There are four main levels of editing a book. However, they may not be as straightforward as you think.
The four levels are Developmental Editing, Line Editing, Copyediting, and Proofreading. They each have distinct differences between them, but since there is some overlap between levels, their exact definitions are a little fuzzy and not 100% agreed upon by all editors. Some editors even call some of the levels by different names. Below is an overview of the most common definitions of these levels with their most common names.
Developmental Editing
Developmental editing looks at what the story is. It makes sure the story is solid and logical and that readers will be engaged while reading. This editing is about the ideas and concepts of the book, not how the words and sentences are structured.
The general categories looked at during this edit include:
Plot
Characters
Structure
Craft
This type of edit usually comes back to the author with an editorial letter (a.k.a. editorial report/critique letter/manuscript evaluation) that is many pages long and details the strengths, weaknesses, and specific suggestions. There may be some comments on the manuscript itself, and it can come with a book map or a plot outline.
A developmental editor must be a problem solver, empathetic, and have knowledge of the subject matter and genre. The editor will act as a critical reader and ask the author questions to combine what the author wants to say with what the readers want to read.
Questions a developmental editor may ask include:
Will the reader be engaged?
Does the plot make sense?
Are the characters believable? Do they grow and change?
Does the structure make sense?
Does it fit into the genre?
Learn more about developmental editing here.
Looking for a developmental editor? Check out the services I offer here.
Line Editing
Line editing looks at how the story is told. Line editing looks at the language used to tell the story. A line editor looks for consistent details throughout the story and ensures that sentences and paragraphs are clear.
The general categories looked at during this edit include:
Words
Sentences
Readability
Structure
A line editor should be the ideal reader for the book. They will make comments directly on the manuscript and read the book literally line by line.
Questions a line editor may ask include:
Is this sentence written correctly?
What did this paragraph do? Does it move the story along?
What did this chapter accomplish?
Learn more about line editing here.
Looking for a line editor? Check out the services I offer here.
Copyediting
Copyediting is what most people think of when they think about editing: editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. Copyediting does not look at the story at all.
A copyeditor develops a style sheet to go with the manuscript that details the rules followed, formatting style, and spelling of unusual words among other stylistic notes. The copyeditor marks up the manuscript directly.
The general categories looked at during this edit include:
Grammar
Spelling
Syntax
Punctuation
Proper nouns are correct
Capitalization
Style
Consistency of voice
This level of editing cannot be skipped. It is the quality control part of writing a book. Simple mistakes take away the author's credibility.
Proofreading
Proofreading happens after the book has been formatted. Typically, the proofreader will be reading a PDF or physical proof copy of the book right before it goes to print.
Proofreading's main function is to make sure the formatting is correct and there is no information that is repeated, cut off, or completely missing. Proofreading is to make sure the document will be printed correctly, not to edit the content.
The general categories looked at during this edit include:
Repetition of words/sentences/paragraphs
Deletion of words/sentences/paragraphs
Table of Contents is correct
The proofreader should be new to the manuscript so their brains don't automatically fix what is on the page. The proofreader should get the style sheet the copyeditor created to compare with the final text.
The manuscript must be copyedited before proofreading. Although proofreading can be a last chance to catch any final mistakes in spelling/typing/etc, do not rely on a proofreader to catch everything.
Looking for a proofreader? Check out the services I offer here.
Two Bonus Levels
There are two other levels to consider when editing your book: fact-checking and sensitivity reading. Unless an editor has clearly stated they can do these jobs, they are not the responsibility of the editor.
Fact-checking is getting someone with expertise on the subject matter to read the book, or the section of the book in question, to make sure it is accurate.
Sensitivity reading is getting someone with the same experience as described in the book to read the book or section to make sure it is appropriate, real to life, and not offensive. This is common for characters with different ethnicities to the author, illnesses and disabilities the author has not experienced, and any topic that needs a trigger warning.
Not every book or author will need these two levels, but if you are unsure at all, your editor can help you decide which is needed.
Conclusion
The amount of editing a book needs after it is written is many. It can be surprising and intimidating for new authors, but each of these editing levels serves a very particular purpose to make the book better.
Unless you are an experienced and multi-published author, none of these editing levels should be skipped. Ideally, none of them should ever be skipped because authors, and editors, are human. Humans make mistakes. No book will ever be perfectly thought out or written, but these levels of editing are in place to prevent as many mistakes as possible.