Types of editing – Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing

What editors do behind the scenes

A writer admitted this to me after we’d worked together on her manuscript: she didn’t really want to work with an editor, but her writing mentor told her to, so she did. She thought editors were human spellcheckers and I’d just go through and fix her grammar. She didn’t know what editing is, what itContinue reading “What editors do behind the scenes”

What to expect from an edit

No matter the type of edit you’ve had – manuscript assessment, developmental edit, or copy edit – when you receive your manuscript back from your editor, you’ll still have work ahead of you. This doesn’t mean that your writing is bad or that you’ve somehow failed as a writer. This is exactly how the editing process is supposed to work.

Having the right tool for the job

When you’re writing and self-publishing, you can get a lot done by cobbling together different tools, but having the right tools makes your writing stronger. And at some point, calling in professionals makes the publishing process so much smoother and the end result that much stronger.

What types of editing are there?

Broadly speaking, there are three types of editing and each one focuses on a different stage of the writing and publishing process.

Benefits of working with a human editor

Automated grammar and spelling tools can help improve your writing, but there are still benefits to working with a human editor (like me!).

When you work with a human editor, you benefit from our encouragement, suggestions, queries, and experience.

What does editing look like?

If you’re nervous about having an editor review your work, you’re not alone! Sending your manuscript to someone you’ve never met is daunting. What can you expect? What will they change? What if you don’t like their changes?

What kind of editing do I need?

There are, broadly, three types of editing: developmental editing (also called content editing), copy editing, and proofreading. Developmental Editing Developmental editing looks at the structure of the whole book. Suggestions are made to improve the clarity, flow, and style of the overall work. While this can be time consuming, it is great to have anotherContinue reading “What kind of editing do I need?”