Self-publishing means making all the decisions about your book yourself – including what types of editing you want your manuscript to go through! Self-publishing also means paying for everything yourself (including editing), which can get expensive very quickly.
Below I will discuss the three main types of editing in the order they should be done, as well as what I recommend for authors on budgets.
Type 1: Developmental Editing
Developmental editing involves big picture edits and focuses on the structure and content of the story. A developmental editor will look at things like plot, pacing, character arcs, etc. and identify areas that need improvement. They will not be focusing on grammar, word choice, etc.
Here is an example from Friesen Press of what you might receive from a developmental editor:
Notice how the comments on the right focus on the story’s flow and content. For example, this developmental editor points out places where the author can cut some description, where to show rather than tell, etc.
Type 2: Line Editing
Line editing then gets more into the nitty gritty. A line editor looks at each individual sentence and whether or not it could be improved to be more effective, tighter, make better sense, etc. They will focus on things such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and sentence structure.
Here is an example from Victory Editing of what you might receive from a line editor:
Notice how these comments focus more on word choice, sentence structure, etc. The editor points out where an incorrect word is used (engine instead of car) and recommends varying the initial words in the sentences of a paragraph where they mostly start with “she.”
Type 3: Copyediting
Copyediting is very similar to proofreading, but also looks for any inconsistencies or continuity errors. A copyeditor will look at grammar, spelling, inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, inaccuracies in sentence structure, etc.
Here is an example from Janemac editing of what you might receive from a copyeditor:
Notice how this editor’s comments consist of strictly grammar, spelling, etc. They aren’t going to comment on content or writing style. Copyediting is mainly to check for correctness and consistency.
What Types Of Editing Do I Need?
Ideally, every book would receive all three types of editing. However, that can get expensive quite quickly, and most self-published authors won’t be able to pay for all three, at least in the beginning. However, I do believe that some level of editing is essential for creating a good book that people will want to buy!
Here are some tips for keeping editing costs down:
- Do your research – research editors for each category (some editors just do developmental, some just do copyediting, etc.) within your genre and compare costs. You can typically find editors’ names on the copyright pages of books. (Pro tip: go on Amazon and look at other self-published authors’ books using the “look inside” feature to see what editors they used!). Sometimes editors will do package deals (like a developmental & line edit) and often will run sales (follow them on social media to stay updated!) so make sure to look into all your options.
- Get sample edits – most editors will do a sample edit of 10-20 pages to give you an idea of their work before you commit to paying them to edit your entire manuscript. A sample edit will give you a good idea of if you actually need that style of editing and if the editor’s style works for you! Once you’ve researched and found some editors you may be interested in, shoot them an email requesting a sample edit.
- Use beta readers or critique partners – this is my #1 tip for improving your manuscript in general, and it can be a good replacement for developmental editing (and even line editing depending on your CP/betas). You can find CPs and betas through social media, local writing groups, websites like Critique Match, or you can pay professionals.
- Critique partners – CPs are other writers who provide feedback on your work either chapter by chapter, section by section, or on a whole manuscript. They typically swap work with you in exchange for your feedback as well. This is often an ongoing partnership with someone you mesh well with.
- Beta readers – betas are readers who provide feedback on your work. They are coming from the point of view of an average reader of your genre. Many authors develop relationships with their betas as well, but may swap some out from book to book.
- Pro tip: when using beta readers, make sure to give them a specific set of questions or things to look for in your manuscript to guide their feedback. I always tell mine that I am open to any feedback they may want to give, but I’m also specifically looking for feedback on X, Y, Z (pacing, character development, repetitiveness, awkwardness, etc.)
So, to answer the question posed in the heading of this section: the type(s) of editing you need is up to you! The types of editing you choose may depend on your level of writing experience, your budget, whether or not you have good critique partners or beta readers, etc.
I personally believe that every book needs at least copyediting or proofreading. I definitely give a lot of grace to self-published authors, but nothing turns me off more than lots of typos or grammatical errors. They pull me right out of the story!
If you have good CPs and/or betas and feel confident in your story and your sentences, you might be able to get away with just copyediting. If you’re feeling really stuck and need more support, it would likely be worth it to have more intensive editing done!
Start With Self-Editing
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention self-editing here. Self-editing (editing your own work) should be done before any other types of editing, including that done by critique partners or beta readers. You should be going through your manuscript multiple times to get it to the best you can make it at this point before handing it off to someone else!
Check out my post “5 Craft Books For Romance Writers” for some great books that will help you with self-developmental editing (big picture story stuff).
Check out my post “6 Common Writing Mistakes To Avoid” for some good starting points for self-line editing.
I hope this clears up any confusion about the different types of editing available to you. There are so many options out there, and many authors use different combinations of these types of editing! For example, some authors may have copyedits done and then still go on to use a proofreader. I prefer to just have copyedits done, then do a read through myself, and have my ARC readers send me any issues they find.
Whatever stage you are at with your manuscript, I hope this post gives you a better idea of what types of editing you might want to pursue for it!
