The Stages of Editing

This article shines some light on the editorial process and explains the editing stages. While it is written with new and up-and-coming authors and content writers in mind, established authors and writers may also find it useful, so I invite you to read on regardless of your status and experience level. I have tried to summarize what you need to know, especially if you are just starting out in the writing industry.

I want to be of some assistance to others because I remember how I felt back in 2012, when I was going through the process of self-publishing my first book—a collection of poetic expression—and had no idea where to start or what to look for.

So, let’s dive in.

EDITING AND THE STAGES OF THE EDITORIAL PROCESS

What is editing?

Simply put, editing is the process of preparing a piece of content for publication and public presentation. It breaks down into four stages.

What are the four stages of editing?

• developmental editing (also called structural or substantive editing)
• line editing (also called stylistic or content editing)
• copyediting
• proofreading

Developmental editing is usually sought after for manuscripts. It looks at the story as a whole and focuses on things like plot, overall structure and setting, introduction and end, and character development. In other words, it makes sure that the story flows smoothly and makes sense. It ensures that the reader can easily follow along.

Line editing comes after developmental editing and takes a deeper look at specifics. It targets word choice (voice) and phrasing (style), dialogue, consistency, the beginning and ending of each chapter (focusing on hooks and prompts), sentence structure, etc.

Copyediting is the third stage of editing, and it is similar to proofreading in the sense that the two often get confused but are, in fact, quite different. I currently specialize in both copyediting and proofreading. While copyediting does look for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors, it also performs fact checking; ensures that timelines, chapter numbers, and page numbers are accurate and correct; double-checks the consistency of actions; and, where applicable, double-checks the table of contents, bibliography, footnotes, etc. It also looks for repetitions and makes suggestions where the author uses the same words repeatedly (these are called echo words). Often, like in my case, copyediting and proofreading are offered together.

Proofreading is the fourth and final stage of the editing process. In addition to copyediting, this is my other area of expertise. It takes place when the text is complete and ready for publishing, and it looks for errors that were missed during previous stages. It does not involve changing the structure of the text or rewriting any sentences. Most of the time, however, glaring errors are pointed out during this stage. Proofreading focuses strictly on

• grammar
• punctuation
• typographical errors
• spelling
• missed/omitted words
• double words
• formatting issues (note: formatting is a different ball game altogether; proofreading only checks for basic formatting and consistency [i.e. paragraph and line indentions, titles, and capitalization])
• style issues (note: proofreading involves making revisions based on the custom style sheet submitted by the client or the major published style guide selected by the client; proofreading checks for consistency but does not make stylistic changes).

When looking for an editor, keep in mind the following:

A professional editor WILL

• have excellent grammar and punctuation skills (ok, this one is a given)
• be professional (DUH), effective, and quick in their communication
• often, but not always, have a website of their own
• provide you with their resume upon request
• likely have a portfolio and will provide you with a link upon request (usually, it will be featured on their website, if they have one)
• likely be a member of at least one professional editorial organization
• have excellent attention to detail
• have great time-management skills
• use established proofreading principles
• ask you for a sample of your writing
• determine and explain what type of service is needed and clear up any confusion about the services provided and the type of editing the content calls for
• refer you to an editor who provides the service you may need if your content has not yet reached the proofreading stage
• provide a free quote upon receiving a sample
• quote prices in accordance with industry standards (you may find rate guidelines below)
• ask you to sign a contract
• proofread according to your preferences, your custom style sheet, or your selected major style guide
• complete the job within a reasonable time frame and meet agreed-upon deadlines for completion
• let you know of any changes in their schedule in advance and work with you to ensure successful and satisfactory completion of the job
• return the document with tracked changes for you to accept or reject.

A professional editor WILL NOT

• be quick to set a final price before receiving a sample of your writing
• offer prepackaged services
• quote rates and prices that are significantly lower than the industry standards (note: click here for a breakdown of the different editorial services and their standard rates).

Keep in mind that each piece of content is absolutely unique. Therefore, pricing and completion deadlines are going to differ. Another thing to always remember is the famous saying: “You get what you pay for.” It may be somewhat of a cliché, but it is definitely true. Trust me!

STYLE AND STYLE GUIDES

Something else I mentioned above is style. I also talked about following a particular style guide in your writing. In case you are not very familiar with these terms, let’s clarify what they mean.

Style is, basically, the writer’s voice and writing style, and a style guide refers to an established set of writing standards and guidelines. It is a particular set of rules to follow when it comes to punctuation, hyphenation, grammar, capitalization, and word usage. There are four major published style guides, and each one of them has its own designated dictionary (you may find their names and uses specified below). A lot of major publishing agencies, educational institutions, and independent authors have a house style (also called custom style) of their own. Using a house style can set authors apart from other authors and make it easy to recognize their voice and their writing.

The four major published style guides are as follows:

• The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) and its corresponding dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. This is the preferred book-editing style used for manuscripts.
• Associated Press Stylebook (AP) and its designated dictionary, Webster’s New World College Dictionary. This style is used for newspaper and magazine articles.
• American Psychological Association (APA) and its designated dictionary, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. This style is commonly used for academic and science writing.
• Modern Language Association (MLA). This style is used for citing sources in academic writing.

Remember that, as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, proofreaders make sure that the client’s chosen style of writing is consistent throughout the piece but do not attempt to make any changes or rewrite any sentences.

Okay!

While I may have missed some minor details, this article summarizes the key points of editing and the editorial process. I hope it brings some clarification, disperses the clouds of confusion a little bit, and aids in your endeavor to find what you are looking for.

Happy hunting!