Hey! You wrote a book! Well done, you. Getting that first draft out of your head and into the world is a great first step. But now comes the next part…you realize you need an editor before your manuscript is ready for prime time. How do figure out and ask for what you need so you hire the right kind of editor?

Not all editorial work is the same, and editors tend to specialize in one level of editing or another. When evaluating a book, editors use a “top-down” approach that starts with checking out the big-picture stuff and then goes all the way down to the nittiest and grittiest grammatical issues, and your book will typically go through several of these specialists on its journey to press. Here’s a quick overview:

  • The Acquisitions Editor. The acquisitions editor is the first person at a traditional publishing house to see your book. They’re the ones who talk to your agent, evaluate your proposal, provide feedback, make you an offer, and negotiate your contract. They’re forward-thinkers who are constantly working to fill gaps in their house’s next list (a list is a catalog/collection of titles to be announced; houses tend to have two to three lists per calendar year), so they’ll be the ones evaluating whether your manuscript is the right fit for their house overall and whether your book can hit a unique spot on an upcoming list.
  • The Developmental Editor. This is usually what I find authors need when they reach out to me for editorial help. Once your book is in the door at the publishing house (or, if you’re self-publishing, once you’re happy enough with your manuscript to enlist a professional), the next step is the developmental edit. Sometimes this step is called the substantive edit or the content edit. This is the 30,000-foot view where the editor ensures that your book makes sense from start to finish. If you’re a fiction writer, the developmental editor will check things like whether there are any plot holes, if your characters show appropriate arcs and growth, if the pacing is correct, and whether each scene builds toward the story’s climax and is necessary for the overall storyline. For nonfiction, this looks more like making sure you have a clearly articulated thesis or main argument, that all of your chapters call back to this main argument and contribute to your point, that your sections and chapters are in an order that makes sense from beginning to end, and that the book is well suited for your intended audience.
  • The Copyeditor. This is what most people think of when they hear “editor.” Once you’re satisfied that all of the major issues in your manuscript are cleared up and everything is in order, the copyeditor is the one who ensures accuracy, clarity, consistency, and readability. Copyeditors check for everything that shows up on the page, whether it’s spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, formatting, structure, quotations and their sources, tables, captions, and references (like footnotes, bibliographies, or indexes), among many other things. If it’s meant to be in the final version of your book, you’d better believe I’m checking it!
  • The Proofreader. Most people think this step is the same as copyediting. Not so! Proofreading happens when your manuscript is laid out by a graphic designer to make sure all of your formatting is correct and that no weird issues snuck through while we weren’t looking. Proofreaders will check your laid-out manuscript against the marked-up version from the copyeditor to make sure that all of the requested changes have been made, and they also check things like word breaks, chapter headings, page numbers, references, tables, images (did that image placement end up splitting the text awkwardly?), and even your book’s cover and/or jacket copy.

So with this information in mind, if you’re ready to get the ball rolling, what’s your first step?

If you’re planning to self-publish, I recommend reaching out to someone who specializes in developmental editing. I take on developmental edits on rare occasions, but I prefer to specialize in the copyediting and proofreading stages; if you’d like to work with me but your book needs a big-picture overview, I’m happy to chat with you and determine if your book is a good fit for my skills or if you would be better served by one of my excellent colleagues before coming back to me for the nitty-gritty stuff. My network is full of incredible editors and professional recommendations!

If you’re planning to query traditional publishing houses, my first recommendation is to find an agent. A good literary agent is your biggest cheerleader! They help you put together a proposal that shows publishers why your book is worth their attention; they do legal reads of contracts to make sure you’re getting the best possible deal; they walk alongside you throughout the publishing process and act as your liaison through all of the conversations you’ll have about covers, marketing copy, launch dates, audiobook production, PR, and all the things; and, most importantly, they have relationships with acquisitions editors and know how to get you into the conversations that matter.

There you have it! I hope this information gives you clarity into the editorial process, makes you feel empowered, and readies you to take the next steps in getting your book out into the world. If I can be of help as you write your next masterpiece, head over to the “Talk to Me” tab and drop me a line. I’d love to hear from you!