How Many Types of Editing Are There For Books?
- schlesadv
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
1. Developmental Editing (aka Content or Structural Editing)
The big-picture edit.
Focuses on:
Overall concept and market fit
Structure and organization
Plot, pacing, and tension (for fiction)
Argument, clarity, and flow (for nonfiction)
Character development, POV, and theme
What you get:
Editorial letter with high-level feedback
Suggestions for reordering, adding, cutting, or rewriting sections
👉 This is where a book becomes good instead of just finished.
2. Line Editing
How the writing sounds.
Focuses on:
Sentence rhythm and flow
Voice and tone consistency
Word choice and clarity
Eliminating repetition and awkward phrasing
What you get:
Sentence-level revisions
Suggestions to strengthen prose without changing meaning
👉 This is where writing becomes engaging.
3. Copyediting
Technical accuracy and consistency.
Focuses on:
Grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Consistency in names, timelines, and facts
Style guide adherence (Chicago Manual of Style is common)
Basic fact-checking
What you get:
Clean, professional manuscript
👉 This is where the book becomes polished and credible.
4. Proofreading
The final safety net.
Focuses on:
Typos and formatting errors
Missing words or punctuation
Page numbers, headers, spacing issues
What you get:
A last check before printing or publishing
👉 Proofreading happens after layout—not before.
5. Specialized Edits (Optional but Valuable)
Depending on the book:
Substantive Editing – Between developmental and line editing
Sensitivity Reading – Cultural, racial, or social accuracy
Fact-Checking – Especially for memoirs and nonfiction
Legal Review – Libel, permissions, or copyright concerns
Typical Editing Order
Developmental
Line
Copyediting
Proofreading
Skipping steps is common—but almost always shows.
Quick takeaway
Developmental = What you’re saying
Line = How you’re saying it
Copyediting = Correctness
Proofreading = Final cleanup
Publishing wonderful books of all genres, since 2008
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