Important note: editors (and writers) often define these terms differently, so it’s essential to be on the same page—pun sort of intended—before you start the editing process. Make sure you spell out exactly what sort of assistance you’re looking for. Each type of editing demands a different skill set, time commitment, and budget, and you don’t want to be surprised after you get your edits back.

Developmental editing

Developmental editing looks at the “big picture” of a work: structure, organization, tone, promise to the reader (whether or not it has been met), reasoning, chapter coherence, writing style, grand unifying vision—all of the elements that differentiate, say, a lawn mower repair manual from a harrowing memoir about addiction. Developmental editors ensure that the content of a work not only fits but exemplifies the form. As a result, they’re less concerned with the nitty-gritty of fixing grammar and formatting text.

For me, a full developmental edit consists of marking up the text via Track Changes (line editing), querying the author as appropriate via marginal comments, and providing a high-level editorial letter that reviews the big-picture elements described above. Each element is evaluated in the letter, but the elements may differ depending on the book’s genre. For a memoir, for instance, there’d be sections evaluating the manuscript’s character development and narrative arc, elements that don’t apply to most prescriptive nonfiction (books that teach a skill or solve a problem, like How to Grow Plants in the Arctic). The length of the letter can vary depending on the manuscript word count, but in my experience it often runs from eight to twelve pages.

Copyediting

Copy editors review—and, when necessary, correct—the mechanical aspects of a work: grammar, syntax, usage, capitalization, formatting, labels, citations, consistency, etc. (For example, copy editors know that while the noun “copy editor” is generally styled as two words, with no hyphen, the verb “copyedit” is styled closed.) They also do light fact-checking, such as confirming the spelling of names and locations. If only it were that simple, though! Depending on where a work will be published, what constitutes “proper” capitalization or spelling may differ considerably. Conventions vary among the Associated Press, the University of Chicago Press (which publishes The Chicago Manual of Style), and the Modern Language Association, to name just a few of the major style enforcers. Also, many publications and businesses have their own quirky editorial preferences, called a house style. Whatever the style guidelines, the copy editor’s task is to ensure the rules are adhered to. (They also know it’s totally fine to end a sentence with a preposition, and that the passive voice is okay, too.)

Line editing

Line editing occupies that hazy, often ill-defined space between developmental editing and copyediting. The term is somewhat controversial (as far as controversy goes in the editing community). Some editors call it “heavy copyediting” or “substantive editing,” while others don’t acknowledge its existence, arguing that developmental editing or copyediting are descriptive enough. As I define it, line editing consists of changing the text to read less awkwardly, unclearly, or embarrassingly. It involves flagging non-sequiturs, gaps in logic, sentences that are off-tone or out of sync with the rest of the book—and, where appropriate, revising them in the text. It’s developmental editing without concern for structure, copyediting without concern for consistency. It’s playing around in the muck. It’s revising for rhythm and flow. It’s the polish that makes a work more readable, clear, and engaging. In my own projects, I tend to put line editing under the umbrella of developmental editing. Whenever I provide a developmental edit, line editing is always included.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the most basic level of editorial prophylaxis. It involves pointing out typos, mismatched formatting, and other superficial goofs that weren’t caught in the copyedit (and there are always some). Proofreaders don’t touch content; they are simply a backstop that makes sure glaring errors don’t make it into publication. Proofreading is usually the last process before publication.

For more information about the different types of editing, and tips on hiring the right editor, check out the free Editorial Freelancers Association e-book Hiring an Editor: A Guide for New Authors. Or just get in touch.