top of page

Editorial Services

Which Types of Editing Do You Need?

That depends on where you are in the process of writing and revising, and on your individual strengths and weaknesses as a writer.

 

Editing can refine every aspect of your manuscript's text, from plot structure and characterization down to comma placement. I recommend editing from the broadest to the narrowest elements, finalizing overall content and structure before cleaning up details like grammar and punctuation.

 

You will likely need some combination of the following editorial services; I'll be happy to create an individualized plan to address your manuscript's needs within your budget.


If you're new to the editorial process, the following overview should give you some idea of what to expect and which types of editing might suit your current needs. Feel free to contact me with questions, and consider starting with a manuscript assessment if you'd like a detailed breakdown of my professional recommendations for your next steps.

Page Navigation

Manuscript Assessment

A manuscript assessment can give you a sense of how you're doing and what remains to be done; I'll read your manuscript, or a portion of it, then email you a report summing up my experience as a reader and my evaluation of its needs as an editor. I'll tell you whatever I think will benefit you to know about your manuscript, including the following:

​

  • what I loved

  • what needs work

  • where I got lost

  • how you can improve it with your own revisions

  • how I can help when you're ready for hands-on editing

​

Manuscript assessment does not include any hands-on editing, but it provides substantial information and advice to guide your next draft as well as a range of individualized options for proceeding with editing if you'd like my help resolving the issues I've identified. This is a great place to start!

Line Editing

Line editing focuses on enhancing the clarity and flow of text at the sentence and paragraph level. This is heavier editing than standard copyediting; I'll more freely suggest substantial changes to make improvements that might be more complex and subjective than simply correcting outright errors.


Here are some of the ways I might help polish your writing with line editing:

​

  • rearranging or rewriting unclear sentences and paragraphs to make them easier to follow

  • cutting wordiness to tighten up prose

  • adding transitions to connect ideas, clear up logical leaps, and smooth out unintentionally jarring shifts in action or characterization

  • adding missing information that may be critical to readers' understanding or enjoyment

  • expanding or abbreviating passages to improve pacing
     

If you're open to substantial changes to your text in service of telling your story more effectively, line editing may be just the thing to take your draft to the next level.

Copyediting

Copyediting is the type of editing most people are familiar with; I'll correct mechanical errors in your text that might obscure your meaning or distract your readers, such as issues with the following:

​

  • grammar

  • punctuation

  • spelling

  • word choice

 

But copyediting can involve a lot more than that. I'll also help you select and maintain effective style choices—decisions you make for your writing that don't have only one correct answer.

 

Your writing communicates more clearly and looks more professional when your style choices are consistent throughout your piece, suitable for your audience, and informed by the standards of your medium and genre. These are context-dependent nuances that I've studied (and continue to study) so that I can advise you on wielding language effectively for your specific purposes.

​

Along with tracking those style choices, I can track details specific to your work, such as names and terms, world-building information, and a timeline of events, to help you maintain your story's internal logic and continuity.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final check to catch errors that have slipped through the cracks during the rest of the editorial process. It's done after the text has been typeset, the layout has been applied, and it's too late for large-scale changes.

As a proofreader I then examine each element to see what's off that can still be fixed:

  • Do any typos or egregious punctuation errors remain?

  • Are there inconsistencies in style or layout, such as a paragraph in the wrong font, or a left-aligned chapter heading in a book where the rest of the headings are centered?

  • Are any page numbers, chapter numbers, or other section/part numbers incorrect?

  • Are any captions mismatched with their images?

  • Has anything been left in that wasn't intended to be part of the text, such as placeholder text or reminder notes left by someone earlier in the editorial process?

  • Does the table of contents list any incorrect chapter titles, page numbers, etc?


If you're an independent author who's self-publishing, your work may benefit from proofreading after you've had it edited and formatted for your chosen platform.

Get in Touch!

To ask a question or discuss a project with me, please fill out a brief contact form or email Mallory@BookwyrmEditorial.com.

bottom of page