Editing Is As Editing Does

 Types of Editing

If you Google "types of editing", you'll come across varying articles describing a varying amount of types editing you can get. I'm going to try to simplify it. 

There are four types of editing that are needed on a basic level. 

1. Beta Reading: It's not strictly an editing type, but I am listing it here because getting honest audience feedback is invaluable.

2. Developmental Editing: Developmental editing is "big picture" editing which includes plot and character consistency. I recommend asking what the editor includes in this category since there can be variation. 

3. Line Editing: This type of editing is more detail-oriented handling things such as flow and style. Line editing is closely related to proofreading, but some developmental editors weave into this area as well. 

4. Proofreading: This type is focused on grammar and syntax. Proofreading is usually the last stop in the editing process and polishes the text.

Types of Editors

Every editor has their own way to edit a text. Some edit as they go and some read the whole book before they start. Some need structure and some are free-flowing. There are different things editors need to feel or understand about a text in order to appropriately edit.

Personally, I am an instinctual editor with a special flair for developmental editing. I read as I go, and I am both a free-flowing and guide editor. I read as I go because I rely on a “knee-jerk” (instinctual) reaction to tell me where I need to focus. 

...What do you mean "knee-jerk" reaction? Are you changing my book just because you "feel" like it?

When that "knee-jerk" reaction happens, it tells me something is off with the text. If I'm noticing it, it means the reader will notice it too, and it's quite literally the job of an editor to make sure everything works. If me or any reader is being pulled out of the flow, and it wasn't a stylistic choice for it to happen, it means something is wrong. It could be a single word that needs to be altered or an entire paragraph needs to be adjusted. I use guidelines to make sure any edits I make are appropriate. 

Responsibility 

The lines between author and editor can be blurry because it's both the editor and author's job to make sure the text is as correct as possible. This is why there are several types of editing beyond the basics listed here. 

The editor has the right to send back a text to the author if the needs of the text go beyond what is required or expected in the contract or editor. There are two basic reasons for this: 

1. Time is money for an editor, and being bogged down editing a chapter or section because of the massive amounts of incorrect syntax or grammar (minutia) is not beneficial to the editor or the author.

2. It's not the editor's job to write the book. 

Do not send in a first draft unless it's contractually agreed upon. The editor can't and shouldn't scrabble together the book the author was supposed to write. It's the author's job to send in the most complete version of the text possible. 

Let's imagine a bookshelf... 

It's the author's job to gather the material and make sure all the nuts and bolts are in the box before sending it to the editor. 

It's the editor's job to have the tools and put all the materials together and build the final version of the bookshelf. 

An author sending in a first draft to an editor is like mailing sawdust and expecting a bookshelf. Not possible.

This is why beta readers are essential. They give the author direction on what needs to be worked on. Programs such as spell check and grammarly are also there to help authors accomplish this.