FAQ
What style guides do I use?
For any editing work completed in US English, I use the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Any editing work completed in UK English I use New Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide, and the Oxford English Dictionary.
What does a developmental editor do?
Developmental editing give a thorough evaluation of an author’s work to help determine what it needs in order to be ready for publishing. It will look at improving the big picture story elements such as plot holes, poor character development, confusing dialogue, sentence phrasing, and any other issues that arise in relation to story elements.
A developmental edit comes after you’ve had beta readers provide feedback and you have edited your manuscript as much as you can.
What does a line editor do?
Line editing will review content, line by line, for proper punctuation, usage and syntax; fine-tune structure, tone and voice; and ensure clarity, coherence and logical flow and consistency in words.
What does a copy editor do?
Copy editing will review content for proper punctuation, grammar, spelling and spacing to ensure consistency throughout the manuscript.
What does a proofreader do?
A proofreader ensures content is free of spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. This is the final sweep of the manuscript before publishing.
When do I need these edits to be done?
When you’re ready to book an editor, the edits go in the following order:
Developmental
Line
Copy
Proofread