The Major Types of Editing
Originally published September 2019.
One of the first things I cover on nearly every discovery call I have with a prospective author is the editorial process — specifically, what the different types of editing actually are and how they relate to one another.
This breakdown is almost always new information to the person I’m chatting with. And I’ve found that this misunderstanding isn't happening because authors aren't informed or haven't done research about book editing, but because the publishing industry uses overlapping terminology, presents the process out of sequence, and rarely explains the underlying logic that makes it all make sense.
So let's start with that logic.
Think of editing as a pyramid
The editorial process for a nonfiction book is best understood as a pyramid. It’s wide and foundational at the base and narrow toward the top.
At the base of the pyramid sits the biggest, most intensive work: the structural and developmental editing that determines whether your book actually works. This is where the most effort goes, where the most significant changes happen, and where the investment is highest.
As you move up the pyramid, each layer builds on the one below. Line editing refines what developmental editing has shaped. Copyediting polishes what line editing has clarified. Proofreading verifies what copyediting has standardized. Each phase is less intensive than the one before it, and each one is only possible because the previous phase was done first.
You cannot proofread your way out of a structural problem. You cannot copyedit your way to a coherent argument. The work has to happen in order, from the foundation up.
This is why the authors who skip developmental editing to save money often end up spending more on revisions, on additional editing passes, and on the opportunity cost of a book that doesn't perform the way it was supposed to.
What editing support traditional publishing gives you and what self-publishing requires you to build
When a traditional publisher acquires your book, they provide the full editorial pyramid as part of the publishing process at their expense. You work with an in-house editor on developmental and structural issues, the manuscript then goes to a copyeditor, and it's proofread before it goes to press. The publisher funds and coordinates the entire process.
When you self-publish, that responsibility shifts to you. You are now the publisher. Which means you are responsible for building your own editorial team, funding each phase, and sequencing the work correctly.
This is not a reason to avoid self-publishing. It's a reason to understand exactly what professional publishing requires and plan for it accordingly. The authors who produce self-published books that compete with traditionally published titles are the ones who invest in the full editorial process — not the ones who cut corners because nobody is checking their work.
If you need to save up to hire the right professionals, do that. Plan for it. Build it into your publishing timeline. The editorial process is not optional if you want a book that performs.
The types of editors for books and where they live in the publishing pyramid
Interestingly, I’ve found that even if an author has encountered this language and has a basic understanding of the different types of editing, there’s still a gap in understanding of how these types of services play together. Often, getting a sample edit of your work and speaking with an editor or coaching about your specific needs is going to give you a much clearer roadmap of what types of editorial support you’re going to need. Fortunately for you, many professional editors and coaches — myself included — offer free calls and low-cost sample edits.
1. Manuscript assessment (the entry point)
Before we get to the pyramid itself, there's a service that many authors need before they're ready for formal editing: a manuscript assessment.
Also called a manuscript evaluation or critique, this is a high-level read of your full manuscript — or a significant portion of it — that gives you an honest picture of where things stand. Your editor reads the whole manuscript and delivers a comprehensive report identifying what's working, what isn't, and what needs to happen before the real editing begins.
A manuscript assessment is not an edit. Your editor isn't making changes to the text — she's diagnosing the manuscript and giving you a clear roadmap for what comes next.
When you need it: When you've completed a draft but aren't sure whether it's ready for developmental editing, whether the structure is fundamentally sound, or whether you need to do significant revision work before investing in a full editorial engagement.
What you get: An honest, big-picture read from an experienced editorial eye. Often the most clarifying thing an author can do before investing in anything else. [link to services page]
2. Book coaching and developmental support (the foundation)
Book coaching and ongoing developmental support are the services that help authors build the book before — or while — they write it. This is the broadest, most foundational work in the pyramid.
A book coach or developmental collaborator works with you on the architecture of your book: the thesis, the reader, the structure, the narrative arc, the chapter sequence. She helps you find the book inside your material, build a plan you can actually write from, and stay on track as you execute it.
For nonfiction authors especially (or people writing books rooted in their personal stories, expertise, frameworks, or experience) this is often where the most valuable work happens. Not because the writing is bad, but because the structure of a nonfiction book is genuinely complex and the proximity problem is real: you know your material too well to see clearly what your reader needs.
Many times, an author receives their developmental feedback, realizes they're going to need additional support to implement the revisions, then hires the coach for additional support. This is exactly the type of work I do with authors in my writing partnership container and many of my assessment or one-off coaching sessions turn into a longer-term relationship!
When you need it: Before you start writing, or while you're in the drafting process and need a thought partner to help you stay structurally on track. Especially valuable for first-time authors or anyone whose material is rich but whose structure is unclear.
What you get: Ongoing strategic editorial support, usually in a defined container (monthly calls, chapter feedback, structural guidance) that keeps you writing and keeps the book on course.
3. Developmental editing (the foundation, continued)
Developmental editing is the first formal editing phase and the most intensive work in the pyramid. A developmental editor reads your complete manuscript and evaluates it at the highest level: structure, argument, narrative arc, chapter organization, and the logic of the whole.
For nonfiction, this means: Does the book have a clear thesis? Is the reader oriented and served throughout? Does the argument build chapter by chapter, or does it repeat, contradict itself, or collapse in the middle? Is the transformation the reader is promised actually delivered? Are the stories well structured and well placed? Does each story earn the real estate it’s taking up on the page?
A developmental edit typically produces an editorial letter — a detailed, chapter-by-chapter assessment of what's working and what needs revision — along with comments embedded in the manuscript. The author then revises, and in many cases goes back to the developmental editor for a second pass before moving to the next phase.
When you need it: After you have a complete draft (not a partial one, not an outline) and you're ready for an honest, comprehensive structural assessment.
What you get: An editorial letter, manuscript comments, and a clear picture of what revision work the manuscript needs. This is the most significant editorial investment you'll make, and the one that most directly affects whether your book works.
4. Line editing (the middle of the pyramid)
Line editing is where the focus narrows from the whole book to the paragraph and sentence. If developmental editing asks, "Does this book work?" line editing asks, "Does this writing work?"
A line editor reads your manuscript at the sentence level, assessing clarity, flow, voice, word choice, sentence rhythm, and the reader's experience on every page. She's not correcting grammar — that's copyediting. She's evaluating whether the prose is doing its job, whether your ideas are landing clearly, whether your voice is consistent, and whether the writing is carrying the reader forward or slowing them down.
For nonfiction authors specifically, line editing often surfaces the places where expertise is getting in the way of accessibility — where you're assuming knowledge your reader doesn't have, or burying your most important ideas in sentences that are technically correct but hard to parse.
When you need it: After developmental editing and significant revision, when the structure is solid and the focus shifts to prose quality.
What you get: A manuscript with tracked changes and comments at the sentence level, improving clarity, flow, voice, and readability throughout.
5. Copyediting (the technical layer)
Copyediting is the technical edit — and the one most authors are thinking of when they say, "I need an editor." Grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency, style guide adherence, and the creation of your book's style sheet all happen here.
A copyeditor works through your manuscript systematically, line by line, correcting errors and inconsistencies and flagging anything that needs an authorial decision. She's not evaluating whether the prose is beautiful — she's verifying that it's correct and consistent. She's also building the style sheet that your proofreader will use as a reference.
Many editors offer combined line editing and copyediting packages and review the manuscript for both prose quality and technical correctness in a single pass (or multiple rounds of edits). This can be efficient and cost-effective, particularly for nonfiction manuscripts where the prose is clear but needs both stylistic refinement and technical polish.
You know who combines line and copyediting into a single package for her clients? Me. If you’d like to work together on your manuscript, you can apply to work together today!
When you need it: After line editing (or developmental editing, if line editing is combined), when the manuscript is structurally and stylistically solid and ready for technical review.
What you get: A clean, technically correct, consistent manuscript — and a style sheet that documents every editorial decision made for your book.
6. Proofreading (the top of the pyramid)
Proofreading is the final pass before publication — and the most misunderstood phase of the editorial process. Proofreading is quality assurance, not editing.
A proofreader reads your manuscript against the style sheet created during copyediting, verifying that every decision made during the editorial process has been applied correctly and consistently throughout. She's catching anything that slipped through the previous phases: a typo introduced during revision, a formatting inconsistency, a header that doesn't match the style established in chapter one.
Proofreading usually happens after the manuscript has been formatted for publication — which means the proofreader is often reading a PDF or designed layout, not a Word document. She's checking the final version of the book that's about to go to print or upload.
When you need it: After all editing is complete and the manuscript has been formatted. This is the absolute last step before publication — not a substitute for any of the editing phases that came before it.
What you get: A final verification that your book is clean, consistent, and ready for readers.
All the types of editors you need and when you need them
Here's the full sequence, from foundation to finish:
(Optional) Manuscript assessment → honest diagnosis of where your manuscript stands before formal editing begins
(Optional) Book coaching or developmental support → ongoing strategic collaboration during the writing process
1. Developmental editing → big-picture structural assessment of the complete manuscript
2. Line editing → sentence and paragraph level refinement of prose quality and clarity
3. Copyediting → technical correction and consistency, plus creation of the style sheet
4. Proofreading → final quality assurance against the style sheet before publication
Not every author needs every phase in this exact sequence. Some authors work with a book coach and arrive at developmental editing with a much cleaner manuscript. Some manuscripts are structurally sound and move quickly from developmental to copyediting. Some projects combine line editing and copyediting into a single pass.
But the sequence matters. And skipping foundational phases to get to the top of the pyramid faster is one of the most common and costly mistakes in self-publishing.
A note on editorial assessment vs. manuscript assessment
You'll sometimes see these terms used interchangeably, and they're closely related — both involve an editor reading your work and providing high-level feedback without making direct edits to the text. The distinction, when editors draw one, is usually this: a manuscript assessment is a broader read of the full manuscript focused on diagnosing where things stand, while an editorial assessment may be more narrowly focused on a specific set of questions or a portion of the manuscript.
When you're looking for this kind of service, ask specifically what the deliverable is (Is it a written report, an editorial letter, a call, or some combination?), and what portion of the manuscript will be read. The name matters less than clarity about what you're getting.
How to decide what type of editor your book needs right now
Not sure where you are in the pyramid? Here are the right questions to ask:
Do you have a complete draft? If not, book coaching or developmental support may be more useful than any editing service. You need to build the book before you can edit it.
Do you have a complete draft but aren't sure if it's working? Start with a manuscript assessment. Get an honest read before you invest in a full editorial engagement.
Do you have a complete draft and an honest sense that the structure is solid? You're ready for developmental editing — or, if you've already done significant structural revision, line editing.
Is your manuscript structurally and stylistically solid and ready for technical polish? You're in the copyediting phase.
Has your manuscript been through editing, revised, and formatted for publication? You need a proofreader.
When in doubt, a single conversation with an experienced editor will tell you more than any checklist. A good editor can look at your manuscript and tell you quickly where you are in the process and what you need next.
FAQ
What are the different types of editors for books? The main types of editors for books are: manuscript assessors (who evaluate the manuscript before formal editing begins), developmental editors (who address big-picture structure and argument), line editors (who work at the sentence and paragraph level on prose quality), copyeditors (who handle technical correctness and consistency), and proofreaders (who do a final quality assurance pass before publication). Many authors also work with book coaches for ongoing developmental support during the writing process.
What type of editor do I need for a nonfiction book? Most nonfiction authors need the full editorial sequence: developmental editing to ensure the structure and argument are working, line editing to refine the prose, copyediting for technical polish and consistency, and proofreading before publication. If you're unsure where your manuscript stands, a manuscript assessment is a useful first step. The specific services you need depend on where you are in the writing and revision process.
What is the difference between developmental editing and copyediting? Developmental editing addresses the big picture — structure, argument, narrative arc, chapter organization, and whether the book is working for the reader. Copyediting addresses the technical layer — grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency, and adherence to a style guide. Developmental editing happens first; copyediting happens after the structure and prose have been refined. They are distinct services that address different aspects of the manuscript.
What is the difference between copyediting and proofreading? Copyediting is an editing service that improves and corrects your manuscript. Proofreading is quality assurance — a final pass that verifies the manuscript is consistent and clean, checking it against the style sheet created during copyediting. Proofreading happens after all editing is complete and the manuscript has been formatted for publication. It is not a substitute for copyediting.
Do self-published authors need all types of editing? Yes — if the goal is a professionally produced book that competes in the marketplace. Traditional publishers provide the full editorial sequence as part of the publishing process. Self-published authors are responsible for building and funding their own editorial team. Skipping editorial phases to save money typically produces a book that doesn't perform as well as one that went through the full process.
What is a manuscript assessment? A manuscript assessment is a high-level read of your complete manuscript by an experienced editor, resulting in a written report that identifies what's working, what isn't, and what the manuscript needs before formal editing begins. It's a diagnosis, not an edit — the editor evaluates the manuscript without making changes to the text. It's particularly useful for authors who have completed a draft and want an honest read before investing in a full editorial engagement.
What is book coaching and how is it different from editing? Book coaching is ongoing developmental support during the writing process — helping an author develop the structure of their book, stay on track as they write, and work through the challenges that inevitably arise between first idea and finished draft. Editing happens after the manuscript is written. Coaching happens while it's being written. Many authors benefit from both — coaching to build a solid foundation and editing to refine the finished manuscript.
