Find Out Which Editing You Need
Step 5 in the self-publishing process: Hire an editor
Easier said than done.
To help you make an informed decision on editing you need to understand there are different types of edits freelance editors are experienced in and what the purpose is behind those edits. The editing you’ll need will depend on your strengths and weaknesses, the content of your book and the stage of the project you’re in. Here is a breakdown of the main types of editing that editors can perform for you.
Ghostwrite
This is where an editor takes the raw ideas and concepts of the writer and creates a full manuscript. Even after the editor finishes the manuscript you will likely need to run it through another round of editing. You will also need to doublecheck for plagiarism especially if that editor has churned out several similar manuscripts in the past.
Copyediting
This is a light editing that fixes mechanical errors in your manuscript such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. While this is often interchanged with line editing, what distinguishes this type of editing from line editing is that it’s less extensive. The purpose of this edit is to polish your manuscript, so your book looks its best. Usually, this is least extensive and usually the cheapest edit you can do.
Line Editing
As mentioned earlier this is often confused with copyediting. Per Archway Publishing, line editing falls between copyediting and developmental editing. As implied by the name this editing examines each line of your book. While grammar and spelling are looked at, this editing looks at the syntax of your text on a detailed level. If a sentence is too wordy or ambiguous a line editor should be able to spot it and help you find the right words to express what you’re trying to say.
Mechanical Editing
Per Archway Publishing, this type of editing looks at the “application of a particular style.” If you ever had to write an essay or research paper in high school and college likely your teacher asked you to write in a given style whether it was the Chicago Manual or Associated Press (AP) style. These styles dictate how you site sources. This editing is mainly applicable to manuscripts where you will need to cite sources such as a how-to or research book. These editors will focus on punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations or anything else related to style rules.
Substantive Editing
This editing looks at the overall organization and presentation of the manuscript but it also looks at the overall content. It is detailed in nature because it’s looking at the actual style or theme at a micro-level. This could involve looking for redundancies or clarifying a scene or chapter, one sentence at a time.
Developmental Editing
Also known as a structural edit, this editing looks at the big picture. This editing is focused more on the structure or content of the manuscript. Ideally, you will want to complete your manuscript before handing your manuscript for a structural edit so the editor can see how your story reads from beginning to end. A developmental editor will be the one to spot any plot holes, an unnecessary character or a scene that needs to be cut out. This is the most extensive and costliest of the edits.
Proofreading
This is a final review of the manuscript before it gets published. It involves checking for any grammar or formatting issues that may have been missed. It is advisable to save this for when your manuscript is completed and has gone through rounds of extensive editing.
Keep in mind that if you reach out to a professional editor, he or she may only specialize in certain types of editing. While they might bundle some of their editing together keep in mind, they may not do different types of editing at the same time. For example, editing that is looking at the big picture (developmental) would likely be serviced separately from a sentence-level edit. If you are unsure which type of editing they do, contact them to make sure you are on the same page. If you are fortunate to find an editor that does multiple types of editing at once that will save you time and money. However, the reality is that you may need to reach out to multiple editors to get comprehensive editing for your book. However, editing comes at a cost. And with the devastating efforts the recent COVID-19 pandemic is having on the economy, every penny really counts! I recommend reading this post to learn more about the costs behind editing.
If you are strapped for cash or still not sure what editing you need, ask yourself these following questions. Is your manuscript completed? If no and you are struggling to complete your draft a ghostwriter can do the heavy lifting for you by writing the full manuscript. If you answered yes to the first question, you should then ask yourself what are aspects of your writing that need the most attention? If you got feedback from a beta reader, critique partner or group this will be key in deciding what types of editing and how much you need for your book. If plot issues were called out, you need a more extensive edit that will fix plot and structural issues. Most fiction works will want to start with a structural or developmental edit. As I stated earlier, this tends to be pricey but honestly, if you can make room in your budget I personally insist that fiction writers take advantage of these editors! No amount of copyediting will fix serious plot issues! Otherwise, you may find that you have a manuscript that is technically “perfect” but has a plot that is crumbling at the seams.
Next, consider the type of manuscript. Is it fiction or nonfiction? If it’s fiction and you have no need to cite sources, you can skip the mechanical editing altogether. If you are writing nonfiction and your book requires a lot of research or quotations from other scholarly sources, you may want to consider a mechanical editor if your budget allows. If you decide not to get this editing done familiarize yourself with at least one of the styles guides out there by consulting a style guidebook. Most Word documents also can assist writers in using a consistent style in citing their sources. Under References in the top navigation ribbon, look for the Style dropdown and select your desired style. Again, do your research on which style will work best for your manuscript and stick to one.
Once you finish the weightier editing, I would strongly encourage any writer to do at least a line edit or copyedit. This will catch any mechanical errors that were missed. Copyediting is especially helpful in the later stages of the publishing process. Think of the structural editing as inspecting the foundation of a house. You want to make sure the house is structurally sound and sturdy before it’s ready to be put on the market. The line editing and copyediting can be likened to the finishing touches that make the house look clean, polished, and overall aesthetically pleasing for visitors. Similarly, this type of editing can make your book more readable and visually pleasing. At the bare minimum invest in at least a structural and line edit. After all, if you want to make a good first impression you want a book that’s both strong and polished.
