Editing

Editing is not one job

The editorial process moves from larger questions toward final accuracy. The exact names used by professionals vary, so the brief matters more than the label.

A structural problem should not be discovered only after typesetting, and a proofreader should not be expected to rebuild a manuscript.

Developmental or structural editing

This is earlier-stage professional work on the shape and effectiveness of the material. In fiction it can involve plot, structure, pacing, character and overall coherence. In non-fiction it can involve argument, organisation, reader needs and whether the material delivers its purpose.

It is normally done before detailed copyediting.

Copyediting

Copyediting works at a more detailed level: clarity, consistency, spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and the handling of elements such as headings, references, tables or captions where relevant.

The aim is not to remove the author's voice. A good brief establishes how interventionist the edit should be.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final quality check on a proof or near-final publication. It catches remaining errors and problems introduced or exposed during layout and production.

If major rewriting is still happening, you are usually not at the proofreading stage.

Commissioning editorial work

• Ask exactly what the service includes and excludes.
• Give the editor the form, audience, word count and current state.
• Ask what files they need and what they will return.
• Agree timescale, price basis and revision/query process.
• Consider a sample or preliminary conversation where appropriate.
• Do not assume the most expensive or deepest edit is automatically necessary.