All Stages of Editing You Need to Know as A Newbie Writer

As a newbie writer who has just completed their first book, you might be thinking about hiring an editor as your next stage. At this point, you might as well be wondering about what an editor will do. If you are like most newbie writers, you must be thinking that the editor might be spending their entire day on grammar, fixing commas, and spelling errors.

Or, you might be thinking that the editor will be reading not only yours but others books, too – the entire day. 

Here is what an editor will do for you:

Substantive Editing

This type of editing will primarily focus on helping you develop an idea. On that note, the developmental editor will help your book idea get shaped into reality, or they might help resolve larger issues in your existing manuscript. 

In simpler words, a developmental editor will work on the following:

• Plot holes
• Adjusting a chapter
• Ensuring the content is coherent
• Ensuring content is readable

So, you might have already gotten the idea that development editing, also known as substantive editing, is editing the manuscript at the basic level. If you hire a developmental editor, you will be essentially hiring fact checkers or researchers, as they might also work on keeping track of the timeline to ensure that the plot makes sense. 

They will also ensure that everything is logical and might also organize and adjust all the necessities, including the tone, style, and format for the ideal readers. 

Understand the Editor’s Perspective 

If you look at things from the developmental editor’s perspective, you will find them asking what does and what doesn’t make sense. They will also read your manuscript and assess whether the content is clear and compelling. 

Of course, this editing phase will include some level of rewriting, revising, and line editing, too. It is important to mention here that substantive editors are not the big grammar police. Of course, they will be looking at your manuscript, but they will do so while keeping the bigger picture in mind. 

Content Editing

Content editing, also known as line editing, comes after substantive editing. This type of editing is more in alignment with stylistic editing, which could include the following aspects:

• Recasting a sentence
• Recasting a paragraph 
• Avoiding ambiguity
• Improving the overall flow of the content
• Improving pacing

Usually, line editors have a strong grasp of language and grammar – but – they will be doing so much more than the basic aspects of copy editing. Unlike copy editors, content editors do so much more than just changing word usage and typos.

To have a better understanding, you should know that copy editors have to walk that fine line between preserving your voice and intended meaning while fixing sentences and phrases that sound weird.

Content vs. Copy Editors  

You might want to think of content editors in terms of copy editors, with the exception that content editors have that magical sparkle as they tend to improve pacing and make dialogue believable. Content editors take care of those little storytelling techniques that can make your manuscript shine in ways you never expected before. 

The content editor will also ensure that you are showing and not telling your readers about what is going on with the character’s thoughts and feelings. You might want to see content editors as storytelling ninjas, as they know everything from theme to plot and character development. 

Copy Editing

Copy editing can be a big category because if you hire a copy editor, there is a good chance that they might offer you light, medium, and heavy copy editing services – and if you choose the latter – they might make your pages bleed. But it will only be for your benefit and to make your book sellable. The reason why we say this is because copy editors are responsible for many things. 

For instance, copy editors will double-check what you have written to ensure that you have cited things accurately. So, they will be fact-checking for you, too. They will also be looking for inaccuracies and the correct style for citations. A copy editor will check cross-references and make sure that everything is consistent.

Copyediting includes the following:

• Checking correct spelling
• Checking correct capitalization
• Checking punctuation 
• Checking numerals
• Checking abbreviations
• Checking formats of lists

Copy editing usually comes after line editing and substantive editing. However, a copy editor can do so much more as they might have to flag awkward writings and things that just don’t match the pace of the story. 

You should know that copy editors might be obsessed with their dictionaries, so they might check non-conventional spellings of words, formatting errors, and word usage. Essentially, copy editors edit for correctness and consistency. 

Proofreading – The Final Stage 

Now, after all the editing, you will finally reach the final stage, which is proofreading, also known as the polishing of your manuscript. Of course, you might have edited, re-edited, and revised your manuscript a couple of times before proofreading your manuscript and getting it ready to be sent to a professional proofreader.

Essentially, the proofreader will be the final set of eyes that will look at your book. On that note, a professional reader will be looking for the following things:

• Typographical errors
• Mechanical errors
• Awkward writing
• Word usage
• Grammar
• Missing text
• Consistency with format and punctuation 
• Misspellings
• Discrepancies
• Overall appearance 

The thing about proofreading is that it deals with correcting obvious errors while sticking to a stylesheet to make sure that you are as consistent as possible. The proofreader will carefully scrutinize every component of the text while keeping an eye out for illogical or unnecessary repetitions. 

The Job of the Final Proofreader 

Essentially, the proofreader will be looking out for a lot of minor things. The proofreader will be wearing that special lens when going through your manuscript one last time before you send it out for publication. 

It wouldn’t be wrong to state that the proofreader has to be incredibly meticulous and look through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb to ensure everything is spotless before you can get the manuscript published and put it into the hands of your ideal readers.