You’ve completed your manuscript and are eager to send it out into the world, but for your sake and for the sake of your work it’s important to determine the level of editing you require.
- Have you walked away from your work?
Setting your manuscript aside for a few weeks or even a month allows you to see it with new eyes. Let it breathe. You don’t want to submit it for editing and then find yourself wishing you could take it back for rewrites. - Does it require a Big Picture look?
If you need someone to address such issues as plot, character development, and pacing, then you’re looking for developmental editing. This isn’t the time to worry about typos. After all, you wouldn’t start painting your living room if you were thinking about knocking out a wall first. - Are you ready to tackle it paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence?
If you need someone to focus on clarity, flow, rhythm, voice, style, and readability, then you’re looking for line editing. - Are you ready to get down to the nitty-gritty?
If your manuscript is far along in the process and you need someone to address matters of spelling, punctuation, grammar, usage, and consistency, then you’re ready for copyediting. - Does your manuscript need a last look?
If you’re perfectly happy with your manuscript and need one last look to catch any typos, formatting issues, or anything else that was missed in previous steps, then you’re ready for proofreading.