What does your book need?
Whether you’re looking to self-publish or go the traditional route, it’s likely your manuscript will need editing to bring it up to professional standards. Maybe you’ve just hit save on your first draft, or applied the finishing touches to your tenth: here are the different kinds of edits I can offer to help you realise your publishing goals, wherever you are in the writing process.
Structural Editing
In a structural edit, or what is sometimes called a ‘developmental’ edit, I provide you with an overall assessment of your novel. In a detailed report I'll look at the structure, pacing, characterisation, plot and tone and assess its strengths and weaknesses, focusing on key areas of improvement. I will go through the manuscript and highlight specific areas and details for you to focus on in subsequent rewrites.
Line Editing
In line edits, in addition to finding and fixing any spelling or grammatical errors, I edit for readability, consistency, style and flow. Line edits focus on a sentence level, rather than a structural level, so I don’t flag any rewrites: the aim of a line edit is to lift the existing prose and give it a polish.
Copy-editing & Proofreading
Copy-editing a manuscript involves correcting spelling, grammar, and ensuring a consistent style throughout. I will flag any inconsistencies, for example in plot continuity. In copy-edits I will either prepare the manuscript for typesetting, or style it in the way preferred by most agents for submission, depending on your goals. Proofreading is needed once a manuscript is typeset, to check for similar problems, as well as issues of formatting.