From Blueprint to Finished Book: The Five Stages of Manuscript Editing

Welcome to Five On Fridays, my weekly straight-no-chaser newsletter where I help demystify the publishing industry for new writers and early-career authors. Let’s jump right in.

For authors, nothing is truer than the adage “writing is revising.” I’ve worked with authors, agents, and acquisitions editors during all stages of the revision process, and I can attest to the fact that every manuscript— whether it's explicitly stated or not, whether the editing requires a light touch or a velvet hammer— goes through several rounds of editing. Which type of editing, you ask? All of them. The editing process outlined below is applied to every manuscript (in some shape or form) whether you handle all the editing yourself, you hire freelance editors, or your publisher manages the process for you. 

In many ways, the stages of editing parallel those for building a house. The early stages, assessments and developmental edits, lay the groundwork, creating the blueprint and a strong foundation upon which to build. Line editing establishes style (Tudor vs. modern—dark vs. cozy, for example), frames rooms (scenes and chapters), and selects fixtures (language, voice, etc.). The next step, copyediting, checks beneath the surface, similar to the way home inspectors make sure everything meets codes and standards. And lastly, proofreading is the final walkthrough of a manuscript that’s almost ready to publish.

Assessments

An assessment is a broad, top-level look at your manuscript that identifies overarching structural issues and helps determine its readability. Think of an assessment as a light developmental edit where an editor identifies issues and offers solutions but doesn’t directly incorporate those recommendations into the manuscript itself. Assessments are typically requested by authors planning on self-publishing or those in the early stages of the querying process. They are great for first-time authors and those who have never had anyone read their manuscript in its entirety. Assessments can include recommendations on story, structure, and style and will flag major character, voice, and grammatical issues. The deliverable for an assessment is typically a letter or report, and there aren’t often many line notes included in the manuscript’s margins. 

The closest equivalent to an assessment in traditional publishing is a “first read,” but there are key differences between an assessment commissioned by an author and a first read. First reads are typically performed by an editorial assistant or first reader on manuscripts in the slush pile (unsolicited submissions) with the goal of giving acquisitions editors feedback on writing quality, potential fit with the editors’ catalogues, and marketability. When first reads are done on slush pile manuscripts, feedback is rarely provided to the author except in cases where an R&R (revise and resubmit) is requested. When done on manuscripts for authors the publisher already represents, first reads provide feedback for authors and their agents.

Developmental Editing

Developmental editing (sometimes called substantive editing) identifies and improves upon key structural elements of a manuscript. Unlike an assessment, a developmental edit often involves significant markups and deep restructuring of story elements. Developmental editing pays special attention to story structure and character development and usually includes recommendations for rewriting, rephrasing, and reorganizing the manuscript at the chapter and scene level.  

At a publishing house, acquisitions editors are also involved in the developmental process, providing a first read and notes they share with the author and a freelance or in-house developmental editor. These editors then do a deeper dive, working with the author during multiple rounds to address structure and story issues.

Line Editing

Line edits, sometimes called style edits, focus on correcting issues at the paragraph and sentence level and should be done on a manuscript that already has a tight plot, story, and structure. Line editing identifies and corrects awkward phrasing and improves flow, cadence, and dialogue but does not involve restructuring. One key aspect of line editing is improving a manuscript’s readability and clarity without altering the author’s voice. Line edits are done before entering the copyediting and proofreading stages.

Copyediting

Copyediting is less focused on rhythm and flow and more on ensuring accuracy. It typically addresses grammar and usage issues, spelling and punctuation errors, word choice, and consistency: Why is the character named Joseph in chapter one suddenly being called John in chapter eight? Why does Lara have brown eyes in the prologue but green eyes in the final scene?

Copyedits done for traditional publishers will often include a style sheet. The style sheet is a reference document prepared by a copyeditor that may include an alphabetical list of character names and their descriptions, place names, and distinct words. A copyeditor commissioned by a traditional publisher must adhere to the publisher’s house guide (editing rules and preferences specific to the publisher), as well as the house’s reference manual, i.e., The Chicago Manual of Style. Some freelance editors will also prepare style sheets for their self-published clients.

Proofreading

The final phase of the manuscript editing process is about double-checking, not about assessing or improving style or subject matter. Proofreading involves changes at the word-level, not at the sentence or paragraph level. Proofreaders check for typos, spelling, and layout issues. In self-publishing, the proofread is often done in a Microsoft Word document, but in traditional publishing, proofreading is typically done on a PDF document with margin comments and markups using Adobe’s suite of markup tools as shown above. Proofreaders also verify links in electronic documents and perform cleanups that standardize the manuscript’s format.

Editing timeframes vary depending on the type of editing required, the state of the manuscript submitted, and the author’s or house’s publication schedule. Whether you’re editing your manuscript yourself or using freelance editors, it’s always best to plan as far ahead as possible: experienced freelance editors can book out weeks or even months in advance. And if you’re with a traditional or indie publisher, adhering to delivery timelines is essential, not just because of contractual obligations, but also because production schedules are set months or years ahead of publication dates, and a late delivery of a revised manuscript could mean pushing your book’s publication out by as much as a year.

That wraps up this week’s Five On Fridays. Thank you for subscribing and reading. If you found this newsletter helpful, please share it on social media and forward it to your writer friends. Happy writing!

-Grace