Revision and editing are a major part of the writing life, so it is important to be well-versed in plot structure, mechanics, and formatting to help your work shine. However, the time may come when you want to hire an editor to assist. A good editor can give you a competitive edge during the submission process by making your work appear more professional. But if you’re going to hire someone, you must know what to look for. After all, writing and editing are two different animals. We write with abandon, but we edit with intent.
So, obviously, you want someone who is certified and meticulous, but with so many people calling themselves editors, how do you know where to start?
What is Editing?
To make that decision, you must first define, “What is editing?” Editing is the process of reviewing or revising content so that it is clear and accurate. However, editing, like most things in life, is on a spectrum where developmental editing bleeds into copyediting which bleeds into proofreading.
But the truth of the matter is, there’s a big difference between each. If you need someone to help you revise big picture issues such as characterization and content, select a developmental editor. If you simply want someone to look at logic and mechanics, choose a copyeditor. Or if you need someone to do a light pass for typos prior to submission or publication, hire a proofreader. That’s the simple version, but I’m sure you want more, so here’s the quick breakdown:
Developmental Editors
A developmental editor looks at four major aspects of your work: structure, voice, content, and clarity.
- Structure is the plotting and overall organization of the work.
- Voice speaks collectively to the tone, point of view, and style of writing.
- Content is what’s included, what needs to be added, and what needs to be taken away.
- Clarity is cohesiveness. Does the story make sense?
The developmental editor works directly with you on revising the manuscript. In short, they help writers shape and guide their work to its perfect state, so they can be pricey. And that’s fine. You should get what you pay for here. A full developmental edit should include a coaching call about your manuscript describing what changes need to be made, or it could consist of an editorial assessment—basically, a letter suggesting where to include revisions and how to best implement the changes that have been outlined.
This is why many people call developmental editors—content editors or substantive editors—so you may hear those terms when you are looking for a developmental editor.
Copyeditors
Meanwhile, copyeditors are a different animal. Copyeditors are not developmental editors. They simply look at mechanics and logic and that’s it. Copyediting is traditionally defined as the act of preparing text, or the copy, for the typesetter, so don’t be fooled by copyeditors who say the can do several types of editing in one big session. One process comes before the other. So if you’re looking at editors, think of each type as separate steps: developmental editing then copyediting.
These days, typesetters have been replaced by computers, but that doesn’t change the copyeditor’s job because they get the manuscript ready for the next step in the publishing chain. Thus, they look at grammar, syntax, diction, punctuation, capitalization. If you’re using Word, they’ll make the updates in track changes and provide you the edits, a clean copy, and a style sheet, which is simply a document that they create to record of all the style issues or tiny details that need to be kept consistent throughout the manuscript.
Proofreaders
Finally, we have a proofreader. Now, proofreaders weren’t originally considered editors in the way that we think of the term today. Their original role was to simply to compare the proof to the copyedited manuscript, looking for anything that didn’t reflect the copyeditor’s marks (i.e., corrections). At the same time, the proofreader would look for typos and misspellings that slipped by the copyeditor.
In the early days of publishing, changes at the proofreading stage were minimal because it often cost an immense amount of money and time for even the tiniest change due to the need to alter the entire setting of the page. (Remember, this back when the typesetting for a book was aligned using metal on a press).
Now that we’ve entered the Electronic Age, the role of proofreader is often lumped into copyediting, which is why you may hear the terms used interchangeably. So in today’s market, if you come across someone calling themselves a proofreader, make sure to have them outline what their services include upfront because traditionally the role would simply look for typos.
So, Let’s Recap
- If you need a big picture revision, select a developmental editor.
- If you help with mechanics and grammatical line edits, hire a copyeditor.
- And if you simply have typos, seek a proofreader.
A great resource to find editors is the EFA, the Editorial Freelancers Association. You can also visit The Creative Penn for a descriptive list of fiction-focused editors.
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