Editing
If you’ve already written a book, or you plan to write one yourself, you’ve probably considered editing. Editing involves transforming your written book from a draft to a publish-ready manuscript—ready for layout.
We offer three types of editing, and most authors benefit from each (specifics can vary, so reach out to us to determine what service best suits you):
Phase One: Developmental Editing
Developmental editing is a revision phase that involves a “deep read.” Sometimes called “content editing” or “substantive editing,” this edit tracks characters, plotlines, and/or concepts to make sure they’re consistent, clear, compelling, and concise without being redundant—paying particular attention to the outline/structure/arc of the book and chapters. Developmental editing also ensures that your book resonates with your ideal reader. Our developmental editing includes direct edits (using “track changes”) as well as numerous coaching comments throughout the manuscript—highlighting areas of strength, asking for clarity on areas that need it, and recommending additions/changes. We ask questions to draw out more when additional details will complement the book or when an area isn’t 100 percent clear. We include an editorial assessment with each developmental edit, which is a very detailed write-up to summarize strengths, areas of opportunity, and recommended next steps. We share any feedback we can to improve the manuscript.
Phase Two: Copy Editing
After a manuscript is developmentally sound, meaning it’s been through developmental editing and you’ve addressed the revisions needed, it’s time to copy edit. Copy editing addresses grammar, punctuation, numbering rules, and much more. It also ensures that all of your writing and formatting complies with Chicago Manual of Style. A close cousin of copy editing, “line editing” involves making trims, rearrangements, or replacements at the sentence level to optimize wording and flow. Our copy editing includes line editing.
Phase Three: Proofreading
After a book is copy edited, you’ll get another chance to review it to ensure you approve of the changes. Next comes proofreading and layout. (Layout is when the manuscript is transformed from words on the page to a visually appealing book by someone experienced with design tools. Proofreading can occur before or after layout.) Proofreading checks for and corrects errors. These might be typos, usage mistakes, or style inconsistencies. We always use a different editor for this phase, since it’s important to have “fresh eyes” on a manuscript to check this level of detail.
How do I know if I need a developmental editor, copy editor, or proofreader?
Great question! It can be hard to know what sort of help you’ll need, especially if this is your first book. Generally speaking, we suggest:
A developmental editor can help if you have written your manuscript and haven’t had it reviewed by a professional editor. A developmental editor will help you work out “big picture” issues with clarity, continuity, and overall engagement.
A copy editor can help if you’ve had a developmental edit and you’re ready to ensure the writing is grammatically accurate and flows smoothly at a sentence-level, that it’s formatted consistently, and that it’s compliant with Chicago Manual of Style.
A proofreader can help if you and your editor agree that the manuscript is “done” and ready for a final check to ensure that no errors remain (checking details like homophones, accurate capitalization/spelling of proper names, and anything else that might have been missed).
Want to go deeper? Download our free guide:
Understanding Developmental Editing, Copy Editing, and Proofreading
Learn more about our services:
“This is the second project I have worked on with Jocelyn, and as with last time, she has helped me develop my manuscript to its fullest potential. Jocelyn has got a great eye for all types of book editing, but I found that her developmental editing most useful for what I needed. Jocelyn helped me ensure that my stories flowed and made sense to the reader.”
“Jocelyn was so great to work with. Her comments, questions, and edits on my manuscript were thoughtful, helpful, and kind. Communication was excellent throughout the process. I’m quite sure that my memoir is immeasurably better because of her editorial eye. I’ll definitely work with her again. Highly recommend!”
“By the time my book was sent to Jocelyn it had been reviewed over a dozen times and edited by myself a couple of times. I thought it was a pretty good book, but knew it would benefit from a good edit. After months of work, emails and texts, the book is far better and was immediately picked up by my publisher. They even noted how well it flowed.”
“Jocelyn was fantastic to work with. I had completed one thorough edit prior to working with her, yet she still pushed me in areas of my writing that made a significant difference in the end. She is attentive, responsive, and very inquisitive throughout her process. I appreciated her candor and willingness to speak personally to help strengthen my manuscript. I’m thankful to connect with such a great talent.”
“Jocelyn was everything I hoped for in an editor. This is my first book, and quite frankly, I didn’t even know what to ask for! Jocelyn was so patient and guided me through the editing process with clear explanations on everything we needed to do to make my book the best it could be.”