What should you know first?
Start with the story, then refine the sentences and check the final edition. Developmental editing examines structure, characters, and narrative decisions. Line editing and copyediting address the writing and consistency. Proofreading checks the prepared text for remaining errors. Define each service in the proposal.
Fix story decisions before polishing pages
A novel with an unresolved viewpoint problem or an unconvincing central conflict needs different attention from a structurally sound manuscript with inconsistent punctuation. Identify the problem before buying a service based on its name.
Developmental feedback examines the story at a larger scale. Questions include character motivation, scene purpose, stakes, pacing, chronology, viewpoint, and the relationship between the opening promise and the ending. Feedback should help the author make decisions rather than replace the author’s voice.
Agree on the meaning of the editing labels
Providers use editing terminology differently. Ask what the editor reads, what they change, and what the author receives. A report, annotated manuscript, style sheet, and revised file are distinct outputs. Revision rounds and follow-up discussion also need definition.
Line-level work concentrates on language and flow. Copyediting addresses clarity, consistency, and mechanical issues within its agreed scope. These activities overlap in some services, so a description of the actual work is more useful than assuming the label has one fixed meaning.
- Assessment: identify the manuscript’s main needs and readiness
- Development: examine structure, character, and scene-level decisions
- Sentence work: review voice, clarity, repetition, and consistency
- Proofing: check remaining errors in the approved text or designed edition
Give your editor a useful brief
Prepare the genre, intended reading experience, manuscript version, word count, concerns, and feedback you have already received. Explain which decisions are still open. Supply a clean version rather than expecting the editor to reconcile multiple drafts without an agreed allowance.
Record character names, spellings, invented terms, chronology, and series continuity. An author’s working style sheet helps identify intentional choices. For a series, include what earlier books establish so proposed changes do not create contradictions.
Plan time for your own revisions
Editing does not eliminate the author’s responsibility to review feedback and approve changes. Reserve time to revise, ask questions, and check continuity after substantive changes. Avoid setting an immovable release date before understanding those dependencies.
Proofreading belongs near the end because layout and late revisions introduce fresh errors. Check the designed edition and any ebook version in their intended formats. A clean manuscript file does not establish that the final export has correct breaks, navigation, or front matter.
Questions authors ask.
Is proofreading enough for a first draft?
Proofreading addresses remaining errors in a substantially settled text. A first draft often needs structural and sentence-level decisions first. An assessment helps establish the appropriate sequence for your manuscript.
Does an editor rewrite the novel for me?
That depends on the contracted service. Editing, coaching, and rewriting are different assignments. Agree on the level of intervention, author approvals, and delivery format before work begins.
Should I hire every editing level at once?
Assess the manuscript first. Major structural changes alter later editing requirements. Establish the sequence and approval stages, then agree on the work your current draft needs.
Sources and practical limits
This article provides an IME editorial planning framework. Editing labels vary by provider. Confirm the actual work and deliverables in your proposal.
Platform references were checked for this edition. Requirements change. General planning guidance does not replace your project agreement or professional advice on rights, contracts, or finance. No sales, placement, review, or production result is promised.