What is professional book editing?
Professional book editing is the process of improving a manuscript’s structure, language and accuracy before publication. It ranges from big-picture feedback on plot and argument to sentence-level polish and a final proofread for typos and formatting errors.
Even experienced authors work with editors. A well-edited book reads smoothly, earns better reviews and is far more likely to be accepted by retailers, agents and readers.
The four levels of editing
Most manuscripts need more than one level of editing. We assess your draft and recommend only the stages it needs.
- Developmental editing: structure, plot, argument, pacing and character
- Line editing: voice, rhythm, clarity and word choice line by line
- Copy editing: grammar, consistency, style and fact accuracy
- Proofreading: a final check for typos and layout errors before print
How our editing process works
You send your manuscript and goals. We provide a free sample edit and a fixed quote. Once you approve, your editor works through the manuscript using tracked changes and margin comments, then delivers an editorial letter summarizing the key recommendations.
After you review the edits, a follow-up call clarifies any questions. Your book then moves to the next stage of editing, design or publishing.
Editors who know your genre
A thriller, a memoir and a technical manual each need a different editor. Our team includes fiction, non-fiction, academic and technical specialists, and every project is matched to an editor with direct experience in that category.
How professional book editing works, stage by stage
Editing is not one job. Here is how the stages fit together and how to tell which one your manuscript needs right now.
Start with the big picture
Developmental editing looks at structure: does the story or argument hold together, is the pacing right, do the characters or chapters earn their place? It makes sense to fix these problems first. Polishing sentences in a chapter that later gets cut is wasted money.
Then work line by line
Once the structure is settled, a line editor works on voice and flow. They tighten sentences, cut repetition and make sure each paragraph moves the reader forward. A copy editor then checks grammar, punctuation, consistency and facts against a style sheet.
Proofread last
Proofreading happens after the book is typeset. A proofreader looks for typos, missing words and layout errors that crept in during formatting. It is the final check before the files go to print and to the eBook stores.
What a book edit costs and how long it takes
Editing is usually priced by word count and stage. A proofread is the least expensive; a developmental edit takes the longest. Most copy edits take two to four weeks. We start every project with a free sample edit, so you can see the editor’s approach before you commit.
