Seymour Proofreading

Which level of editing do you need?

Posted on March 22, 2020 (updated on July 27, 2024)

What are the different levels of editing?

There are four levels of editing.

developmental editing
line editing
copy-editing
proofreading

1. Developmental editing

This focuses on the big-picture –

structure, narrative, plot, pacing, characters and the flow of ideas.

2. Line editing

This addresses the content, writing style, readability and flow at sentence and paragraph level while retaining the author’s voice.

3. Copy-editing

The correcting stage – inconsistencies and errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar and formatting are corrected. The text is aligned to the style sheet at copy-editing level, making sure it is consistent with the preferred style and grammar rules.

4. Proofreading

This is the final check – correcting minor errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar and formatting that have been missed in previous rounds of editing.

Developmental editing focuses on the structure of a text, looking at how it all works together. Line editing, copy-editing and proofreading focus on the detail of the text, looking at it sentence-by-sentence and

word-by-word.

1. What is developmental editing?

Developmental (or structural) editing aims to improve the content and structure of a text. In fiction, this would look at plot, pacing, structure, narrative and characterisation. In non-fiction, this would look at the structure and narrative of a text, as well as making sure the flow of ideas isn’t confusing for the reader.

If you’re the only person who has read your manuscript, you will probably need some impartial feedback from at least a few people at structural level. This could come from a developmental editor, critique partners, a writing group, an alpha reader and/or beta readers.

2. What is line editing?

Line (or stylistic) editing addresses the content, writing style, language and readability of a text at sentence

and paragraph level, making sure the sentences flow smoothly while retaining the author’s voice.

3. What is copy-editing?

Copy-editing is the correcting stage where errors or inconsistencies in punctuation, spelling, grammar and formatting are addressed. The text is aligned to the style sheet at copy-editing level, making sure it is consistent with the preferred style and grammar rules.

4. What is proofreading?

Proofreading is the final check that a document goes through before publication. It picks up any errors that have been missed in previous rounds of editing.

Ideally, when a proofread is requested, I will be working on the final draft and would mainly be correcting minor errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar and formatting. The text would already be consistent with a style sheet (if applicable) and be fully formatted, although there may be some tweaks required.

Can multiple levels of editing be carried out at the same time?

There can be some overlap between the different levels of editing. Copy-editing can be done at the same time as line editing. Proof-editing is a hybrid of proofreading and copy-editing.

In traditional publishing, a text will have gone through the other stages of editing before it is proofread. Proof-editing happens when time and/or budget constraints mean that there are fewer stages in the editing process. In proof-editing, the usual proofreading concerns apply, but the level of editing is likely to be greater.

I prefer to proof-edit manuscripts that have already been professionally developmentally edited, or have at least gone through a few impartial beta readers who have experience reading the genre. This is because it is impossible to focus on the small details (at word and sentence level) if there are issues at structural level.

It’s also why I recommend splitting your self-editing process into separate tasks and focusing on one task at a time.

1. check the structure first (big-picture level)

2. then check the readability (sentence level)

3. finally check the spelling, punctuation and grammar (word level)

Further questions?

Please contact me if you’re still not sure which level of editing you need.

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