Several times a year, I get emails from clients asking me how my services are different from a publishing company’s or a self-publishing consultant’s. There are a lot of moving parts in this industry, and it can be entirely overwhelming for a new author (often for seasoned authors, too), so I’m always happy to respond and walk them through what I do versus what publishers (or designers or marketers or agents) do. But, since this seems to be a frequently asked question, I thought I’d take a few minutes on the blog to break down what it is, exactly, that book editors do and do not do for our clients.
Note that every editor is a little different, so specific services will change from editor to editor (you can see mine here, for example). But this general overview should give you a good idea of what you can expect from an editor’s list of offerings.
What Editors Do
To put it most simply, an editor’s job is to help you, the author, tell your story. We work with the words. Depending on how far along you are in your work-in-progress, you may need any of several different types of editing. In brief, here are the types of content-related services you can expect an editor to provide.
Developmental Editing
This is the broadest type of editing, and it’s most useful in a manuscript’s early stages. Maybe you have a complete draft or maybe you’re only part of the way there, and you need to know what’s working, what’s not, and how to take your book to the next level. Developmental editing addresses those issues, and it can touch on structure, plot, voice, character development, dialogue, and more—all the building blocks of a great story—to ensure your novel or nonfiction book is set up on a strong foundation.
Line Editing
Line editing is a more granular, but still subjective, kind of editing, and it’s most useful when you’ve got a complete manuscript and you’re confident all the big pieces are there. Maybe you’ve already worked with a developmental editor or had several beta readers (or just honest friends) provide feedback. Now, your line editor can get her hands dirty polishing the manuscript at the sentence level. Working with track changes, she’ll help polish your prose, making your voice shine, tightening dialogue, perfecting your pacing, and addressing any inconsistencies or unclear spots in the manuscript.
Copyediting
Copyediting is the last phase before you format your manuscript and prep it for publication. This addresses grammar, spelling, punctuation, and those last few awkward moments in the prose. Again, your editor will use track changes, and your markup may be hefty, but this step is critical for creating a streamlined, professional manuscript.
(Note that, while editors can and will combine line editing and copyediting, I always recommend completing them as separate steps. After all, when you’re still adjusting the content, it’s easy to introduce new errors or miss others. And you may wind up copyediting full paragraphs that don’t make the cut. Your cleanest, safest bet is to invest in line editing and copyediting separately.)
Proofreading
Proofreading is the very last stage of editing, and it’s usually completed only after the book is formatted and ready to publish. This final pass is a last check for any objective grammar or punctuation mistakes and formatting inconsistencies and should not include any subjective recommendations or changes to the text.
Book Coaching
The services above generally focus on supporting an author through just one phase of manuscript development. For authors who are looking for more long-term support, book coaching may be a good option. A book coach is an editor who is part of the author’s team from initial idea to finished product, providing feedback on story, structure, and craft (and often acting as part confidant and part unofficial therapist as well) along the way. Learn more about a book coach’s role in an author’s process here.
Not every editor will offer all of these services — some are expert proofreaders while others would much prefer to work on the big picture. But all of these do fall squarely under the editorial umbrella.
What Editors Don’t Do
So, what don’t we editors do? Let’s take a look.
Heavy Rewrites
While we may get our hands dirty with track changes during a line edit or a copyedit, editors are not responsible for major rewrites to your book. We may suggest you add a whole new character or flip the structure inside out, but as the author, those revisions are your job.
Now, there is a scenario in which you can hire someone to rewrite (or even write) your novel for you, but that’s not an editorial service — it’s ghostwriting. Some editors do offer these services, but as ghostwriting is really a separate expertise, it’s not something authors should expect from their editors by default.
Book Design
For self-published authors, book design — from the interior text layout to the cover — is a critical step in the publishing process. But it’s not one that your editor will undertake. Graphic design and book layout are their own skill sets, and authors are better off if they hire professionals for both these jobs.
Book Marketing
Especially in the developmental phases, your editor might make comments about your book’s potential success in reaching its target audience, but she is not a marketer. There are freelance book marketers as well as book marketing firms that will do an incredible job helping you get your book in readers’ hands. And while an editor may congratulate you on your publication day via Instagram or include your book in her portfolio (with your permission), she is under no obligation to do any leg work for you as far as marketing is concerned.
Book Publishing
Finally, editors are not publishers or agents, nor will we introduce you to publishers or agents. We want you to succeed as much as you do, and we’ll do everything we can to help you shape your manuscript into a quality, salable story, but we can’t make any guarantees that publishers or agents will accept it — nor can we query your novel for you.
Again, remember not every editor is alike. Some may offer some or all of these services in addition to their editorial services (with the exception of passing your work on to agents and publishers — most of us won’t do that). But those of us who don’t will do something equally helpful: we’ll happily refer you to our friends and colleagues who can help you with design, marketing, ghostwriting, self-publishing, or anything else you need to get your book published and on the shelf. Never hesitate to ask for a recommendation, because there’s nothing we “book shepherds” love more than connecting our incredible clients with our incredible communities so that both can benefit.
Selfie of an editor at work.
Ready to Hire an Editor?
Finding an editor who’s a fit for you and your project is important, and the process can be a little overwhelming. Here’s my guide to vetting potential editors to decide whether they’re right for you.
If you’d like to learn more about my editorial services and philosophies in order to determine whether we might be a good fit, please reach out! I’d love to hear about what you’re working on and talk with you about how I can help.