Editors and What We Do

An editor’s job is to help the writer find things that they might have missed as well as help refine and sharpen the overall written document. They will cut, move and tighten the elements that make the story better and might suggest removing the rest.

They force the audience to pay attention to the writer and their voice and may bring certain skills that a writer might not have known or seen the need for, in their own work.

An editor has to find the perfect balance between the writer’s intentions, their chosen publishers’ standards and the target audience’s expectations to make sure it all fits together.

How do I know what editor is right for me?

There are many different types of editors, all with different jobs. If you can, try and find one that offers different editing styles that way you have the one editor who will understand your message and be on the same page quicker.

What type of editing is there?

There are editing styles from structural editing to simple proofreading and everything in between. We have generated a list of editing styles and their meanings so you can find which one is the right fit for you.

Here is the list of edits most editors supply:

Structural Editing:

Structural editing – also called developmental editing - is the most intense editing stage. It looks at the overall big picture of your story. It considers things like plot, subplot, characters, tense, dialogue and whether your message is portrayed accurately for your intended audience. It can also look at the order, flow and consistency of the story to make sure all aspects click and make the book enjoyable as well as readable.

Copy Editing:

Copy editing focuses on the story’s readability, flow and makes sure it makes sense. It improves sentence structures, persuasiveness and consistency within in the paragraphs so your message doesn’t get lost. Copyediting also can fact check the information you have written. What copyediting doesn’t do, is look at the structure of the story as a whole.

Line Editor:

Sometimes confused with copyediting, line editing literally only focuses on sentences. It analyses each sentence for word choice, the power behind the sentence and if the meaning of said sentence comes across clearly. It also checks punctuality, spelling, grammar, formatting and length. Line editing takes into consideration the arrangement of words to create well-formed sentences and decided if it needs trimming or adding.

Proof-reading:

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing progress after all other ending stages but before it goes it publishing. It only focuses on spelling and grammar, as well as punctuation and consistency, which the previous editing may have missed. Proofreading does not look at the structure or readability of the overall book.

I recommend starting with developmental/structural editing and ending with proofreading for the best results. Most editors will offer to edit a few pages for free to see if they are the right fit for you. Don’t be afraid to look at more than one. Remember, it is your story and it is your choice. You are entitled to the best person to help make your dream a reality.