Different Levels of Editing
Do you really need an editor?
An editor is an author’s sidekick! With an editor by your side, you have the assurance that your writing will be at its very best and that every detail has been checked.
As your editor, anything I change is tracked and is a recommendation, you decide whether to keep the change. Often I include notes to explain my reasoning too.
Structural edit
(Also known as Developmental Editing)
For large projects like entire books, this is the first edit. This is a big-picture edit where larger issues can be spotted and changed before going down to the sentence level. It’s an assessment of the structure and form of a manuscript. For fiction, this is also where the story, plot and character development get assessed. Many authors use a developmental edit in their first or second drafts to help organize their writing.
Stylistic edit
(Also known as a Line edit)
This type of edit is my specialty. When you want your manuscript to be professional, clear and consistent, a stylistic edit can help. Stylistic is about your words at their best. My job as an editor is to learn your author’s voice and ensure your thoughts come through loud and clear. You want your reader to breeze through your words and not stop to consider what you meant or intended.
Copyediting
This is the edit most people think of—the red pen through spelling errors—kind of edit. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, following the style guide, language and consistency are a few of the things assessed.
Proofread
Proofreading is the last step in the editing process and is conducted when your manuscript is in its final format. A proofreader looks for obvious errors missed in previous edits as well as the formatting and layout. This edit ensures there aren’t any pages with an orphaned line of words, that images are well placed, and that page numbers are correct.
Previous Projects
- Nonfiction book - medical field
- Structural edit
- Fiction book - three book series
- Structural edit, stylistic edit, copy edit
- Memoir - 77 year old reflections on life
- Structural edit
- Phd thesis - church in context of a diverse community
- Stylistic edit, copy edit, proofread
Seed Catalogue Project 2021
This client needed the catalogue to be easier to read and have fewer pages if possible.
This client needed the catalogue to be easier to read and have fewer pages if possible.
This client needed the catalogue to be easier to read and have fewer pages if possible.
BEFORE
The project involved considerable research to ensure the Latin names were correct.
This client needed the catalogue to be easier to read and have fewer pages if possible.
This client needed the catalogue to be easier to read and have fewer pages if possible.
AFTER
Home Education Curriculum
A straightforward line edit. This author is creative and writes as she speaks. Sometimes her words need editing so readers don't stumble or misunderstand while still reflecting her unique voice.
Organizational report on racism in volunteerism
This project needed extensive line editing as there were multiple authors. The edit added professionalism and cohesion.