Ah, editing. Being an editor is akin to being the human embodiment of brussels sprouts,
or getting up early on a Saturday for a run, or reading the book of Leviticus. Meaning, most
people recognize the long-term benefits, but it’s not very fun in the interim (for the record, I
actually enjoy brussels sprouts, but I also enjoy grammar and have a strong opinion on the
oxford comma and work as an editor, so clearly I exist as an outlier).
Editing doesn’t endear itself any more to the aspiring author with its confusing
vocabulary. Line editing? Copy versus proofreading? How can you know which type of editing is best and, more importantly, which is best for you?
For the record, it’s not just you—definitions of editing types are confusing and
overlapping throughout the publishing world. Here at ITN, we have 3 levels of editing we offer authors (and a secret 4th one that I’ll also address). Because of the aforementioned confusion, the following explanations are specific to ITN and reflect our understanding and application of the editing terms. In addition, our levels of editing are hierarchical, meaning each level includes the previous levels. So, copy editing includes proofreading, and line editing includes both copy and proofreading. Now, without further ado…
Proofreading
If writing a book is similar to building a house, and editing the deep cleaning, then
proofreading is the last-minute dusting and sweeping. Proofreading is the least comprehensive level of editing we offer. This is a service provided after the book is prepped for publishing and is intended to catch any overlooked errors, typos, or formatting issues. This is purely cosmetic and, when in conjunction with other editing services, is completed by a different editor than previous editing, with the intention to avoid editor fatigue and to get fresh eyes on the text to ensure it is as mistake-free as possible.
Because proofreading is only intended to catch those pesky final errors, we are fairly
conservative in offering this service as a stand-alone. We want to be fair to both author and
editor; as such, we only offer proofreading by itself when a work has been previously edited and contains 3 or fewer errors per page.
Copy
Copy editing is focused on the mechanics of writing. In many ways, this is a bulkier
version of proofreading. Our editors at this level are correcting grammar, spelling, and
punctuation errors as well as incorrect word usage and formatting errors. We also provide basic fact-checking at this level. However, we do not provide creative feedback at this point; the focus here is on the mechanics of writing rather than the rhythm. This is a technical, grammatical read-through.
Copy editing is a great choice if you’re on a tight budget or have a separate editor
outside of our network that you prefer working with for line edits. You won’t get creative
feedback or suggestions on ways to improve writing or flow, but we’ll still work with you to
eliminate distractions from your writing and to keep the reader’s focus on what matters: your story.
Line
Line editing is the most intense level of editing we offer. This is a line-by-line (hence the
name) look at your writing, with a focus on the content, writing style, and language usage. Our editors may point out sections where the writing is inconsistent or repetitive, issues with pacing,
or overuse of specific words. We also check for flow of plot/thought and readability relative to your targeted audience.
As part of this editing, we provide personalized feedback on your writing that highlights
both strengths and areas for improvement—essentially an outline of the nitty-gritty edits
themselves. The goal is to identify opportunities to elevate your writing and explain your ideas more clearly; we want to help you find the most effective way of communicating and to recognize the strengths already present in your writing.
It’s important to note that this is a tightening/strengthening of a developed, finished story.
Line editing is detailed, creative feedback on your writing itself. Your characters, plot,
presentation of information, etc. should be established by this point. If you are still
developing/writing major parts of your story, then your manuscript is not ready for this level of editing.
If you can—that is, if you have the time and the budget—this is the level I suggest for
authors. Line editing is a true investment in your writing and in yourself as a writer. Because our editing is hierarchical, you get three rounds of edits at this level (Line, Copy, Proof). That’s some quality time with our editors, and you also get a detailed, quality, professional perspective on your writing itself. The intent with line editing is to not only polish your current work but to invest in you as a writer, to let you know your tendencies, to highlight your strengths, and to identify what makes your voice and style unique. We believe in this level of investment so much that we require it with certain packages (e.g. books published under ITN’s name).
Developmental
We do technically have a fourth editing service available, upon Director of Editing’s
discretion. In the event that your manuscript is still under development (i.e. you’re still writing major passages of the book, developing plot/presentation of information, and generally working on a chapter-by-chapter basis), the above levels of editing wouldn’t be helpful. In fact, they would be a waste of your time and money. Without a clear, established story, line/copy/proof are just painting a leaning barn. We are not here to slap paint on underdeveloped stories; we want your book to be the best version it can be, an accurate portrayal of your voice and vision. As such, we will not place your book under contract if we do not believe it is ready for publication.
However, we also understand that book writing is arduous and
overwhelming, and fresh eyes and insight can be incredibly helpful. For that, we offer
developmental editing. With this type of editing, we read through whatever work you do have and provide poignant, direct feedback on what’s working and what needs work. It’s a similar format to Line editing, only instead of detailed feedback on your writing, we’re focusing on the big picture. This is purely creative feedback, with no mechanics or direct edits.
Because this is a time-consuming process for our editors, we tend to offer it on a case-
by-case basis, dependent upon editor availability.
Why offer different levels of editing? Because every story is different, and authors come
from all different backgrounds. We believe in authors, their voices and their stories, and we want to meet you where you’re at. We believe storytelling is an art, one worth investing in, and whatever level works for you, we want to make your story the best it can be.
Still not sure what level works best for you? Reach out to us, and we’ll walk you through
your timeline and budget and match whatever level works best for you.
Comments