We’re aware you’ve written a manuscript. We can even figure out from your expressions that you need some help from the experts to give your written piece a professional look. Can you define the type of confusion penetrating in your mind?
It’s high time that every writer has to pass through the process of editing. It may be fun, like jogging in a field of cactuses with sunburn, but doing it in the same place is necessary. There are various categories of editing. Confuse? Don’t fear; as you read through this blog, you’ll learn the description of each type and some suggestions for editing in different situations.
Before you begin reading, let us give you a small teaser. Sometimes, the problem is in such easy conditions that you need less editorial input than you might think, but at other spots, you need to put in extra effort to get through the editing process.
What are the different types of editing?
It is a part of the writing journey to develop a thick skin and accept feedback in the form of edits. It is unnecessary to go through the editing process sitting in the scorching sun. There are various kinds of book editing services; you need to look for the one that is of interest. Let’s read through this blog and explore some of them.
Developmental Editing
One of the initial steps in the editing process is developmental editing. This editing is also known as manuscript appraisal, content editing, or substantive editing. This editing process involves looking at the overall structure of the manuscript.
One of the advantages of using this editing process is that you don’t need to complete your entire book to get it edited. An expert in developmental editing can be hired at different intervals during the writing process. Here the question often asked is, “What will the development editor do to your manuscript?” These experts will read through your entire manuscript and present you with an overall report after the process is over. They will keenly look for elements like flat characters, plot holes, hollow scenes creating confusion, and unclear characters in your write-ups. The final report will highlight things that are going well, as well as those needing minor or major improvements.
No worries, as your content will be annotated, including notes by the developmental editors with detailed suggestions for improvement. If you’re confident with your manuscript, you don’t need to hire a developmental editor and skip this editing step.
Structural editing
This editing process is similar to developmental editing. Experts in this process look at the manuscripts from a broader perspective. This process is also named a manuscript critique or an evaluation edit. One of the drawbacks of this process is you need to submit a finished manuscript for evaluation, unlike developmental editing. Once the editor sends you a summary of the elements that worked or didn’t work in your story, you need to follow the detailed notes attached to edit your manuscript.
This is more helpful in situations when you have completed your manuscripts and still feel confused about clarity, flow, or structure. You can always hire a structural editor to help you clarify your confusion and solve issues.
Editorial assessment
Sometimes, you feel confused about whether to hire an editor or which type of editing we should choose that works best for you. Editorial assessment will help you in clarifying your knowledge.
The majority of the manuscripts of the world pass through the process of editing. At these spots, manuscript assessment or editorial assessment plays a vital role. The expert team of this editing process looks at various parts of your manuscript and then suggests a better option for editing. Whether there are grammar issues or the need to work on your big picture, each type of editing is designed to work in its expert domain.
If you are still confused about the time framework and when you will need to look for these editors, your first and second write-ups are prime samples for editorial assessments. They will help you identify your mistakes at initial levels of writing for the future. If you want to pursue writing as your future career, this is a long-term investment you must make!
Copy editing
The mechanics of your story are important in its place. A copy edit helps resolve these mechanics problems. These editors do not work like line editors, but they look for spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes in more depth. Their role is not limited to this; they also look for proper capitalization, subject-verb agreement, and consistency.
Every book must go through the process of copyediting. This editing is important and helpful for authors and writers. We may think our manuscript is error-free, but mistakes are identified when they are examined. Therefore, before hiring book publishing services, getting it through the process of copy editing is a great idea!
Line editing
When it comes to examining the style of your writing or checking for the flow of your writing, line editing will work best. It is also known as stylistic editing. These editors look at your prose carefully and check for the tense, description, and other stylistic matters that can make your manuscript stand out or flop by engaging your readers.
Line editing is different from structural editing. These editors read line-by-line, editing your manuscript at the required spot. These editors try to get the hidden meaning of each sentence, and they look for the best job you have done in delivering your voice and writing style.
So those authors who aren’t confident with their stylistic choices in their initial writing can always look for these line editors. It doesn’t matter how many years you have invested in the writing industry, there are some paragraphs or sentences throughout the book that you think don’t go in the flow they were supposed to. Never regret that a line editor can help you!
Proofreading
Proofreading is the final step before publishing a book. It aims to make sure that no mistakes are available in your manuscript before hitting the publishing market. The role of proofreaders is the same as that of copy editors, looking into minor details. Small things like commas, page numbers, and even spacing between the words are under the role of proofreaders.
These nuts point down minor details that can make the readers. Before you send your book for proofreading, look for formatting errors. This process is the last option for pointing out minor details. Unlike copyeditors, proofreaders are also essential. It has been noticed that the master copies of those authors who have passed through the process of proofreading are highly ranked in the market.
FAQS
How do editors help you with your manuscripts?
The role of editors is to search deeply for the elements that are fresh, lively, witty, and surprising for your readers. If your manuscripts lack a logical flow, these editors are available to help you out.
Which style(s) are ideal for book editing?
Out of many book editing styles, some need to be chosen to produce a targeted audience-hitting copy. Whether it be developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, or proofreading, using them at the right spot and hiring the right experts’ advice is important to bring your book in the best shape.
How can I structurally edit my book?
Like other editing techniques, structural editing requires your use of critical thinking skills. You need to look at your story from editors’ spectacles. You need to look for minor details in the editing process, such as if your story unfolds logically, necessary things, etc. Therefore, it is ideally a good option to edit your manuscript at each interval as you go through the writing journey.
Let’s wind up
There is always an element of confusion between writers when using certain terms interchangeably. It is vital to clear out your concepts before you look for any of these services.
Some new editors will do a sample editing for free to let you know their expertise. This is advantageous as you will come to know if you and the editor are on the same page. After all, it is your masterpiece, and you can edit it better in style and tone, which an editor might not be able to do.
