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You say tomato, I say . . . “line edit.” Don’t let the nomenclature scare you! There are probably as many definitions of editing as there are editors. Here’s my view:

Developmental Editing: Getting the structure right. The frame of the house; the walls, rooms, and roof.

  • Does the story flow?

  • Does the memoir have too much (a chapter, perhaps) about a part of your life that doesn’t belong with the rest of the story?

  • Does your memoir or novel need more of an arc–a sense of movement–throughout the book?

If you need help on this macro level, you probably need a developmental, or big-picture, edit.

Substantive or Line Editing: Getting the sentences right. The furniture and appliances inside the house–useful, beautiful, and offering comfort to the visitor/reader.

  • Are your sentences clear and succinct?

  • Do the paragraphs need transition sentences to guide the reader?

  • Do you overuse a favorite phrase?

  • Does the dialogue need work–perhaps the characters sound the same, and the story would benefit from giving each one a more distinct pattern of speech?

  • Would the essay sound better if you slayed a few cliches?

  • Does your novel do some head-hopping, bouncing from the interior of one character to the interior of another?

If you need help at the sentence level, you want a line edit, or small-picture edit. Most of my editing clients fall into this category. And I catch them.

Copy Edit (or Copyedit): Getting the grammar, spelling, syntax, and minor errors corrected. Placing the furniture for the best view, and the appliances for optimal navigation, to keep your reader comfortable. Copyeditors deal with stuff like:

  • Their v. there; lie v. lain; or: “Honey, I Shrank the Kids,” so please stop saying I “shrunk” them!

  • Does the comma go inside or outside quotation marks? (inside)

  • Do I need a new paragraph every time the speaker changes? (generally, yes; with exceptions).

  • When is it right to use a semicolon? Do I need a comma there? (that depends)

  • Are the modifiers clear, or would a few of those prepositional phrases do better closer to the thing they’re modifying? (For example: The dog ate the hot dog with the spiked collar. OUCH! The dog with the spiked collar would have a sore mouth, indeed!)

If you’re satisfied that you’ve done all you can or want to with your manuscript, and you want only a check for grammar, spelling, and niggling little details that could trip up your reader, you need a copy edit.

Proofread: The final check before you submit your book/article/proposal/manuscript for publication. That final light dusting of the furniture and arranging of dinner plates in your sturdy, beautiful, well-appointed house.  Proofreaders find the oddest unwanted guests:

  • Missing punctuation.

  • Duplicate duplicate words.

  • Too few/too many, commas. (oops! cut that comma!)

  • Misspelled names such as Jimmy Buffett (two t’s) or Playmobil (no “e”).

  • The Smiths’ house; Miles Davis’s discography (or Davis’, also correct, depending on which “style” you prefer).

Do not skip this vital step. Writing is hard work. There is no point spending months (or years) on a project, only to send it into the world without a final proofread with a keen, trained eye.

And finally, a note about blurring the lines: Indeed, when I’m hired to do a “line edit,” I also do the lighter tasks of copy editing and proofreading. When you hire me to get your sentences right (“line edit,”) I’m not going to do half a job. I will fact-check the spelling of Jimmy Buffett’s name; I will ensure you’ve got “lie” instead of “lay,” and correct misplaced modifiers–or suggest options that would make better sense to your reader. Likewise, if you want me to do a straightforward copy edit, I will seek–and find, and correct–any and all errors, just as I would do in a straight proofread.