When you’ve finished writing your novel, or even during the process, you’ll probably need to go through some kind of editing. It’s almost impossible to edit your own work, as any professional writer will attest.
How much does editing cost? The only real answer to this is that good editing is expensive. One way to offset the cost might be to do a swap with another author, if both of you are competent writers and editors. A writing group can also be a good way to get developmental feedback and test your ideas.
These are some of the different levels of editing that you may need.
| Developmental editing | This involves closely working with the author, helping them develop their manuscript from its initial concept. The editor may help with genre, plot, themes and character, and make suggestions based on market analysis. |
| Substantive editing | The editor works to improve a manuscript however necessary, which may include rewriting, restructuring and research, as well as helping with character development, style and voice. Beta readers can also play a helpful role at this stage. |
| Copy editing | Also known as line editing, the copy editor won’t generally address issues of plot or character, or change the voice and tone, but will suggest amendments for better style and clarity as well as correcting errors. Depending on the nature of the book, this may also involve fact-checking and cross-checking references. |
| Proofreading | This is the most basic form of editing: looking for spelling errors and typos, which are now mistakes that Amazon will penalise a manuscript for. |
We can put you in touch with professional editors, and we also welcome professional editors to drop us a line, so we can list you here.