A Handy Guide to the Four Main Stages of Book Editing

When authors reach the “I need an editor” stage of book writing, it usually goes something like this: “I just finished revising my 90,000-word fiction manuscript and now I need an editor.”

For the professional editors that read such a statement, it doesn’t really say much. Why? Because there are different stages of book editing, each one targeting different aspects of a manuscript. “Editor” is often used as a universal term for anyone who makes corrections, though there’s much more to the editing process than that.

In fact, editing can be broken down into four general stages, and an editor in one stage doesn’t necessarily work in another, let alone all four. The stages are developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading.

Authors who are transitioning from writing their manuscript to editing it should have at least a general understanding of these stages, otherwise they risk hiring someone who is unfamiliar with or unqualified to provide the specific services they need. (PJC specializes in copy editing, proofreading and genre-dependent line editing, but does not handle developmental editing.)

This handy guide is designed to briefly explain each level, with examples, and help point authors in the right direction.

Developmental Editing

Think of developmental editing as a zoomed-out look at a manuscript. It reviews the big, broad elements that determine whether the story works. Think structure, organization of ideas, sequence of events, character development, conflict, pacing and more.

Sometimes authors get so deeply immersed in their work over time that they don’t notice when larger elements of their story get crossed up. Like if a character’s behavior or motivation changes from one scene to the next. Or if a large reveal comes too early or too late.

Example: A slow, effective build in tension between characters suddenly dissolves before the anticipated resolution, or goes away for several chapters, something a reader might find frustrating. Trained developmental editors will note that flaw in structure and conflict.

Line Editing

Line editing is often described as a sentence-level or line-level edit, which some might find confusing or unclear. A line edit addresses the quality and style of the writing itself. (Not necessarily grammar and punctuation fixes; those come next in copy editing.) In this stage, the editor’s intent is to refine and enhance the text so it is smoother, more fluid, descriptive and reader-friendly, all while maintaining the author’s voice.

Example:

Rob turned on the television to check the score. The scorebox in the corner screamed the good news—the Yankees led 6–5 in the ninth. Relieved, Rob flopped onto the couch, at ease for the moment.

A line editor might point out the original description of the scorebox is overwritten while the character's demeanor is underwritten. It’s also redundant, since “relieved” and “at ease for the moment” mean the same thing.

The edited version expresses the anticipation and relief through action:

Rob ran to the television to check the score. The Yankees led 6–5 in the ninth. “Yes!” he shouted at the screen. “Let’s go!” He took a deep breath and spread himself out on the couch for the final inning. “Come on, guys. Three more outs.”

Copy Editing

This is the stage that most people associate with “editing” — checking for grammar errors, misspelled words, misplaced punctuation, typos and word usage. But there’s more to copy editing than making technical fixes to the work.

Copy editors also make sure the work follows a particular style guide (Chicago Manual of Style in fiction, for example) or the author’s personal style preferences. They apply all style and grammar rules throughout the work and check that all character info, locations and other story elements are consistent. Most professional copy editors build a “style sheet” that keeps track of all information standardized throughout the work.

Example: 

Rob pumped his fist when the game finally ended. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 6-5, and now he could watch “Seinfeld” reruns in piece.

After copy edit:

Rob pumped his fist when the game finally ended. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 6–5, and now he could watch Seinfeld reruns in peace.

In this case, using CMOS as the style guide, sports scores are connected by an en dash (–), not a hyphen (-); titles of TV shows are set in italics, without quotation marks; and the incorrect “piece” is replaced by “peace.”

Proofreading

This is the final editing stage, and it’s often misunderstood. Many writers, and even some editors, use “proofreading” as a general term to describe searching for errors. But a proper proofread has a very specific definition. It is a final review that is done after all editing and formatting, meaning the proofreader is checking a digital “proof” that is prepared for publication.

Reviewing a print-ready proof allows the proofreader to check the table of contents, headers and footers, internal page references, photo captions, widows and orphans, and other elements of a printed book.

Example:

Rob pumped his fist when the game finally ended.. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 6–5, and now he could watch Seinfeld reruns in peace.

After proofread:

Rob pumped his fist when the game finally ended. The Yankees beat the Red Sox 6–5, and now he could watch Seinfeld reruns in peace.

In this example, the proofreader would catch the extra period after “ended” and the non-italicized “d” in Seinfeld.

One important final note: Editors understand that most authors do not have the budget to cover the full editing suite. That’s why it’s vital that authors understand the levels of editing and the specific service(s) their book needs.

It’s also why a discussion with a professional editor is so valuable before the editing process begins.