What’s the difference between Copy Editing, Line Editing, and Developmental Editing? I’m so glad you asked!

Copy Editing

Copy Editing refers to grammar and punctuation. (Sometimes both Copy Editing and Line Editing are referred to as Copy Editing, and sometimes both are referred to as Line Editing, but they are in fact two distinctly different things.) Copy Editing is about written communication, so it’s just following the rules: American English, British English, and mixes like Canadian and Australian English.

Very little of it is a judgment call. I do Copy Editing in-line, meaning I write right in or on the manuscript. I also throw it in pretty much as a perk with Line Editing because, although the vast majority of cheap editors out there right now are simple Copy Editors, it’s not really all that hard. There’s none of it you can’t look up for yourself.

Sample Copy & Line Editing.

Line Editing

Line editing refers to prose. It’s about the craft of writing, and that means paragraph structure, sentence flow, word choice, and language-related techniques. That also means voice, style, readability, and forward movement. And in fiction it means the difference between scenes and exposition.

This is what distinguishes professional from amateur writing, and it takes a long time to develop a really good ear for it. I’ve been developing mine for thirty years. It can be a bit shocking to read your own words Line Edited, but it is also an enormous thrill. Your story in professional voice! I also do Line Editing in-line.

Sample Copy & Line Editing.

Developmental Editing

Developmental Editing refers to storytelling, both the art and the craft. This involves not just plot structure, but also character development and motivation, theme, premise, symbolism, tension, pacing, and the author’s search for truth. Truth? Yes, truth. That’s the art of storytelling.

There are rules to plot that, while not enforced through venerable documentation like grammar and punctuation guides, are enforced by readers who put down badly-structured or -imagined books and walk away. I make available as much of my general knowledge of Developmental Issues as possible through my blog, advice column, and magazine, but the truth is books are vastly complex entities, and each comes with its own unique challenges. This is where hiring an Independent Editor becomes the most economical choice for the serious writer, as you learn far more from a mentor walking you through your manuscript over a period of time than you ever can from attending conferences after conference after conference.

Because Developmental Editing involves trimming, re-writing, rearranging, and the writing of new material, I do not do a Developmental Edit in-line. For an Abbreviated Developmental Edit, I send the author a letter discussing Developmental Issues. For a regular Developmental Edit of a full novel, my client and I discuss Developmental Issues by email over the course of around eight weeks.

Sample Developmental Editing Letter.

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