Publishing Your Book: Knowing What Types of Editing You Need
Hello creatives!
For the aspiring authors out there, and even industry pros, knowing what type of editing your book needs can be hard. I’m currently in the process of polishing up my manuscript for editing. So, I thought I would walk through the different types of editing that are out there.
Before we get started, it’s important to note that your book will often be called a “manuscript” by industry professionals until it’s actually published. And in the final steps of editing it might be called a “galley”, but we’ll get into that.
Also, I can’t stress this enough: editing isn’t a linear process. You can go through cycles of edits that build up your novel as your write it.
All right, I think we’re ready. Let’s jump in.
What are the different types of editing?
There are 5 main types of editing when it comes to novels: Editorial Assessment, Developmental, Content, Line/Copy, and Proofreading. Each one serves a specific purpose to guide you as you write your manuscript. Because they serve very different purposes, you may need to hire more than one editor to handle each type of editing, if you book needs it. Because there may be a scenario where your book doesn’t need all of these types of edits.
Editorial Assessment
When you don’t know what you need, you need an editorial assessment. This type of editor acts like a book doctor, figuring out what your book needs to be better. They’ll take note of gaping plot holes, glaring character issues and maybe comment on the narrative style. The turnaround time for this type of editing service ranges from 4 to 6 weeks, sometimes longer depending on the length of the novel and the editor’s availability.
Once they are done reading it, they will provide you with an editorial letter or assessment detailing all the things that they noticed needs improvement, but they won’t offer advice on how to improve it. The purpose of this letter is for you to hand it to the next editor you work with which will probably be a developmental editor.
Developmental Editing
If an editorial assessment is like a doctor giving a diagnosis, then a developmental edit is like performing reconstructive surgery.
An editor who specializes in developmental editing will work with you to get into the nitty gritty of fixing the big picture issues like plot, pacing, and character development as mentioned in the editorial assessment. Developmental editing is labor intensive so the timeline can be 4-8 weeks, maybe more, if you and the editor go through more than one round.
How this works usually is that the editor will mark up your manuscript in the comments section of whatever software or program you choose to use. Microsoft Word is the most common choice, but PDFs, Google Docs and a few other programs, like Reedsy’s editing tool are other options for collaborating on the project.
Once they are done, you’ll have a seriously earmarked version of your novel to revise and possibly return to the editor for another round or three or ten. Like I mentioned before, editing is not a linear process.
I went through, I think, 2 or 3 rounds of developmental edits with my first book. If you want to learn more about that whole publishing process I went through, check out my Youtube video here.
Content Editing
This is where we get to physical therapy portion of the book editing process.
After the book is diagnosed with its glaring issues and those big picture things are taken care of, the content editor will take a look at each chapter to handle the pacing and nuances associated with the plot, characters and narration. This is mostly to make sure that everything was covered by the developmental edit and revisions and to make sure you’re ready to move on to the next phase so-to-speak of editing.
Sometimes, the content editing is wrapped up into the developmental editing. So this type of editing may or may not be necessary for your manuscript depending on the editor you hire and how well you handle the developmental revisions.
Turnaround time is a few weeks, much like developmental edits.
Line Editing and Copy Editing
Okay so I’ve run out of medical related analogies. So we’ll call line and copy editing the sanding and staining the floors. If you’ve ever seen the process of re-doing wood floors, you first have to sand them down to reveal the grain of the wood so that the stain soaks in and makes it beautiful.
Copy editing and line editing are often used interchangeably, but there are slight distinctions. This confusion may come from the fact that many editors who specialize in one also do the other in the process of editing.
So, what exactly is the difference?
Copy editing zeroes in on the granular details of sentence structure and grammar, much like the sanding process of re-doing a house’s wood floors. A copy editor strips everything down to ensure you writing is as concise as possible.
Meanwhile, line editing is like putting the stain on the wood floor. Line editing focuses on style and prose, making sure your narration stays consistent throughout the story. This type of editor has a firm grasp on the nuances of narration to help you hone in on your style while also avoiding major grammar faux pas.
Around this time, a manuscript might start to be called a “galley edit” or a “galley proof”. This means you’re entering the final stages of editing your manuscript.
Turnaround time is usually shorter than other types of edits, usually taking no more than 3-4 weeks.
Proofreading
To continue with the wood floors analogy: proofreading is putting the polish on the floor to seal the stain. This is the final step before the manuscript is sent to be typeset for print and distribution.
The proofreading edit is a final walk through to make sure there were no grammar mistakes, names left uncapitalized or other minor issues. This requires a very detail-oriented person.
Turnaround time is about 2-3 weeks.
For reference, when I went through a small publishing house for my first book, all of these edits were made in a 4 month period. How did we achieve these so fast? Because I only worked with a few editors who handled it all and I was told I tool to the feedback for revisions well, which moved things along quickly.
How much does book editing cost?
As of 2019, the book marketplace Reedsy calculated the average cost of each type of editing based on the average quotes and price structures from the users on the platform. While each project is unique and any estimate can’t be directly applied to your manuscript’s needs, Reedsy broke down the average cost per word.
An editorial assessment will run about $.014 per word. So, let’s say your manuscript is 50,000 words, which is about the average length of a novel. This means you can expect your editorial assessment will cost about $700.
After that, your manuscript can expect to undergo a content and/or developmental edit for $0.024 a word, which equates to about $1200.
Then comes copy editing, which in 2019 clocked in at an average of $0.017 per word. So a 50,000 word novel will incur about an $850 editing fee.
If you need proofreading, it’ll cost about $0.01 per word or $500 in this hypothetical scenario with a 50,000 novel.
Now, as I mentioned before, some editors wrap up different types of editing into one package. Reedsy found that copy editing and proofreading are often wrapped into a package costing about $0.019 per word. This turned into a $950 editing charge.
So if you have a 50,000 word novel that only goes through one round of each type of editing with copyediting and proofreading wrapped into a package, you’d spend at least $2850 in total editing costs.
Where do I find editors for my book?
So, if you’ve reached the stage where you are ready to find an editor or five, then here are some of the top resources for finding editors or really, any book publishing professionals:
Reedsy
Reedsy is an online marketplace that actually has backing from the European Union for increasing accessibility into the book publishing world. I have found a shortlist of editors on the platform that I’m hoping to reach out to for a quote soon and I highly recommend it. To be a freelancer on the platform, you have to have a portfolio of at least 2 or 3 books you’ve worked on to showcase on your profile. This is super helpful because you’ll need to find editors who are familiar with the genre you write and if they have a portfolio of books they’ve worked on before, you’ll be able to find an editor faster and easier.
Note: This is not sponsored content in any way, I just really like Reedsy.
Editorial Freelancers Association
The Editorial Freelancers Association is home to thousands of editors. This non-profit industry organization is based in New York City and has chapters across the United States. This is a solid source for anyone looking for verified book editing professionals.
This website is normally listed as a great place to find a literary agent for your manuscript, but it’s also a great way to find editors within publishing houses.
Where do I begin editing my book?
Well, I’m starting with an editorial assessment and I recommend that to others who don’t know where to begin. The assessment can cut down the costs of other types of editing because the other editors will know exactly what the biggest issues are going into it.
From there, you’ll work on revising your novel based on the feedback and don’t be afraid to ask the editor(s) you are with with their opinion on next steps.
I hope this was helpful! What other questions do you have for getting your book edited? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Rochele