Developmental, Substantive, or Structural Editing
Can we just call it one thing? Sheesh. Developmental, substantive, or structural editing is what most authors need after finishing a story draft. It’s the first level of editing, and you can think of it as fixing cracks in the foundation. If your foundation is wonky, there are holes in your plot, or you characters aren’t believable, then it doesn’t matter how polished your prose is—your readers will lose interest. If your story needs a developmental edit, then this must be done before any other editing takes place. If you get a copy edit, and then realize you need a developmental edit, then you’re going to need another copy edit after you complete the revisions on a developmental edit, because you’ll have new text that introduced new errors. Gah! That’s more work for the author and makes an expensive service even more expensive. Editing must always move from the macro-level to the micro-level. If you’re not a seasoned author whose story has been through rounds of talented beta readers, then you will probably benefit from a developmental edit. During a developmental edit, I work through the big picture issues that might need to be addressed. Here are a few questions I ask myself while I’m performing this type of edit:
Are there any plot holes?
Are there scenes that don’t move the story forward?
Does the story progress naturally?
Do any events feel forced, planted, or unbelievable?
Are all issues that arise in the plot and subplot addressed for the reader?
Do the characters feel like real people, or do they feel undeveloped?
Does each character’s arc feel fulfilling to the reader?
Is there enough conflict, and is it working to progress the narrative?
Is the antagonist well developed and are their motivations believable?
Is the narrative voice consistent and engaging?
What is the theme of the story?
Is there recurring imagery or symbolism to support the theme? And if there is, does it work?
Does the setting feel real? Are there tastes, smells, sounds, feels, and temperature cues in the story?
Is the point of view consistent?
If the author is switching POV, is it because it’s convenient or does it serve the story?
Is there head hopping?
These are some of the questions I ask, and when something needs to be addressed, I note it in the margin. When doing a developmental edit, I provide heavy margin notes or comments using Microsoft Word’s Track Changes feature and a much shorter editorial letter than other editors provide. If an author prefers a longer editorial letter and minimal margin comments, then I’m happy to provide that if it’s more useful to them, but I find that writers are able to implement changes more effectively when they’re dealing with specific examples that don’t leave them in charge of locating instances that need revision. Chance are, they can’t identify the places they’re telling instead of showing, where their dialogue is falling flat, or where their pacing is problematic unless they’re flagged. I mean, that’s why we hire developmental editors, because we can’t see the issues in our own work. Where appropriate, I provide suggestions or examples for what might improve the text that needs attention. The author is free to use any suggestions I make (including all plot seeds!), but I encourage them to make it their own. This is deep, creative, and time consuming work, which is why it’s often the most expensive level of editing. You’re essentially buying space in an editor’s head while they’re working on your story!
Line or Stylistic Editing
This is the second level of editing, and it seeks to improve a story at the sentence level. Line editing occurs when all the big picture issues have been ironed out. Line edits improve issues with flow, pacing, dialogue, awkward sentences, redundancies, wordiness, non-standard dialogue tags, insensitive language, and minimizes use of passive voice, cliches, and clunky metaphors that draw too much attention to the author. When an edit is subjective, I make a comment and provide a suggestion for the author to review rather than altering the text. Where appropriate, I provide potential solutions for sentences that need to be reworked. This does not involve rewriting entire paragraphs of text—line editing is not ghost writing. This story is still yours, and it’s my job to preserve your voice and style while making it easier for the reader to move through the story. Too many changes and the author’s voice is lost in revision. A line edit can really take your story to new heights. It addresses all the little things that might take a reader out of your story.
Copy Editing
Copy editing is the third level of editing, and is reserved for stories that have already undergone the equivalent of a developmental edit and a line edit. The story, its world, and its characters are in tip-top shape and the writing is solid at the sentence level. During a copy edit, I use a style guide (The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition is the industry standard for works of fiction) and a dictionary (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary) to enforce consistency throughout a manuscript. I check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, word usage, and fact-check anything that makes me pause to question its validity or likeliness (a fiction editor’s search history is a thing of wonder and terror). I also check for consistency in character names, descriptions, setting, and any rules or systems that exist in the world of the story. While completing this edit, I create a style sheet where I list word’s that I had to verify or make a decision on and style choices that were implemented. Make sure you share this style sheet with your proofreader—it will make their job a lot easier.
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final defense between your novel and that reader who will undoubtedly email you about that errant typo on page fifty-seven (who are these monsters and why must they do this?! I can’t imagine pointing out errors that I wasn’t being asked to identify!). During a proofread, I look for all the things I would during a copy edit, but if there are many errors, then it’s not proofreading. Proofreading is for works that have already gone through a full copy edit and require a second set of eyes to catch what slipped through the cracks—it’s not a copyedit. Ideally, it occurs after the text has been formatted for print.
While editors make every effort to provide an error-free manuscript to the author, we’re not robots. In The Copyeditor’s Handbook, Einsohn shares that 95% accuracy is the best a person can hope to achieve while copy editing. But we still do an infinitely better job of understanding the complicated nuances of language than our robot friends. Many editors, myself included, also run our manuscripts through a software called PerfectIt, which checks for common errors in consistency and helps us tighten that 5% gap.
Hiring an Editor
So, what kind of editing do you need? Chances are, you still don’t know, and that’s okay! Reach out to the editor you’re considering hiring and tell them you’re not sure what level of editing your story requires. The editor will ask to see the manuscript so they can evaluate what kind of editing you need, and many editors will provide a sample edit upon request. Performing a sample edit is an important part of my process, because it lets the author see my work and helps them decide if I’m the right editor for their story before we sign a contract.
If you’re interested in working together, email me or fill out my intake form, and I’ll be in touch!
