Levels of Editing

Following the writing and editorial process from start to finish, this is what each step entails.

Ghostwriting

A perfectly viable option for a busy author with great content ideas but no time to write, ghostwriting is a process where the writer would take existing text, notes, outlines, and/or transcriptions provided by the author, then write the manuscript, working closely with the author. New material is researched and developed or obtained from the author as needed. Author retains all rights and receives all royalties.

Rewriting/Book Doctoring

This process consists of rewriting existing text, notes, and/or transcriptions provided by the author. No new material is developed or researched. The manuscript should receive an additional copyedit and proofread after changes have been made.

Developmental Editing

In the developmental editing process, the editor works closely with the author on a specific project from the initial concept, outline, or draft (or some combination of the three) through any number of subsequent drafts. The editor makes suggestions about content, organization, and presentation, based on an analysis of competing works, comments of expert reviewers, the author’s market analysis, and other appropriate references. The editor also provides writing prompts and helps when needed during the writing process to keep an author's creativity flowing.

This type of edit includes all of the steps described above under content/substantive editing, as well as minor rewriting, including:
 •  Adjusting awkward sentences
 •  Completing sentence fragments (where needed)
 •  Reorganizing paragraphs and chapters for logical text flow

In addition, the developmental editor reviews an author’s manuscript for the following:
 •  Content organization
 •  Clarity and effectiveness of content or story sequence
 •  Flow/transitions
 •  Progress and pace
 •  Sentence structure
 •  Readability
 •  Presentation

Manuscript Critique

A manuscript critique is a broad overall assessment/review of a manuscript, pinpointing its strengths and weaknesses. Specific problem areas are flagged and general suggestions for improvement made. A professional opinion of the manuscript’s potential for acceptance by an agent and/or royalty-paying publisher, based solely on the focus of the material, may be given if offered/requested.

The reviewer also provides proposal critiques to make sure you are at the top of your game as you prepare to submit to literary agents or publishers.

Content/Substantive Editing

The recommended next step after the manuscript has been written, the content or substantive edit focuses on the big picture, the overall purpose and promise of the book by clarifying ambiguities, correcting conceptual problems, and maintaining the tone of the manuscript. A content edit:
 •  Identifies problems with overall clarity or accuracy
 •  Evaluates the order in which the text is presented and recommends ways to reorganize
 •  Identifies gaps in content
 •  Analyzes sentences for structure/syntax
 •  Suggests or provides clearer explanations, anecdotes, analogies, or illustrations
 •  Proposes additions or deletions of headings
 •  Seeks to achieve clarity of subject, logic, and consistency

The content edit checks for:
 •  Readability and flow of information
 •  Structural difficulties
 •  Stylistic troubles
 •  Sentence structure and rhythm
 •  Cloudy explanations
 •  Vague assumptions
 •  Faulty logic
 •  Errors of fact
 •  Inconsistencies in information
 •  Poor examples and analogies
 •  Outdated content
 •  Content that doesn’t adhere to the theme, tone, or marketing focus of the manuscript

Copyediting/Line Editing

Copyediting can cover a broad range of corrections and suggestions. A basic copyedit includes:
 •  Making sure material is logical and understandable
 •  Correcting continuity problems
 •  Making sure sources are cited for all statistics and quotations.
 •  Flagging inaccuracies and inconsistencies

A moderate copyedit would include a review of the manuscript for such things as:
 •  Redundancies
 •  Sentence clarity
 •  Word choice
 •  Maintenance of tone/voice

An in-depth copyedit could also include:
 •  A review for consistency of style and mood or presentation of content
 •  Analysis of the point of view chosen for each scene (fiction)
 •  Cross-checking references, figures, tables, equations, etc. (nonfiction)
 •  Pointing out items that may require permission from the copyright holder

At the copyediting stage errors/issues would be pointed out to the author but awkward or unclear sentences/paragraphs would not be reworked. The author chooses what to revise based on the editorial comments. Copy edits are usually performed after a manuscript has gone through a substantive edit.

Proofreading

Proofreading checks and corrects the text for:
 •  Typographical errors
 •  Misspelled words (including incorrect word usage)
 •  Grammatical problems (including verb tenses and syntax)
 •  Punctuation mistakes (including proper abbreviations and capitalization)
 •  Inconsistent format
 •  Letter or sentence spacing errors
 •  Specialized terms, character names, location references, etc.
 •  Numerical and alphabetical sequences
 •  Vertical and horizontal alignment of set-off text (including paragraph indents)
 •  References to illustrations, tables, and figures within the text

If a manuscript contains Scripture quotations, the proofreader may look up the quotes to verify that they have been copied accurately and that the reference given is the correct one for that quote (including the version being used).

Page proofing (aka galley proof or character-by-character proofread) compares the latest version of a project to earlier stages to make sure all changes have been made correctly. This is sometimes done on galleys, after a manuscript has been typeset, comparing them to the author’s final draft. This step can also be beneficial for authors who have made numerous editorial changes in order to verify that changes have been properly made.