It’s easy to think editing = editing. I mean, isn’t the goal of an editor to help prepare, correct and modify your book to make it shine to the best of its ability?
Yes. Absolutely.
But there are different kinds of editing, and depending on the kind of edit you need for your project, it’s important to identify the differences so that you can receive the best possible service or save on a service you might not need.
So, let’s start with three of the most common types of editing…
PROOFREADING
Proofreading is all about the final presentation and polishing your work before publishing.
Generally, a proofreader works with a PDF document after it has been designed and formatted. Proofreading is not an in-depth look at your words. It’s a final, last-minute, catch-any-errors-that-weren’t-caught-during-copyediting kind of service.
Proofreading focuses on identifying typos or punctuation, grammar, formatting and typesetting errors and ensures your content aligns with the chosen style guide.
Proofreading is the last step before publishing your work.
COPYEDITING
Copyediting is all about clarity and consistency.
A copy editor looks at grammar, spelling and punctuation, ensuring consistency and clarity throughout. A copy editor works with a style guide to bring consistency in spelling, capitalisation, punctuation, acronyms, numbers, formatting and grammar rules, etc.
Copyediting can also include fact-checking and identifying discrepancies and mistakes. It focuses on the big picture—to ensure all elements are clear, consistent and aligned—and the finer details of grammar too.
LINE EDITING
Line editing (or comprehensive editing) is a high-level look at your project to assess overall flow, tone and readability. It includes feedback, rewriting sentences, improving unclear wording, shortening lengthy sentences, removing redundancies and rearranging paragraphs.
The focus is on language, flow and readability, not the details of grammar and typo checks. While a line editor can do these things, it’s generally not their focus in a line edit. Thus, line editing is generally the first step in your editing journey.
WHAT KIND OF EDIT DO I NEED?
Because it can be hard to know upfront the kind of edit you need, some editors might package their services. This enables them the flexibility to provide all levels of service to you.
If you’re unsure of what kind of edit your book or project needs, feel free to ask an editor for a sample edit. Most editors should be able to offer this service and give you feedback on the kind of edit you might need. Or if you want an editor to combine services, just ask! Most editors can likely provide all levels of editing, though some editors do just specialise in certain areas.
I hope helps give an overview of the different kinds of editing and points you in the direction of the editing service you might need!
The Editing Eagle 