The four stages of editing

When I find myself answering a question frequently, it's time to blog about it. Many writers ask, "What's the difference between developmental editing and copyediting?" Or, "Does a substantive edit include proofreading?" What these questions have in common is some confusion about the four separate stages of manuscript editing.

A manuscript that goes from draft to published book must pass through each. We editors use the following terms for these stages:

1. Structural editing: Big changes to the plot or character development. Sometimes writers know how to do this on their own, sometimes not, and if not, we editors write a helpful critique to aid in revision.

2. Substantive editing: A heavy line edit that improves clarity and flow, and sometimes cuts or moves passages as needed to ensure a strong scene. (When I perform this service, it also includes a critique with insights on how readers will respond to your story.)

3. Copyediting: A lighter, line edit done after the big edits are complete, and includes final polishing, fixing of minor mistakes, and reading for utter perfection.

4. Proofreading: An essential final step before a manuscript proceeds to print (i.e., if you're self-publishing, or before your publisher sends the final manuscript to the printing press), best performed by a different person. Proofreading is a different skill, akin to finding a few needles in a haystack, to ensure that there are no remaining typos.

With most clients, I perform either #1 or #2 on a manuscript. Very polished manuscripts get #3. Pre-press manuscripts should go to a hawk-eyed proofreader for #4.

The most important principle to understand is that editing cannot be performed in one fell swoop, for the simple reason that it is pointless to scrupulously proofread a chapter that may not have a place in the final version of a novel. The direction of editing flows from story structure to artful writing, then to stylistic perfection, and only then to typographical perfection. To get the most out of working with a freelance editor, it is wise to get an accurate assessment of where your manuscript falls on this spectrum, and plan for each of the editing phases that come afterward.