The Four Types of Book Editors

Hiring a book editor can exceptionally enhance the quality of your writing.

So you’ve decided to hire an editor for your book.

Great!

I have good news and bad news.

Good news: you will learn a great deal, and you will be happy you did it.

Bad news: finding the right editor is a little bit complicated. 

Part of what makes it complicated is that there are multiple kinds of editing. (And the exact number of different kinds changes depending on who you talk to.) Not every editor will do every single kind of editing. In fact, if they tell you that they do, it’s a bit of a red flag. 

So what are the different kinds of editing? Well, again—depends who you ask. I’m assuming you’re going to hire a freelance editor, so for this email, let’s adhere to what the Editorial Freelancers Association divides editing into. Here are the five types they list.

Developmental editor: Also known as an organizational editor, a developmental editor handles the big picture aspects of your manuscript, such as structure, scene selection, pacing, character arcs (fiction), worldbuilding (fiction), and/or chapter order. Some developmental editors will help you with the process of writing your book; some will only work with you if you have a complete draft (sometimes they’re called substantive editors). These editors tend to send you back to the drawing board, and that’s OK! They look at the work from a bird’s-eye perspective and can spot issues that you’re too close to see.

Line editor: A line editor is your next step in the editing process. This type of editing focuses on ensuring that each line aligns with your authorial style. Their goal is to match your unique voice while ensuring each line is as effective as possible. Sometimes this blends with copyediting; sometimes it doesn’t. It depends on the editor.

Copyeditor: A copyeditor edits for readability and quality. They also ensure that the text is free from grammatical and stylistic errors and is accurate. They handle aspects such as syntax, repetition, and adherence to the rules outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style. It’s better to do this kind of editing after the big picture stuff is taken care of.

Proofreader: A proofreader is your last line of defense, so to speak. They are usually the final kind of editor to look at your work before you ship it off to the presses. Their job is to catch spelling and punctuation errors, those pesky typos that you glaze over because you’ve been looking at them for weeks. Some proofreaders also will look for inconsistencies or errors with spaces between words or paragraphs, and things like the last sentence of a chapter being alone on the next page.

So there you have it. Some editors will mix and match services. Maybe you’ll find a professional editor who offers both copy and line editing services. Another editor will provide proofreading. It all depends on the individual and their area(s) of expertise.

Still have questions about editing? Reach out to me via my contact form.

In the meantime, happy writing!