Writing Blog Number 2

20250704 Types Of Editing

Types Of Editing

{huser: schnujo} asked me a heap of questions. I looked at the easy answers in "20250702 Answering Questions" , but there are two more topics to examine. This is the first.
         The different kinds of edits, when to get them, and why

So, there are 4 different types of editing.

1) Developmental editing
This is the big picture stuff, and is what a good beta reader does. They look at the plot, the characters, the facts, the inconsistencies, and the way the different levels of story (plot, sub-plots, tertiary character arcs, etc.) work, together and on their own. So it is an advanced form of beta reading. Extremely important in long works.

2. Line editing
This is looking at how easily something is able to be read. This is where things like paragraphing, info-dumps, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, etc. There is also a quick look at grammar, punctuation, spelling and homophones, but the main thing is how readable a piece is. It is like a more detailed beta read.
         However, the main thing a good line editor will look at is show vs tell. They should indicate where the tell is and leave it up to the writer to change it to show. This is the main thing you will get out of a line editor, and it is so important this is done to make the book the best it can be for a reader.
         Line editing occurs after beta reading.

3. Copyediting
This is where every single line is looked at in detail. The story is ignored here – the first two look at that – and this is where the actual technical aspects of writing are pored over. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are hit hard.
         If a person needs a lot of copyediting, a traditional publisher will generally pass on them, because editors cost a lot, and this is a huge expense; they might have to sell an extra 50-plus books to pay for it. I’ll give a personal example. Invasive Species had a grand total of 23 copyedits needed for a 96k-plus word book when the editor at the publisher went through it. This meant the publisher (AM Ink) did not have to pay a lot for an editor, and used the money set aside for that in marketing, and the book has been my best seller. The publisher had more money because I gave them the cleanest copy I could, and used this to market the book.
         Many writers – and I have encountered them here at WdC – think a copyeditor will clean up their work. Two things – copyeditors are human, and the more mistakes they are confronted with, the more they are likely to miss; and it makes you look like you don’t care. Self copyediting before submitting to a publisher or paying for an editor (and the more mistakes, the more it will cost you; I have worked as a freelance editor, I know) can save money and improve your own writing technique and style.
         End rant.

4. Proof-reading
Proof-reading is the final run-through. The book has been accepted and edited, or you have done the self-publishing work, and you get a galley proof. A proof-reader goes through to see if anything is amiss. This includes missed edits, names that have changed, formatting issues, things like that. This takes place right before final publication. Even in short stories, I am generally given a galley proof copy of the book and expected to go through my own story to find errors (including the author bio). Last chance to fix mistakes here!

And that is the types of editing, and when they happen. A lot of editors will do line and copy editing at the same time, but I prefer to keep them separate. I will do one or the other for a writer. I do feel that a different line editor and copyeditor help. First, it is two sets of eyes; second, the second time they read it, they know what is happening or going to happen and might miss errors through complacency or familiarity.

Developmental comes with the beta reader. Line editing is something I feel a writer should pay for. Copyediting is done by the traditional publisher, so a self-publisher will need to pay for it. And proof-reading is generally done by the writer themselves.
         Hope that explains it all.