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Every writer needs an editor. Fiction authors, researchers, scholars, journalists, and more. It doesn’t matter the amount of experience someone has—we’re all human, and we all make mistakes.
When it comes to writing a book, there are multiple stages of creation: outlining, researching, drafting, writing, editing, revision, proofing, and ultimately, publishing. Before a book can get sent off to print, it must be edited. Some authors will take editing upon themselves in an effort to save money, while others will outsource the job to someone who specializes in the type of editing they need.
A note to any author who finds themselves looking to hire an editor: no two editors are the same. Each editor specializes in specific genres and types of editing they feel most comfortable and experienced with.
To understand your exact needs when it comes to hiring an editor, it’s best to start by understanding the six different types of editing prior to looking at who is available to hire. They are:
- Conceptual Editing
- Developmental Editing
- Line editing
- Copyediting
- Proofreading
- Fact-checking
Conceptual Editing
Few authors recognize this term, and that’s because this form of editing takes place at the earliest stages of the writing process usually before any writing has been done. Conceptual editing, according to Peter Ginna, is “when an editor and author talk through the outline of a book […] down to the level of phrases, words, and punctuation marks.”
Another way to look at this form of editing is a brainstorming consultation where the author approaches the editor with the idea, and the editor offers professional advice and organizational guidance on how best to string the story along to achieve the desired big picture result. They’ll usually ask questions regarding the plot and character arcs to remove the risk of running into too many plot holes, weak characters, and inconsistent descriptions.
During this phase of editing, the editor will not make any corrections or rewrite any of the work because—most often—very little or nothing at all has been written.
For an author who has written several books, hiring a conceptual editor might not be necessary for someone who has already developed an understanding of how to put all the moving pieces of their story in the correct order. However, speaking with a literary professional who understands book structures and storytelling tactics may be beneficial for anyone looking for guidance and feedback.
Developmental Editing
When it comes to developmental editing, this is what takes the longest. Developmental editing keeps in mind the big picture of the story and what the author is trying to convey. In this process, the story itself is the focus. Sentences, paragraphs, scenes, chapters, and even some characters run the risk of being removed from the manuscript depending on their strength and necessity for the telling of the story. In some cases, an editor will point out ways to strengthen these specific areas if their presence is necessary. On the other hand, developmental editing points out any plot holes and loose ends the author may have forgotten to address prior to the end of the book.
Developmental editing can be quite brutal for authors. It requires more revision than other forms of editing, but it also can be the most rewarding. This is the type of editing that shapes a story, clipping away at the unnecessary pieces just as a sculptor would a block of marble. Editors will provide authors with written detailed feedback on the manuscript while suggesting ways to modify the work to remove plotting inconsistencies, strengthen character development, and point out parts of the work that aren’t serving a purpose. The author will then review the feedback and make changes to the manuscript draft before resubmitting to the editor to review again. This process can repeat for several drafts, which is why developmental editing can often take several months to be considered complete. It’s typical that a round of developmental editing can take an editor a month, sometimes more or less dependent on their workload.
Line Editing
Line editing analyzes the manuscript line-by-line, ensuring sentences are put together in a simple and concise way. Depending on the author’s preferences, and how vicious the editor may be, many sentences may be rephrased or removed completely if their absence helps enhance the overall story.
Compared to conceptual and developmental editing which focuses primarily on the overall idea of a manuscript, line editing focuses on the minute details of each sentence. This process will address things such as sentence fragments and run-on sentences, while removing anything that doesn’t make the work read easier.
The goal of line editing is to ensure the reader flows through the book without stumbling across anything that makes them remember they’re reading. A good book keeps readers hooked so when they do look up from the pages, it’s like waking up from a dream.
Copyediting
Copyediting is the process of reviewing a manuscript and making corrections to any of the following:
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Word choice
- Tone
- Point of view
- Capitalization
- Tense
- Numerical usage consistencies
- Descriptive inconsistencies
Copyeditors confirm the manuscript style as well by checking that it follows the style guide required for the type of specific work. Most often than not, fictional pieces will be checked with the Chicago Manual of Style guide, which is what I use when editing an author’s manuscript.
Copyediting focuses heavily on ensuring the work is free from simple errors that could make the difference between the author looking like a professional or an amateur. Although it can be completed on its own without additional types of editing, copyediting is one form of editing that tends to find its way into all the other forms of editing. While doing line editing or proofreading, and editor will address any copyediting mistakes as needed.
Proofreading
Contrary to what most believe, proofreading and copyediting are not one-in-the-same. They are two different phases in the overall editing process.
Proofreading is done at the end of all editing when the story has taken shape and the major areas of editing have already been completed. Because this type of editing is completed at the end, this is the last review to catch errors before the manuscript is published. At this stage, manuscripts are usually already formatted, so the format will also be looked at during this round of edits.
While spelling and grammatical errors, plot development, and characters are a focus during this type of editing, editors will also address:
- Page number errors
- Headings
- Page brakes
- Review of table of contents
- Image placement if the manuscript has images
- Typography consistencies
- Layout
Fact-checking
Perhaps the most in-depth, time-consuming type of editing is the fact-checking. This type of editing is highly recommended to have completed for nonfiction pieces that focus on historical, cultural, societal, and news related content, although it can be done for any type of manuscript. In the past, I’ve done fact-checking for contemporary romance novels because the author wanted to know the exact type of weather on a specific day in a specific year because it was pertinent to the story.
One thing that makes fact-checking easier for both the author and the editor, is if the author keeps a running list of all the resources of where they found the information they included in the manuscript. Without a running resource list, fact-checking can take much longer to pin-point the exact details of certain information.
Hiring an Editor
In the end, understanding your exact editing needs prior to searching for an editor will save immense amounts of time. When you know what type of editing you’re needing based on the work that needs editing, it’s easy to do a quick Google search for editors with an expertise in that area. I mentioned before that no two editors are the same, so keep that in mind when looking at your needs, pricing, and turn-around time.
Things to consider are:
- their experience and credentials
- which genres they specialize in
- which type of editing they offer
- testimonials
Editing is not a step in the writing process that you want to skimp on. Take time to do your research to find a credible editor to hire.
One last piece of advice: don’t ask your best friend simply because they love reading. A love of reading is far different from an understanding of storytelling and technical writing. It will save you from a grueling headache (and possible embarrassment) in the long run.
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