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Feb 07

What is structural editing in nonfiction?

By Definitions, Editing, Short and sweet

Structural editing of a nonfiction document is a level of editing that deals with the structure of the manuscript. This level of editing is also called substantive editing.

Some editors and authors consider substantive editing as belonging to developmental editing. Others use the terms substantive editing and developmental editing interchangeably.

Both levels of editing are concerned with the big picture of the manuscript rather than its grammar and spelling. But developmental editing can happen early during the writing process—even when you have only an outline—as well as in later stages. Its goal is to set the direction for the manuscript. In contrast, structural editing requires that you have a complete draft. Read More

Jan 15

What is developmental editing in nonfiction?

By Definitions, Editing, Short and sweet

If you are writing or planning to write a nonfiction book, chapter, or article, you may have heard that developmental editing is crucial for a writing project. But what is developmental editing in nonfiction? And should you work with a freelance editor on your manuscript?

In this short post I aim to answer these two questions so you know what to expect from developmental editing in nonfiction. Read More

Sep 29

In short, what is copyediting?

By Definitions, Editing, Short and sweet

The answer to the question, “What is copyediting?” will differ slightly depending on who answers it. But all freelance editors will likely say that copyediting (or copy-editing) is a type of editing.

Copyediting means correcting a manuscript’s grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, and style and ensuring that the document follows the recommended style guide.

You should also know that in publishing jargon, the raw manuscript is the copy, so editing the manuscript is copy editing, or copyediting. Some people refer to copyediting as line editing or manuscript editing. Read More

Aug 12

In short, what is editing?

By Definitions, Editing, Short and sweet

The question “What is editing?” doesn’t have only one answer. But many professional editors will define editing like this:

Editing is the process of reviewing a written text to correct and improve it so that it meets the needs of both the person who commissioned the work and the reader.

Editing comes after writing and before proofreading. Ideally, both come before publishing. Read More

Jun 05

What is language editing?

By Definitions, Editing, Short and sweet

If you’ve seen freelance editors advertise services such as language editing, manuscript editing, copyediting, developmental editing, and so on, you might have wondered what these terms mean. They all fall under the umbrella of English editing. I’ve explained many of them in the article What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

In this short post I’m going to answer the question, What is language editing? Read More

Sep 01

What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

By Definitions, Editing, Proofreading

2 pairs of glasses to show the difference between editing and proofreading

What’s the difference between editing and proofreading? Ask a few freelance editors and proofreaders to answer this question and they’ll likely give you different definitions of editing and proofreading. That’s because there’s no global standard that regulates and defines editing and proofreading services.

In this article I’ll use various reliable sources (including reference books and professional organizations) to answer the question, What’s the difference between editing and proofreading? In addition, I’ll clarify what editors and proofreaders do and don’t do so you have a better idea of what freelancer you may need to hire for your writing project. Read More

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