What kind of editing do I need?

There are, broadly, three types of editing: developmental editing (also called structural editing), copyediting, and proofreading.

Developmental Editing

Developmental editing looks at the structure of your whole book. Developmental editors approach your work from a reader’s perspective, but importantly, they analyse the big-picture elements: narrative structure, character development (yes, even for non-fiction and memoir), pacing, and overall narrative flow. They’ll identify what’s working and what isn’t, then provide concrete suggestions to strengthen your story’s foundation.

Common issues developmental editors address:

• Plot holes or inconsistencies in the narrative.
• Side quests that don’t serve the main narrative.
• Pacing problems in specific chapters or sections.
• Structural issues with beginning, middle, or end.

These are the types of big-picture issues that need addressing before you move on to fine-tuning individual sentences and paragraphs.

Copyediting

Copyediting focuses on the details at the sentence and paragraph level. It’ll all about getting into the weeds of your story. Copyeditors can spot areas where your prose can be strengthened, identify descriptions that could be bolder or more vivid, and help make your dialogue sound more natural and realistic. We also catch inconsistencies in tone, style, and voice that you might have missed.

What copyeditors improve

• Sentence structure and flow between paragraphs and chapters.
• Word choice and vocabulary precision.
• Dialogue that sounds natural and character-specific.
• Descriptions that are vivid but not overwritten.
• Consistency in narrative voice and tone.
• Cutting out redundant or unnecessary phrases.

These are the details that boost your storytelling and fix issues that could distract readers from your story.

Sound like you? Check out my editing for adventure writers.

Proofreading

Proofreading comes at the very end of the editing process, after all developmental and copy editing revisions have been completed. This is your final quality check before publication.

The proofreader’s job is to catch any remaining typos, formatting errors, or minor inconsistencies that slipped through previous rounds of editing. It’s not the time for rewrites or tinkering.

What proofreaders catch

• Spelling errors and typos
• Punctuation mistakes
• Funky formatting issues
• Page numbering or header issues
• Issues with your front matter and end matter (like your contents page and acknowledgements)

Proofreading typically happens after your manuscript has been formatted for publication, whether that’s for print or digital release. Changes are marked up on the designed PDF, so the designer can import the changes to their file.

It’s your last line of defence against those sneaky errors can sneak through the editing process.

If you want to proofread your own book like a pro, check out the Proofreading Checklist. I developed this to help authors navigate this final stage of the publishing process. It covers how to proofread your own manuscripts, and it’s full of the tricks I use when I’m proofreading.

What’s right for me?

In an ideal world, you’d go for all three: a developmental edit, then a copyedit, and finally, once your manuscript has been laid out, a proofread. Self-publishing can be expensive though, and your budget may not stretch to all three.

If you’re a first time author, investing in a developmental edit will help you broaden your storytelling skills. You’ll get feedback on the plot, point of view, characterisation, and pacing.

If you’re a more experienced author, or if you’re happy with your story’s overall arc, or your budget is limited, then a copyedit will help polish your story and increase the quality of your writing.

Need more help?

If you’re not sure what’s right for you, let’s talk! We can figure out what type of editing would be best for where you’re at. And if I’m not the right editor for you, I can help find someone who is.

For authors interested in doing as much as they can before getting an editor involved, check out the posts in Write the Adventure. These are good posts to start with:

• How to use verbs to boost your descriptions
• Improve your writing by removing filter words
• How to reduce the number of ‘I’s in your writing
• How to avoid overloading your descriptions
• How to include flashbacks in your writing

I also highly recommend Beth Hill’s The Magic of Fiction. Beth gets into the nuts and bolts of polishing your story and getting it ready for publication. Yes, the book is aimed at novelists, but you’ll pick up heaps of great writing advice for adventure memoir too.

If you’re in New Zealand around June, book yourself a spot at the Adventure Writing School at the Mountain Film & Book Festival in Wanaka.