Since you’re here, you’re probably looking for an editor. Or maybe you’re doing your research.
Welcome! And good on ya, thinking ahead like you are! 😄
Here are 4 questions to ask yourself. The answers will help you decide what sort of editor you need right now.
Question 1: Am I stuck?
You know you’re supposed to write this work, you might even know how it ends, but you’re not sure how to get there, or if your scenes even make sense!
Developmental editors and book coaches are used to working with stuck authors. You don’t have to have your ducks in a row (or even have the flock in the same pond) to team up with one.
What’s the difference between a developmental editor and a book coach?
Developmental editor
Developmental editors look at the story’s big picture.
• Is your plot structure sound?
• Does your story make sense from start to finish? If not, why?
• How do your characters change throughout the story?
• What’s missing, or what’s there too much of?
Dev. editors will read your manuscript and give you feedback based on what they read. One main goal is to establish identifiable plot points and character arcs which move the story forward from A to Z and to let you know both what’s working and what’s lacking. They’ll give expert advice on how to move forward for your particular story.
I think it’s important to choose a dev. editor who understands not only general story structure, but your particular genre—they’ll know what tropes are attractive to your ideal reader and how you can hit those for maximum readability.
Every editor has her own system for giving feedback, but most dev. editors will give you general comments in your manuscript and/or a detailed editorial report or letter. She will probably not fix your grammar or punctuation, except maybe to show you how to do something so you can make revisions for the next stage. Grammar and punctuation is for the line and copy editing phase.
Book Coach
Book coaches help a writer write.
She might read your story as you go along, but she’s going to be more focused on helping you to be productive and get the story down on paper. Think mindset, accountability, and strategies to help you get un-stuck.
Coaches may offer one-on-one coaching and group coaching, but you’ll definitely want a coach who meets with you face to face, whether that’s in person or online. You might also consider whether there’s going to be homework or if she offers email check-ins.
Book coaches aren’t necessarily genre-specific, but because word-of-mouth referrals are a thing, you may find that she’ll focus in certain genre areas.
You may not always need one, but a dev. editor or coach can be a valuable asset on your team.
Buzzwords/synonyms: dev. editor, DE, content editor, substantive editor, book coach, story coach.
Question 2: I’ve finished my story but what do I do now?
Your manuscript is about as done as you can make it, but it doesn’t feel finished. You’re sick of looking at it, and you don’t know what else to do.
You’re probably ready for a line editor.
Line editors are the workhorses of the editing world, the stereotypical red-pen wielders you think of when you hear the word editor.
Line editors straddle the fence as far as job description. The line editor’s job is everything from making sure that the story is cohesive and solid to elevating your voice throughout the manuscript. They’re like personal stylists for your book.
Sometimes their advice leans into developmental editing. They might suggest when a paragraph (or a scene) doesn’t really fit the unfolding drama. I have suggested cutting entire chapters and moving paragraphs to another scene where they have more impact.
On the other end of the spectrum, a line editor might focus on the flow of the text. She’ll make sure your narration and dialogue feel natural, choosing/suggesting more precise words to help you avoid sounding clunky. Sometimes this is called line-copy editing. I find this confusing so I don’t use the term for myself.
Feedback will likely be in the form of inline edits and comments in your manuscript file.
Editorial reports are common, but not 100% standard. It depends on the editor. I love a good report, personally!
Buzzwords/synonyms: line editor, LE, just-plain-editor. (there aren’t a whole lot for this one)
Question 3: Is my book as polished as it can be?
Your story is solid, the narration flows pretty well, but there’s room for improvement.
Time for a copyeditor!
Your copyeditor is checking for consistency, clarity and efficiency. What’s that mean exactly?
Besides doublechecking basic spelling and punctuation (now is the time to be 100% sure of both) a copyeditor keeps timeline checklists, character descriptions and spellings, and notices when words “pop” on the page. Which could be a good thing, but sometimes isn’t.
Your copyeditor might suggest combining sentences or making carriage returns to emphasize a line. She might fix wandering commas or extra spaces. (did you notice the extra space in the last sentence?) Technical precision is her wheelhouse.
She’ll also make sure people, places and things are spelled correctly—consistently—and used properly. (Google is my best friend for this. Book set in 1985? Better make sure the song mentioned in passing had actually been released.) I love catching a minor character’s name change—the one who showed up in chapter three as Griffin and sneakily changed his name to Griffen in chapter twenty-seven.
I’ll be honest, this is probably my favorite service. Catching typos, extra spaces, odd spellings, and suggesting the perfect word swap—this is my happy place!
Feedback will probably be only in the form of comments and suggested revisions within the manuscript file. I also provide an editorial report but I think it’s unusual at this stage.
Buzzwords/synonyms: copy editor/copy-editor, CE, technical (tech) editor
Question 4: Am I done yet?
Okay, you’ve been through all the editing stages from developmental to copyediting; surely there can’t be any more to this process!
A proofreader is your final stop on the editing road to publication.
This is not the same as copyediting, although in these modern printing times they’re sometimes used interchangeably.
With proofreading, the editor is strictly checking for spelling, punctuation, and spacing issues. They don’t make suggestions about how to tell the story or use language more effectively. They’re just making sure what’s on the page is technically correct. (Unless there’s an egregious, can’t-be-ignored issue, in which case you may get a query.)
Proofreaders work with Word files as well as PDFs and there are advantages and drawbacks to each.
Word
With a Word file, the proofreader can make changes directly in the manuscript (with Track Changes on, so you can see where fixes are). They can also look at the invisible characters, like tabs and spaces, which makes it easy to check and fix odd spacings. However, odd scene or chapter breaks might be harder to identify if there’s a font substitution in play.
PDFs
are usually print-formatted versions, which is helpful for scene and chapter breaks! The proofer will be able to see exactly what the reader will see. If there are issues with computer-file compatibility, using PDF is a great option. Errors can be highlighted and flagged with a comment for the author to manually fix. However, it’s tougher to determine if there are extra spaces or hidden tabs. It’s something I flag if a line looks fishy, but I can’t fix it for my author.
Synonym: Proofer
There you have it. 4 major types of editing and how to discern which type you’re looking for.
If you ever have a question about what I or other editors mean when we start throwing out buzzwords, please ask!
I love talking about editing, the work of an editor, and how we partner with writers. You can always schedule a consultation. I’m happy to help, no strings attached.
Ping me to set up a free consultation anytime!