The 3 Types of Book Editing (and How They’re Just Like Selling a Car)

Developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading––what’s the difference?

Developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading — you’re pretty sure there are differences between all three. But what are they?

Each type of book editing is very different in terms of:

• Scope
• Time
• And cost

Here’s a helpful metaphor:

Editing your book is just like preparing your car to sell. To get the most bang for your buck, you have to make sure everything under the hood works, the body is washed and waxed, and the interior has been detailed.

Getting the engine right is the developmental edit.

Getting the exterior washed and waxed is the copyedit.

And getting the interior detail-cleaned is the proofread.

In this article, I’ll break down each of these 3 main types of book editing based on:

• What it is
• What it’s like (i.e., where it fits in the car metaphor)
• What it costs
• How long it takes
• When to get it
• And who should get it

Ready to dig in?

1. Developmental Editing

What Is Developmental Editing?

Also referred to as a manuscript appraisal, conceptual edit, manuscript critique, or structural edit, the developmental edit is for big picture suggestions and questions about your book. A developmental editor will diagnose the entire scope of your book, then guide you to expand, cut, and reorganize.

Developmental edits often come in the form of Track Changes comments in Word or Google Docs, along with a short letter with overarching advice, questions, suggestions, and positive reinforcement. Below I’ve included a real sample of developmental edits I made for a client.

Important:

Notice how I didn’t fix any grammar, spelling, or other sentence-level errors (that comes later). Instead, my comments focused on big picture issues and questions.

Three main questions drive a developmental editor’s work:

• What needs to be cut?
• What needs to be expanded?
• What needs to be reorganized?

Their job is to see your book like a reader would, meaning a good developmental editor will be harsh.

Your goal with a developmental editor is to get your book ready for copyediting (which we’ll get to in a minute).

A Developmental Editor Is Like a Car Inspector You Trust

A good car inspector will run diagnostics on your engine, point out any flaws in the electrical system, and tell you everything you need to do to get it in working order. Not only that, but a quality car inspector will even tell you what patterns and behaviors are leading to some of the breakdowns in your engine.

That’s incredibly valuable as you sell other cars in the future (i.e., write more books).

Keep in mind:

A car inspector won’t do the repairs for you. They will guide you, but it’s up to you to fix the engine yourself.

And a car inspector won’t wax your hood or shine your hub caps. That comes only after you’ve got everything under the hood in great shape.

How Much Does a Developmental Edit Cost?

$.07-$.12 per manuscript word.

More so than other types of editing, the range for a developmental edit varies widely based on the editor’s experience. That’s because it’s the most subjective and fundamentally important of all editing types.

For context, $.10 per word for a 70,000-word manuscript is $7,000.

If that sounds expensive, compare it to a full ghostwriting service. Although you can get cheap book ghostwriting services in the $25,000-$35,000 range, a high-quality ghostwriter will run you north of $50,000.

If you go the boot-strapped route and write your book without a ghostwriter, then don’t skimp on the developmental edit.

How Long Does a Developmental Edit Take?

Roughly 1–2 months.

The range varies widely, but if an editor does a developmental edit in less than a month, they’re either rushing it without telling you, or you’re paying a premium for a quick turnaround time.

When Should I get a Developmental Edit?

After you’ve written a bad first draft of your book, and you don’t know what to do next.

Many developmental editors only work with unfinished manuscripts (hence the developmental). However, some will only diagnose your manuscript after you’ve written your first draft.

In my experience, providing feedback on an unfinished manuscript is a waste of your time and money — it’s like trying to inspect a car that isn’t fully built.

How can I help you fix your engine if the engine isn’t there yet?

Who Should Get a Developmental Edit?

First-time business book authors, in particular.

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2. Copyediting

What Is Copyediting?

Also known as line editing, stylistic editing, or comprehensive editing, copyediting is a line-by-line edit of your book.

Whereas a developmental editor reads your book with an eye for the big picture, the copyeditor gives you a more comprehensive, detailed edit. They are focused on the flow between paragraphs, sentences, and words to ensure your book:

• Is true to your voice throughout
• Is clear, concise, and simple
• Is as short as possible, while still being helpful and entertaining

Below is a real example of a copyedit I did for a client. Notice how the changes are incredibly detailed — we’re down in the weeds of every word and punctuation, as well as shifting paragraphs around.

Two things to note:

1. All that red can be overwhelming after you get your manuscript back from a copyeditor. Don’t worry — that’s just so you can see what changes were made. If you “Accept All Changes” in Microsoft Word you’ll be able to see the final unmarked manuscript.
2. A copyedit does not replace a developmental edit. Your copyeditor isn’t looking at the big picture. They’ll make sure Chapter 6 is as great as possible, but if Chapter 6 should really be Chapter 1, they won’t tell you because they’re not looking for overarching problems.

A Copyeditor Is Like a Premium Car Washer

After you have everything under your hood in tip-top shape, it’s time for a wash. And there’s nothing better than getting your car washed by hand. A copyeditor won’t fix an engine that needs repair, but they will polish the heck out of the hood that holds that engine.

They’ll meticulously clean any dirt or debris from your car’s body, then shine and wax it to give it that showroom shine.

How Much Does a Copyedit Cost?

$.02-$.04 per word.

At $.03 per word, a 70,000-word book would cost $2,100 to copyedit.

How Long Does a Copyedit Take?

1–2 months.

When Should I Get a Copyedit?

Only once your manuscript is finished.

Don’t even think about getting a copyedit when you still have content to add. Otherwise you’ll get a half-baked edit in return. That would be like preparing to sell your car, and getting it washed and waxed even though you still have to get a new hood. You’ll just have to get it washed again. Don’t bother doing it twice.

Who Should Get a Copyedit?

Everyone.

Unlike developmental editing, even professional writers get copyediting (and proofreading). I’m a professional writer and editor and I get my books copyedited.

3. Proofreading

What Is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the final stopgap between you and any printed errors in your book. Proofreaders get into the nooks and crannies nobody else sees to make sure every comma is right, every name is capitalized, and every page number is perfect.

They don’t just look for grammatical, spelling, and other microscopic errors. They also take care of:

• Line breaks
• Heading consistency
• Page numbers
• Reference matching (i.e., ensuring that when you refer to “Figure 5” you’re actually referring to Figure 5)

Proofreading looks similar to copyediting in many ways (which is why people conflate the two), but the biggest difference is this: a proofreader edits a printed (or PDF) version of your book post-layout, whereas a copyeditor edits your manuscript before layout.

A Proofreader Is Like a Car Detailer

Your developmental editor took care of the big issues under the hood to make sure your car functions properly.

Then the copyeditor scrubbed and polished the car’s body.

Now your proofreader is sent in with a magnifying glass, an endless supply of Armor All, and a fine-bristled brush to perfect every inch of the interior.

A proofreader cleans out the bottom of the cupholders. They wipe away the collected dust inside the center console. They even make spot repairs to the leather seats if they need it.

But they will not fix the cracked windshield, or replace the transmission — that needs to be done beforehand.

How Much Does a Proofread Cost?

$.01-$.02 per word.

At $.015 per word, a 70,000-word book costs $1,050 to proofread.

How Long Does a Proofread Take?

2–3 weeks.

When Should I Get a Proofread?

Only after you’ve had your book put through copyediting and layout. If your book hasn’t gone through layout, a proofreader can’t do their job properly.

Who Should Get Their Book Proofread?

Everyone.

Perfect the Details to Write a Great Book

The only way to get maximum value from selling your car is getting it repaired, waxed, and detailed first.

Similarly, the only way to get maximum business results from your book is getting it developmentally edited (if necessary), copyedited, and proofread first.

Your reader probably doesn’t know the difference between a semicolon and a period. They may not notice a missing line break. They don’t read the figure numbers.

But the overall result of getting those elements perfect is a professional-quality book. If you’d like to grow your business with a professionally-made marketing book of your own, download your free guide: Top 5 First-Time Marketing Author Mistakes.

Then leave a comment below with your questions, thoughts, and advice on the different types of book editing.

Greg Larson is an author, editor, and book coach with experience coaching more than 100 business owners to write and publish their books. As the owner of Marketing Author Academy, his and his clients’ work have been published by HarperCollins, Entrepreneur Magazine, the University of Nebraska Press, and more.