by Viannah E. Duncan

Are you a writer who’s been thinking about having your work edited? Confused about the types of editing that are available? Not sure what to look for in a good editor? You’ve come to the right place! Plume has graciously allowed me to write something about editing for you all so that you can go into the editing process feeling confident you’re on the right track.

First, let me tell you a little about myself. My name is Viannah E. Duncan. I’m a professional editor and writer based out of the Baltimore area in Maryland, USA. I hold a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, which focused on creative nonfiction, poetry, and small press publishing. To learn more about me and what I do, you can visit my website DuncanHeights.com. You can also interact with me on Twitter @veduncan.

What Editing Is: Developmental editing, line editing, and copy editing

Let’s get started! What even is editing, anyway? Well, there are three primary types of editing (and proofreading isn’t one of them!), and they go by different names. Honestly, the types overlap somewhat, and there’s no clear cut definitions for any of them, so I’ll let you know a little about each one so that you know what you’re getting when you begin your edits of your own work or decide to hire an editor to work on your writing for you.

Developmental editing

Developmental editing is sometimes known as content editing or, less often, structural editing. This kind of editing focuses on the big picture: chapters and scenes. Developmental editing takes the plot, conflict, and characters to task. I was editing a manuscript for content a few weeks back that was a great story with some glaring plot holes. For example, the premise of the story was that the characters were stuck on a space station on a collision course with the Sun, and they had to solve a murder mystery in order for the space station to change its course. At the end of the story, several of the characters (the ones who were still alive by that point, of course) get into the escape pod and — wait, there’s been an escape pod on the station this whole time and no one mentioned it before page 288? Noticing that kind of thing and pointing it out so that the author can fix it is developmental editing, and it’s considered the first line of defense in any great author’s arsenal. Once complete, a manuscript should go through line editing, copy editing, and proofreading as well before being published.

Line editing

Line editing is the second line of defense against bad writing. Sometimes called substantive editing or heavy copy editing, line editing focuses on language rather than structure or plot. In this type of editing, consistency is key. For example, I just finished editing a manuscript that included multiple points of view: each chapter gave us a different character’s viewpoint in order to give the reader a broader perspective of the story instead of writing from omnipresence or sticking strictly to a single character’s point of view. The writer intended for each chapter to be from a different character’s viewpoint, but sometimes the point of view changed in the middle of the chapter. I simply pointed out where this occurred so that the author could create new chapters or rewrite the narrative in a way that remained consistent with the style she’d already set up. (She ended up doing a little of both throughout the manuscript.)

Line editing also looks for consistency in tone, style, voice, and character. If you have a story set in ancient Rome, after all, it’s unlikely any character would use the words “staycation” or “bae” or “crowdfunding”. Additionally, this type of editing helps reduce passive voice and redundant word usage when it doesn’t serve the story’s flow and makes note of cliches and mixed metaphors so that the author can address them in a rewrite. What else does line editing cover? Cutting unnecessary dialogue tags, smoothing out transitions, and making sure the author’s meaning is clear. This is also the stage of editing where an editor may point out areas that require copyright-holder permission for use, like including lines from a poem that was not written by the author.

Copy editing

Developmental editing and line editing are considered the deeper elements of editing, and copy editing can be considered the icing on top of the authorial cake: it’s for the final mechanical clean up and includes checking for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. When I edit for copy, I make sure to fix misused homophones (like seam/seem, berry/bury, and vice/vise); correct spelling and capitalization of proper nouns, titles, and locations; and check for consistent verb tense. Sometimes, editors include light fact-checking at this stage (like making sure June 3, 1985, actually is a Monday, for example), but don’t count on it unless they specifically offer that service. If you as the author prefer to adhere to a certain style guide (Chicago Manual of Style, Associated Press, a house guide, etc), this is where checking for that comes in as well.

Your Work Needs to be Edited

All right, so now that we know about the different types of editing, let’s talk a little about why your work needs editing. It’s simple, really: nobody writes anything perfect the first time. This is not to say that your writing isn’t good, but even the J.K. Rowlings and Stephen Kings of the world have their work edited before it’s published, and you should too. Here’s why.

What to Look for in an Editor

Okay, so we’ve briefly talked about why your writing needs to be edited. Still worried about what working with a professional editor is like? That’s understandable. Trust me, though, editors are human too. Once you find the right editor for your work, you’ll be in good hands! Plus, a good editor will honestly let you know whether or not they can help you. The first thing you should know is that freelance editors (like myself) are on your side. We want to help you create the best story possible, not wrench it away from you and insist on a bunch of changes that you don’t want. So, when you get started with an editor, make sure your goals are the same. Some editors will offer sample edits for longer works so you can get to know their editing style and so they can get to know your writing and see what kind of editing you need. [I offer sample edits on 1,000 words (about four typed, double spaced pages) for works longer than 50,000 words.] If you’re trying to get a copy editor to do developmental editing, for example, you’ll be in for a hard time. Make sure that you make clear what you want for the story before you have it edited. (If you’re not sure what you want for the story, go back to the reasoning for having your work edited and reread!) Remember that editors are not co-writers. Our job is to make suggestions for your work, and you can do with those suggestions as you see fit. If an editor insists that something must be a certain way (and you don’t agree), then steer clear. A good editor will be happy to explain their reasoning to you if you’re not sure why they suggested you change something.

It all comes back to you

In the end, of course, it all comes back to you. It’s your writing, and you have creative control over it. An editor can help you realize your goals, but you’re the author, not them. It’s always a good idea to edit your own work as much as you can before showing it to an editor, if for no other reason than you’re more likely to get your money’s worth. Though editors don’t work for free, we do our best to make it worth your while. If you’re in the market for a great editor, please let me know! If I’m not available to take on your work, I can suggest several other editors who may be able to help you.