
Enter an editorial assessment, often known as a manuscript assessment. A professional editor will examine various sections of your manuscript and recommend the type of editing that would best fit your material.
The framework appears to be sound, but are there any grammar issues? You might use line editing or copy editing.
Line Editing
Line editing is mostly concerned with the style of your manuscript. It is sometimes referred to as stylistic editing. A line editor will examine your prose, writing flow, use of tense, descriptions, and other style-related issues that can make or break a good reading experience.
Line editing differs from structural editing. In line editing, the editor digs deeper into your content. Structural editing takes a broad picture of your novel’s style and structure, whereas line editing edits the stylistic decisions you make while writing.
Copyediting
A copyedit is all about perfecting the mechanism of your story. In this case, copy refers to the text on the page. So, a copy editor (or copyeditor) is in the weeds, searching through the specifics to ensure that your writing fulfills overall standards of correctness.
A copy editor is not concerned with stylistic decisions; instead, they look for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors.
However, copy editors perform other functions as well. They check for correct subject-verb agreement, capitalization, dialogue tags, and consistency. Did you write one character’s name when you meant another? A copyeditor will catch it. Did you use a word that could have been replaced with another? Leave it to a copy editor to suggest a better word.
Proofreading
A proofreading is often the final step in the editing process. It’s intended to ensure that no errors get through before clicking publish. Proofreaders, like copy editors, examine every detail of a book. A proofreader is responsible for checking every word, punctuation, period, and space.
A proofreader also identifies inconsistent use of italics, which may confuse a reader. You might think of proofreading as the final line of defense against the minor flaws that may turn readers off.
Substantive Editing
Substantive or content editing is a comprehensive editing procedure. Because of this, it is also known as a content edit. Substantive editing focuses on sentence structure, content, grammar, content, word usage, and overall style. Content editing is essentially a combination of the various editing types listed above.
When you submit your work to a substantive editor, you must expect to receive critiques at the sentence level, general structure, and everything in between. This is a comprehensive manuscript editing service.
Fact-check Editing
People also refer to this as the “expert witness” edit. Assume your book is about a topic in which you are not an expert. And, let’s be honest, most of us write about a wide range of topics, and we can’t possibly know everything there is to know about each one. That’s why a fact-checking specialist can be quite useful.
You can hire a dedicated fact-checking editor, though they are less common than the other editors on this list, but the best individuals to contact are typically the experts themselves.
Final words
There is a lot of overlapping between editing services. Some people use copy and line editing interchangeably. Others use the term “proofreading” to refer to copy editing. It can all be quite complicated. When hiring an editor, it is critical to be completely clear about the services he or she will provide.
