What Are the Different Types of Editing?

When I was publishing my first book, I spent a ton of time looking for an editor with little success. Part of the problem was that I didn’t really know what I was looking for.

When preparing your manuscript for publication, understanding the different types of editing is important to achieving a polished and professional final product. Each type of editing serves a specific purpose, addressing different aspects of your book. Here’s an overview of the main types of editing to help you decide what your manuscript might need.

Developmental editing tackles the big-picture elements of your manuscript. A developmental editor looks at: story structure and pacing, character and consistency, theme and tone, characters and inconsistencies. For nonfiction, this includes assessing the logical flow of arguments, chapter organization, and clarity of ideas. A developmental edit may result in significant changes to your manuscript, such as reordering chapters or reworking sections to improve the reader's experience.

Line editing focuses on improving the style and flow of your writing. It’s less about big-picture issues and more about refining individual sentences and paragraphs. A line editor may address: awkward phrasing, word choice, sentence structure, repetition and redundancy, grammar, and punctuation. This type of editing enhances readability, making your prose smoother and more engaging for the reader.

Copy editing is all about accuracy and consistency. It ensures your manuscript adheres to language standards and is free of technical errors. A copy editor will focus on: grammar, punctuation, and spelling; consistency in style (e.g., using a specific style guide like Chicago or AP); fact-checking (especially for nonfiction); and maintaining continuity in details (e.g., character names, timelines). Copy editing doesn’t get into rewriting sentences but instead polishes your manuscript for correctness and professionalism.

Proofreading is the final step in the editing process. This step ensures your book is error-free and ready for publication. Proofreaders check for: grammar, punctuation, typos, misspellings, and formatting inconsistencies (e.g., font styles, line spacing). Proofreading is the last line of defense to catch minor issues that might have been overlooked during earlier editing stages.

While you might not need all of the four main types of editing for each manuscript, you will benefit from hiring professionals for multiple types of editing. Budgeting for these services can be challenging, so prioritize the most critical needs for your manuscript. Commonly, an author will work with one editor to combine both the developmental and line editing into one service and then hire a second person to do the proofreading. It is advisable to have different people do the first edit and the proofread, since one person can often miss the same thing twice. This is what the affiliate we do at Self-Publishing Center.  

For self-published authors, skipping editing entirely can result in a less professional book, which may impact sales and reviews. Investing in the right type of editing can elevate your book, making it more engaging and more professional. Editing is generally the largest expense for self-publishing authors, but it is also one of the main ways you can ensure that your book is something you can be proud of for ever and ever.