The Four Essential Phases of Novel Editing
Rebecca Harrel
Imagine with me, you just finished the first draft of your new novel. After taking the night to celebrate a job well done, you open up the document the next day and begin noticing issues. Your plot fell flat somewhere in the middle, you’re not sure if commas go before or after conjunctions, you might have changed the hair color of the protagonist’s best friend but you can’t find proof that she used to be brunette.
When these issues arise it’s time to look for an editor, but where does your search begin? Is it worth paying a professional or should you do it yourself? What’s the difference between a copy edit and a proofread? Many developing writers must ask these questions, but the answers can be confusing until you’ve learned to decipher the editing lingo.
This article will break down the four main types of novel editing, what they do, and when to use each one. I cited multiple books that I highly recommend you look up for more detail on this incredibly complex subject.
Developmental/Substantive Editing
What is it?
This type of edit has many names but one goal: perfect the storyline. Scott Norton defines developmental editing as, “significant structuring or restructuring of a manuscript’s discourse” (Norton 77). What does this mean? These big picture edits require rewrites that may restructure or remove entire chapters, plot points, or characters. A freelance developmental editor will write an edit letter, the length dependent on the manuscript, which breaks down what works, what doesn’t, examples of each, and suggestions for changes.
When do you need it?
Since these edits require large rewrites it’s best to complete them early on in the process. This may be your second or third draft once you have finished your story and reviewed it, before you move to sentence level edits. Some people can complete this phase themselves as they rework the plot, but publishing houses may require an in-house editor to run a developmental edit. It also may be beneficial to hire a freelance developmental editor for independent publishing to receive expert feedback.
Line Editing
What is it?
Line Edits focus on word choice, voice, and style. Rules like “show don’t tell,” techniques in sentence structure, cutting adverbs, and tightening word choice come into play here. These edits don’t rely on technical correctness as much as achieving a desired effect. George Witte, describes the line editor as, “a book’s ideal reader, the one who asks all the questions and heads off all the problems in a book” (Witte 87). This requires the editor to understand the author’s style and intended audience to make the text sound right for the genre, author, and reader. Back-and-forth discourse between the writer and editor makes the text shine.
When do you need it?
Line edits take place after developmental edits. Signs that you may need a line edit would be if your manuscript is excessively wordy, if sentences fall flat, or the voice is scattered. If you have a particularly strong voice and have already cleaned up your word choice, you may not need a line edit. If you are writing in an unfamiliar genre it a line editor who specializes in that genre may be especially helpful to ensure your voice will connect with your desired reader.
Copy Editing
What is it?
The copy edit ensures grammatical correctness and consistency throughout your manuscript. A copy editor must be familiar with the Chicago Manual of Style which explains formatting specifics, grammatical rules, copyright law, and on and on. When copyediting a fiction piece, the goal is consistency. Amy J. Schnieder wrote a book on copyediting fiction where she explained, “Instead of keeping the text 100 percent in line with the real world, a fiction copyeditor ensures that the story is internally consistent within its own world” (Schnieder 9). This process involves a style sheet where spellings, descriptions, characters, timelines, and all other facts of the story are tracked and checked for consistency and accuracy.
When do you need it?
Almost every book needs a copy edit. Most authors are not familiar enough with the Chicago Manual of Style to be confident in the technical accuracy of their piece and therefore need outside input. By the copy edit phase the plot and voice should be polished, and the text should have gone through a few rounds of self-edits to minimize errors.
Proofreading
What is it?
Proofreading, or proofing, is the final stage of edits. At this point, the manuscript is finished and nearly ready for publication. The red pen comes out and marks spelling errors, misplaced commas, and other typos. By now most of the large edits should be fixed, so this round of editing checks for lingering mistakes.
When do you need it?
Every book needs a proofread, this is the final editing step before publication to catch all remaining errors. The final proofread should begin once the manuscript is about ready to publish. There’s nothing worse than forgoing the final proofread and having readers ignore your book because they spotted a typo on page one.
Conclusion
Editing may be a time consuming, expensive, and intensive process but don’t lose hope. By finding the right editors, or learning the editing techniques yourself, you can improve the clarity of your storytelling. By understanding these terms, you can now confidently go forth into the world of editing.
Works Cited
Norton, Scott. What Editors Do: The Art, Craft and Business of Book Editing, edited by Peter Ginna. University of Chicago Press, 2017. pp. 76-85.
Schneider, Amy J. The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction. 2023.
Witte, George. What Editors Do: The Art, Craft and Business of Book Editing, edited by Peter Ginna. University of Chicago Press, 2017. pp. 86-94.
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