Types of Edits
Before you contact an editor, it is important to know what type of editing your manuscript might require. There are several levels of editing, which I will explain a little bit about.
Before I do, I want to note that, while I work on a flat-rate system, I do edit in these various manners. If you and I agree that your manuscript is in need of a line edit, that's what I will do. Same rate, no weird little additional fees. Not all editors operate this way. Many editors don't like working on a flat-rate basis because it can be hard to estimate how much work they will have to put into a piece before really getting their hands dirty. Also, some editors don't do certain types of editing. So please, keep these things in mind when choosing which editors you're going to send your samples out to. Now, without any further ado, here are the different levels of editing. Level One: Basic Proofreading Proofreading addresses the core basics: spelling, formatting, punctuation, and repetition. Since formatting is a key issue here, an editor who is editing your future ebook will want to look at it in an ebook reader to point out formatting issues. (Note: If you haven't formatted an ebook before, it's a chore.) Level Two: Copyediting Copyediting essentially addresses issues on the sentence-level. Grammar, consistency, and misuse of words or phrases are all copyediting issues. Oftentimes, while writing and revising, we are not mindful of details that we have already given away, which gives way to inconsistencies in our stories. Think of it as the quality control of editing. Level Three: Line Editing Line editing goes more in-depth than copyediting and places more focus on style. Are your sentences the same length and similar in structure? Are you writing in a way that might not suit your intended audience? Do your sentences contain awkward or confusing transitions? Those are just some of the things that editors look for when doing a line edit. Level Four: Developmental Editing Developmental editing is the most intensive and usually time-consuming form of editing. Editors dig their nails into the nitty-gritty of a manuscript. What is the structure of your manuscript? How does it look when you chart it out? If you're the proverbial fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type (which I will readily admit to being), you're probably going to run into some developmental issues. When I work with developmental edits, I might give assignments, such as charting out your story arc. |