Hey everyone! This month's Freelance Friday is focused on different editing types, why it's important to know the difference, and how to make the most out of other routes in case your budget is tight!
A question I get asked often is regarding what type of
editing is most needed for a manuscript. And the answer is—it depends on you,
and it depends on the manuscript!
So let’s go in order and review the most common forms
of editing.
1. Developmental or Content Editing
This is after you have a completed (or mostly completed) draft. The
developmental edit will focus on plot, character arcs, themes, and tightening
your story overall. You’ll want to focus on this before you pursue other forms
of editing. This is ideal for authors who aren’t sure that their story is as
solid as it could be, or who struggle with character arcs. If a full
developmental edit is not in your budget, consider a manuscript critique: it
may not be as in-depth as a developmental edit, but it will still give you
building blocks for improving the major issues within your story, oftentimes
regarding character arcs or plot holes. If a manuscript critique isn’t in your
budget either, consider vetting some solid beta readers that you can trust!
2. Line Editing
This
stage of editing will look at each sentence line-by-line. It tightens each
sentence, improving sentence structure, flow, and readability. This is perfect
for authors who struggle with “show don’t tell.” You’ll want to make sure your
draft is complete and revised for this one.
3. Copy
Editing
This form of editing is typically done later on in the writing process, with a manuscript that you’re confident is complete or nearly so. Copy edits clean up grammar, punctuation, and typos. This is great for the author who is bored to death with grammar rules. By now, you will want to ensure your manuscript is formatted to some level (i.e., paragraphs dialogue starting in new paragraphs, quotation marks, etc.). If you’re a grammar nerd, consider taking a few different rounds through your manuscript to self-edit—however, beware change-blindness!
4. Proofreading
This
form of editing is one of the last steps you’ll want to take before your
manuscript is published. Proofreaders will complete one last polish for the
stray typo before publication—mostly the tiny things like an extra space or a
quotation mark that isn’t stylized properly. One thing I see often:
proofreading being mistaken for copy editing or formatting! If you have an
attention to tiny detail, consider printing your manuscript out (to combat
change-blindness) and completing a couple rounds of proofreading yourself to
cut down on costs.
As you can see, there are a lot of options for indies to have that polished, professional finished manuscript—and the steps are similar (if not the same) as traditional publishers may take! I always recommend that you have multiple pairs of eyes on your book, because it’s hard to catch everything on your own. Even a single editor may not catch every single error—we start getting “change-blindness” if we keep reading through the document over and over as well. It’s crucial to have a team you can trust.
So—how do you know whether your editor will work well with you and your goals for the manuscript? Always look on their website or inquire about free sample edits. Editors typically offer some sort of sample, and it works well both for you and the service provider/editor to make sure you’re going to work well together and also so the editor knows what level of work will be involved with the project—some manuscripts need a lot of work, and others don’t! If you're on a tight budget, you may also ask about whether or not the editor offers payment plans (chances are, if they do, they'll mention it somewhere on their website). I do, and I know several editors who do. So if editing is a strain right now, there are definitely options out there for you!
Also check into testimonials for your potential editor
and ask for recommendations on writing community boards or your critique
groups!
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