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Developmental editing is a phase in the book writing process wherein editors collaborate with authors to resolve “big picture” issues in their manuscripts, clarifying and improving narrative structure, plot, character development, etc. A developmental editor assists works in progress that aren’t yet ready for the close up, detail-oriented scrutiny of a line and copy editor; at this stage, they are focused on the book’s content and how that content is (broadly) organized. They are not concerned with the writing at a line-by-line level (with its sound, cadence, or mechanics), although writers and developmental editors can work toward addressing these questions together. The best developmental editors help writers see the forest for the trees; they work with their authors to identify and amplify themes, notice and augment structure, or tame unruly manuscripts. Through collaboration and discussion, writers and developmental editors can together assess what’s working in a manuscript and implement the global adjustments that will not only result in complete projects, but in complete projects that communicate exactly what the writer wishes to say. 

To hire an editor for your book or learn more about our online book editing services, we invite you to schedule a free consultation call with a Gilliam Writers Group Enrollment Manager.

If developmental editing is about perfecting the forest, line editing and copy editing are about crafting the trees. While developmental editing occurs throughout the writing of a draft, line editing is more helpful for late-stage drafts. It focuses on style and language use within a manuscript, and particularly on identifying and improving patterns in the author's writing. All writers have habits and tics particular to their own style; some habits add to the flavor and individuality of a writer’s style, while others may detract from getting meaning across. Perhaps you use too much dialogue, or too little. Perhaps you’re an abuser of em-dashes. A line editor can help you recognize these habits and address them. In terms of language, a line editor may advise that your writing could benefit from a more intensive use of imagery, or more vivid characterization. A line editor may also indicate general scenes or sections of the book that can be improved, honing in on stylistic inconsistencies, issues with pacing, and striking a balance between showing and telling. 

Line editing generally takes place before copy editing. It addresses how a work is written, and how its content is conveyed. Copy editing improves the document at an even more technical level; during this final stage of the revision process, the professional editor is reviewing their client’s near-final draft for readability, preparing the manuscript for one last proofread, and then readying it for publication. In other words, a copy edit corrects grammar and spelling, fixes punctuation, and smooths out syntax already improved during the previous line edit. Your copy editor will discuss your needs for your manuscript and the formatting you desire, and will then polish the manuscript so that it’s ready to send to agents and/or publishers, or to upload for self-publishing.

If you’d like to work with a book copy editor online, or have questions about the ins and outs of hiring an editor for your book, GWG’s Enrollment Managers are here to help. Reserve a time on our calendar for your free consultation call today.

At Gilliam Writers Group, we have experience editing manuscripts by every kind of writer. In the realm of fiction, whether you’re looking for a children’s book editor, a YA book editor, a developmental editor for fantasy, or a short story editor, our faculty have the genre-specific expertise to assess your manuscript in its current state and create a plan for completing and/or polishing it. For nonfiction writers, we provide academic manuscript editing, scientific or medical manuscript editing, self-help/spiritual book editing, memoir editing, business book editors, and more. Poetry manuscript editing is a particular strength of our faculty–our editors know how every word and line break and punctuation mark makes a difference in the effect of the work. Every manuscript is unique. Fiction and nonfiction, and the various genres that fall within those categories, require entirely different approaches to content, tone, style, and structure. Our book editors have the professional experience and academic training to lead clients through the individualized steps required to achieve their writing goals, whatever their chosen genre or form may be. 

Our best editors are also accomplished authors in their own right. Writing by our faculty and emeritus faculty appears in top publications including Slate, The New Yorker, Bookforum, CNN Opinions, Granta, Foreign Policy, JSTOR Daily, Artforum, The Cincinnati Review, Longreads, Al Jazeera, The New York Review of Books, Electric Lit, The New York Times, Lambda Literary, The Rumpus, Catapult, Food & Wine, and more. We have been published by Simon and Schuster and Penguin Random House, among other presses large and small, and have earned multiple awards and prizes for fiction, poetry, and criticism.

Ready to get started with one of our professional book editors online, or curious to learn more about GWG’s manuscript editing services? Click below to book a complimentary consultation call with a GWG Enrollment Manager.