Bookish by Nature, LLC

Order of Play

Revising in the right order is essential if you want your book to be in the best shape possible. This logical order of play comprises of four steps.

1. Developmental Editing
2. Line Editing (this is the stylistic line by line edit)
3. Copyediting (which I do not offer: this is the technical line by line edit)
4. Proofreading (which I do not offer)

Swap the order around and you’ll wind up in a pickle. At best, you’ll waste time; at worst you’ll waste money.

Manuscript Evaluation

These Evaluations can be thought of as mini developmental edits. A professional editor provides a report that analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the writing, and what the author can do to improve their manuscript. Unlike full developmental edits, no changes are made to the book file.

A manuscript evaluation can be an affordable first step to help pinpoint problem areas and assess whether a full development edit is needed or with some tweaking the manuscript is ready for line editing.

Developmental Editing

Also known as structural editing or story editing. Developmental editing should happen after the 1st or 2nd draft of a manuscript. Developmental Editors (DEs) are all about the big picture. These editors offer revision suggestions that will improve the story. They assess how a manuscript hangs together as a whole, how a story moves and unfurls, how characters drive the story forward. This is the shaping stage where decisions are made that affect how the entire manuscript works. A development edit covers plot, characters, theme and organization of ideas.

1. Opening and Hook. DE’s check to ensure the opening of your story grabs the reader and pulls them in.
2. Plot, Storyline, and Structure. DE’s check foundational steps of a story where checks to plot structure, like exposition, inciting incident, conflict/tension, rising action, dilemma/crisis, climax and denouement/resolution.
3. Characterization and Character Arcs. DE’s check how characters are represented so readers can make sense of their behavior as they journey with the characters through the story.
4. Dialogue. DE’s check to ensure the dialogue is natural and believable.
5. Pace and Readability. DE’s check the speed at which the story unfolds. Effective pace ensures readers feel neither rushed or bored. This does not mean the pace should remain the same throughout. A story can include sections of fast-paced action beats and slower cool-down moments.
6. Point of View. DE’s check consistency of whose perspective readers experience. Every chapter or section should have a clear narrator the reader can tap into, who’s eyes they’re seeing through, whose emotions they have access to, who’s voice dominates the narrative.
7. Narrative Style. DE’s check if the viewpoint is consistently conveyed in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person and have a firm understanding of the restrictions of each narrative style and do checks ensuring these limitations are maintained.
8. Voice and Tone.
9. Story World and Active Setting. DE’s check for accuracy in world building and setting, as well as assess if these elements are believable to the reader.
10. Tense. DE’s checks the consistency of the story whether it is written in past or present. Each as its benefits and limitations.
11. Genre and Reader Expectations. DE’s will assess if the authors intended genres meet the genre specifics and reader expectations.

These edits maintain consistency and readability for the manuscript as a whole. Developmental editing is for the new and experienced author that:

1. Thinks they’ve done all they can do but feel they need an extra set of objective eyes. DE’s are that extra set of professional eyes.
2. When an author wants to try something new. DE’s are experts at problem-solving a manuscript.
3. When you’re stuck! DE’s help you get through those stuck moments.
4. When authors want to ensure the skeleton supporting their story is strong. DE’s can be with you from the beginning. They are the authors professional collaborator.

Developmental editing is where your story is tested and revised so that readers want to turn the page. If a manuscript lacks focus, DEs will help the writer find it. If an author lacks confidence, the best DEs inspire, challenge, and cheer on the author. And above all, DEs are the author’s collaborator—they hone the writer’s unique voice and help shine a light on the shadowy parts of an author’s manuscript.

Line Editing

This is the next step in the revision process. It’s stylistic work and Line Editors (LE’s) focus on line-by-line and paragraph-by-paragraph editing because strong sentences elevate the story and weaker ones can bury it. The focus is on the style, sense and flow that access the following: Authenticity, Character Trait, Narration, Engagement, Dialogue, Pace & Flow, Tenses, and Exposition.

1. Authenticity. LE’s check and clarify phrasing, word choice, author intention and meaning.
2. Character Trait. LE’s check consistency and how these traits are unveiled.
3. Narration. LE’s check clarity and consistency of view point, narrative style, passive voice overuse.
4. Engagement. LE’s checks cliché and awkward metaphors to make sure the writing is engaging.
5. Dialogue. LE’s check how the dialogue conveys mood, voice, intention, and use of dialogue vs action tags.
6. Pace and Flow. LE’s check for sentence level repetition, redundancy, and over writing. Smooth out sentence and paragraph transitions. Limit the use of -ly adverbs and consistence of voice, style and tone.
7. Tense. LE’s do checks verify if they’re effective and consistent.
8. Exposition. LE’s checks told vs show prose. Adjusts sentence length or reordering them to ensure balance and verity.

Line Editing provides revisions and suggested revision that will improve the line work with a report on strengths and weaknesses of the line craft. The Line Editing stage is not the place to fix plot, structure, overall pace, and view point. It’s also not for technical editing. That’s developmental and copyediting work.