You’ve always had an excellent grasp on language mechanics, the nuts and bolts of spelling, syntax, punctuation, and structure. You probably aced your English classes and may even have years of blogging experience.
Now that you are wrapping up your first manuscript, you enter the dreaded editing process. Tedious and mind-numbing, you attack each chapter with absolute confidence that you can locate and edit potential flubs that might have slipped through during writing.
Proofreading and editing services were something you may have resisted from the get-go. Funds were super tight and since you have such a strong grip on the English language anyway, why waste the money? Surely you were well equipped to handle the editing yourself.
You quickly become aware, however, somewhere around chapter six when your eyes were crossing and the lines are blurring, that this was much more taxing an effort that you’d anticipated. And then comes that dreaded and humbling revelation—you do need professional book editing.
6 Types of Book Editing
Editing a book for publishing can be accomplished in a variety of ways. Who knew that not all book editors are created equal? There are a variety of types of book editing, including:
1. Copy editing
Copyediting refers to giving the final draft of the manuscript a good once-over, improving clarity and consistency to enhance the book’s readability. The copy editor looks at the minute details, such as spelling, grammar, tenses, and word usage.
2. Structural editing
Structural editing is geared toward improving the book’s story structure itself. It ensures the book is broken into the correct number of chapters or sections, and putting them in the correct order per the narrative.
3. Line editing
Line editing is often used interchangeably with copyediting. However, it actually refers to eyeballing each line of the book and analyzing word choice. From there the line editor will tighten up or modify the wording to improve the flow and style.
4. Developmental editing
The developmental editor looks at the big picture, including the organization, pacing, dialogue, point of view, and plot of the book. Other aspects a developmental editor considers are character development and whether they are likeable, as well as identifying gaps in the story.
5. Mechanical editing
Mechanical editing is concerned with the particular style, such as Chicago Manual of Style or Associated Press (AP). An editor ensures the style has been adhered to in a uniform manner throughout the manuscript.
6. Proofreading
Proofreading is the final step of the editing process, involving a once-over of the entire manuscript. A proofreader will identify and correct any typographical, spelling, grammar, punctuation, or formatting errors prior to publication.
Pros and Cons of Self-Editing
We all love to save a buck when we can, which is the biggest benefit of a DIY editing job. However, this is akin to “penny wise and pound foolish” as the finished product will most likely not be the professional result you were aiming at.
The eyes of an author seem to skip right over the most blaring errors, so do yourself a favor and spend the cash to get the job done right.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a Freelance Editor
With creative platforms chock full of hungry editors you would think that this would be the most sensible choice to accomplish your editing needs.
The problem is that English is not the native language of many of the freelancers on the platform, and that creates issues when they edit your manuscript. Also, it may be difficult to locate the specific type of book editing you are seeking.
The price may be reasonable, but it is hit or miss as to whether you receive the outcome you desire.
Pros and Cons of Professional Book Editing for Publication
Entrusting your precious manuscript into the hands of a professional book editing service is the most value-conscious editing option.
Although these services may seem a bit pricey at first glance, when considering the high standards practiced by a professional book editor—and that they will also be publishing your book—it turns out that authors will actually save money in the long run.
No wasted money or time spent on a creative platform getting sub-standard work that must be redone. No half-baked self-editing that leaves dozens of errors in your manuscript.
These experts are motivated to make your book its absolute best because they are also going to be publishing it, so there is some skin in the game.
Is Professional Editing Right for Your Book?
When tasked with editing your book for publishing, you have several viable options available. However, to achieve your goal of publishing a book that looks and reads like a professional publication versus an amateur effort, why not utilize the years of editing expertise offered by the team at Gatekeeper Press? Reach out to us today!
