Bonjour, friends!

I just had a stalk in my analytics the other day, and I noticed that my most popular blog post to date is about the different types of editing. (Did you know there are 4 types?)

If you have a complete first draft, you know you need “editing.” But not knowing exactly what type of editing might be holding you back.

And don’t worry—you’re not alone if you don’t know. Some folks in my industry—writers and even newbie editors!—don’t know the different stages of editing.

Since “What type of editing do I need?” is one of the most common questions I get, I’m going to explain why it’s also one of the most important questions I get…

Unless you know how to set the right expectations with your editor, you’re going to find yourself in the same position as my client, Erin, found herself when she first came to me.

Erin, a first-time author, had written a wonderful book for new parents. Like many others, she struggled with feelings of inadequacy and had a hard time confiding her manuscript to anyone—even me!

Each time she thought her first draft was “done,” she backtracked and decided to revise just “one more time,” tweak things here and there, or add more, resulting in lost time and a never-ending loop of not feeling “ready” or “good enough” to confide her manuscript to an editor.

Once we got on a call, I immediately put her at ease that I was the right editor for her. She wasn’t yet comfortable sharing her entire manuscript, so I asked for a significant excerpt I could assess.

When Erin thought she would have to scrap everything and start over, I saw the merit in her writing and suggested exactly the types of editing she would benefit from most.

She understood right away that I’m far from a book critic—as an editor, I provide guidance and solutions. When I told her my plan of action with my recommendations for the 3 types of editing her book needed, she said to me, “You are SO right!”

We got to work right away, starting with reworking the introduction. When we finished the last round of editing, Erin knew she was coming away with the final, final, FINAL draft and was ready to publish.

So let’s dig into what the right type of editing might be for your manuscript.

Developmental Editing

A few of my clients have skipped this first type of editing because they already had a solid structure in place for their book. But others have needed a more high-level approach to solve organizational problems in how they present their ideas. I can often get this done in a day or two for you.

Line Editing

For less experienced writers still finding their voice or those working in a language other than their first (side note: as a bilingual person myself, I LOVE supporting other bilingual folks!), we’ll need to rewrite entire sentences while still sounding like YOU. I typically do line editing as part of my week-ish-long intensive.

Copyediting and Proofreading

EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, needs at least these 2 types of editing. We’ll do a deep dive into every word and punctuation mark. Here, you don’t have to know the ins and outs of grammar because I’ll make all the corrections for you. These editing services are also performed during my week-long intensive.

If you’re still wondering which type of editing your manuscript needs, ask yourself these questions:

• Does your book have a core message, and do all points support it?
• Are there no obvious inconsistencies?
• Is there a clear, organized structure?
• Are the ideas well developed?
• Do all your main points follow an internal logic?

If you answered NO to any of these questions, you likely need to start with developmental editing.

I go more in depth on each of the 4 types of editing in my blog post, The 4 Different Editorial Passes and How to Tell Them Apart.

Have questions? Just reply and ask. You know by now that I’m always happy to help. :)

Remember, once you complete your first draft, the most important thing is that you stop the endless cycle of “self-editing in a vacuum,” and instead seek the advice of an experienced editor you trust, saving you tons of time (and money)!

Happy editing,

Jessica

P.S. Want a more in-depth analysis on the 4 types of editing you always wanted but didn’t know you needed? Read more and get the full picture in this blog post.

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