After receiving feedback from beta readers and working their feedback into your work, it is time to contact a professional editor.
The first thing to know is that there are 5 types of professional editing, and they must occur in the following order to be effective. For example, it is a waste of your hard-earned money to request a structural edit after a copyedit—after your redrating, you will almost certainly have introduced errors in the manuscript (e.g. spelling typos) that the editor will not point out because they are working at the structural level of a manuscript.
After an initial consultation with the editor, authors choose the editing level they feel will be most helpful to them. For example, an author may be worried about their plot and as such would ask for a structural edit. On the other hand, if they believe their language and narrative is strong enough, they may request the editor work at the copyediting level only. In this instance, the editor will correct such things as spelling mistakes and formatting errors. They will not comment on things such as holes in the story, clunky language or character inconsistencies.
Levels of editing
1. Developmental Editing
2. Structural editing (also known as substantive editing)
3. Style editing (also known as line editing)
4. Copy editing
5. Proofreading
1. Developmental editing
Developmental editing looks at the overall strengths and weaknesses of the manuscript. The primary focus is the structure and flow of the narrative, rather than mechanical details such as spelling or punctuation (although a good developmental editor will let you know if you’re consistently misspelling a word or using a punctuation mark incorrectly).
This type of editing is long-term in nature, involving a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between author and editor, often over months, sometimes over years. For this reason it’s expensive. In traditional publishing, it was usually the province of the acquiring editor, but in today’s environment it’s becoming more common for publishing houses to give preference to manuscripts that require minimal development.
The term ‘developmental editing’ is frequently used interchangeably with ‘manuscript assessment’, ‘substantive editing’ and ‘structural editing’. Some would combine all three. I believe there are differences – primarily the amount of communication between the author and the editor, the length of time that the edit lasts, and the number of manuscript versions that are appraised.
Developmental editing is holistic. It focuses on the story and its ‘big ideas’, as well as assessing the narrative tools used by the author (e.g. interesting, believable characters, a compelling plot, appropriate pacing, chapter weights, and so on). It can help with a work in progress or a completed draft that an author is unhappy with.
Developmental editing involves revision of the whole manuscript. The author may choose to change the entire direction of the story. Chapters may be shifted or removed. The plot may be changed to fit new scenarios. The editor will help the author identify uninteresting or unconvincing parts and give suggestions for how they may be improved.
2. Structural editing (also known as substantive editing)
In a structural edit, I write a report on areas of your work that I feel are problematic. I also let you know what you’ve done well. Your manuscript is marked up with extensive margin notes (using Track Changes) that provide you with a comprehensive map for revision.
Structural editing is useful for a manuscript that is mostly interesting and well-written, but has issues with execution. As explained previously, the main difference between developmental editing and structural editing is in the amount of work a manuscript requires to be marketable. If you would like multiple consultations or suspect your manuscript has major issues in nearly all of the below, a developmental edit may be more appropriate.
Some common areas that are addressed in a structural edit of a fictional work include:
- Story: Is it compelling and original? Is the premise sufficiently intriguing? Does the first page contain an effective ‘hook’? Is there enough action and conflict to maintain reader interest?
- Narrative arc: Is there rising tension as the story plays out? Is the narrative well balanced, with a discernible beginning, middle and end?
- Plot: Is it plausible? Can the reader suspend their disbelief sufficiently to fully engage in the story? Are there any plot holes or unresolved threads? Is backstory woven in unobtrusively?
- Characterisation: Do the characters change and grow in response to their challenges? Are they three-dimensional, with flaws and foibles? Are they likeable? Can readers identify with them in any way? Are character actions and decisions consistent with their ascribed personality and values? Is character point-of-view consistent? Does the author ‘head-hop’?
- Setting/world building: Is the setting plausible? Does it enrich the story? Does it dominate the narrative? (Seen frequently in sci-fi.)
- Dialogue: Do conversations between characters feel natural? Is there too much or too little dialogue? Does every word of dialogue advance the story? Can any dialogue be removed to sharpen the pace of the story?
- Literary devices: Does the unfolding of the story feel natural and inevitable? Are there any awkward or contrived scenes that do not advance the plot? Do any plot points involve a deus ex machina? Are red herrings clever and sophisticated, or can readers easily identify them? Are the literary devices overwrought or too obvious?
- Narrative focus: Does the author vary narrative focus? Is the focal distance appropriate for the events in the scene? Would more or less dramatisation improve the scene?
- Narrative pace: Does pace vary between scenes? Do any scenes seem to happen too slowly or too quickly? Are there sections in the story where there is a temptation to ‘skim’ ahead? Are there any scenes given unwarranted importance by their pacing?
- Time: Is the timeline consistent? Are flashbacks and flashforwards easily identified? Does time change too frequently in the story, making it difficult for the reader to keep track?
- ‘Showing’ and ‘Telling’: Dramatisation (‘showing’) and exposition (‘telling’) both have a place in narratives. Does the author use an appropriate balance in their story? Which scenes could be strengthened with more showing? Less showing?
- Chapters, scenes, and paragraphs: Is their order logical? Are they the right length? Are the breaks in the right place? Do they contribute to narrative tension? Which parts of the manuscript feel long-winded? Are there any inappropriate early give-aways to later plot developments?
- Extraneous material: Are there any characters or scenes that do not contribute to the story or move the plot forward? What is the effect of their removal?
Each manuscript has unique issues, and structural reports are therefore highly variable in their content and length.
After receiving the structural report, your next step is to revise the manuscript in light of the comments. Rather than give exact ‘prescriptions’ of what should be written, I try to encourage the writer to expand their writing vision, to consider elements that may not have occurred to them.
Concerns about ‘Voice’
Good editors do not prescribe; they suggest. An author’s voice is unique and gives their work authenticity. With someone else’s words, there’s a danger that the work’s distinctive sensibility may be lost. My role as editor is to be a ‘devil’s advocate’, to challenge you to look at your work through a reader’s eyes. My suggestions help you produce your vision in clear, compelling and graceful prose. My suggestions are just that. You may choose to use them, alter them or disregard them entirely.
I am happy to answer questions and clarify any confusion you may have about my suggestions.
3. Style editing (also referred to as line editing)
This type of editing looks at the paragraphs and sentences in a manuscript. It reviews the author’s word choices and sentence construction, and makes suggestions to smooth and polish the prose. It also draws the author’s attention to ambiguous meanings, archaic or overly ornate language, overuse of a particular word or phrase (‘tics’), redundancies, tonal issues, superfluities, non-inclusive language, and clíched words and phrases.
Again, the author is free to accept these suggestions, ignore them, or change them to something else completely. After this type of edit, you can make an educated decision. You are more aware of style issues in your manuscript and why they could be a problem for your readers.
4. Copyediting
Copyediting also looks at the paragraphs and sentences in a manuscript, but focuses on the correctness of the writing rather than its attractiveness. It addresses, among other things, spelling, confusable words (e.g. ensure/insure), grammar, punctuation, capitalisation, fact checking (e.g. whether particular kitchen implements being used in a historical romance actually existed in that period), and character and setting consistency. (e.g. The hero’s hair shouldn’t change from brown to blonde between chapters, and someone sleeping upstairs in a bedroom on page 56 shouldn’t be coming in the front door on page 57)
There is a lot of variation in English spelling and punctuation conventions. Correctness is often determined by context (e.g. Do you want American, British, or Australian spelling used?). For this reason, I make a ‘style sheet’ that lists decisions made about spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The style sheet ensures consistency for any later edits or revisions and is also useful when proofreading.
5. Proofreading
In modern digital publishing, the tasks of copyeditors and proofreaders are often confused. Copyeditors assess and improve the manuscript during its writing, while proofreaders compare the printer’s proofs against the author’s final manuscript to see if any accidental changes have been made in the typesetting. An editor can do both, though I always recommend fresh eyes because the editor knows the manuscript very well by then and is likely to read what isn’t there. If you’re an author planning to submit to a publisher and you are worried about grammar and punctuation errors, you do not require a professional proofreader. You need a copyeditor.
I hope this helps you decide which level of editing would be most useful for your work.
If you have any further questions, please contact me at:
Maria Gunn Editing Services 