Writing is a critical job that requires patience, as the paperwork needs to undergo extensive editing.
Many think all editors are the same, but that’s not true. It’s important to know what kind of editing your project needs at any given time.
Editing words can be hard to understand if you’re a new author. They’re used a lot and have different meanings in the publishing world.
Read on as we discuss the different types of editing.
1. Developmental Editing
This is the part of the editing process where editors review an author’s work and determine what needs to be ready for publication.
Even when a developmental editor helps with a writing project, the writers still control the manuscript. It is also responsible for its content.
In this case, the editor is no longer an editor but a contributing author or ghostwriter.
Among the different types of editing, a developmental editor wants to create a marketable book that meets the needs of the people who will read it.
A development editor hasn’t done their job if the reader doesn’t think they have completed their requirements by the end of the publication.
It’s essential to meet the goals in the book proposal based on research into what people want.
2. Substantive Editing
Substantive editing is among the different types of editing. It focuses on how a manuscript looks, what it says, and how it moves.
When you hire a substantive editor, you might expect them to change your paper’s title, language, and style.
When you do a lot of editing, your editor doesn’t change your argument.
You can move through the goalpost faster and better address reviewers’ issues with substantive editing.
Even if you haven’t chosen a journal yet, it’s a good idea to remember that most journals use the same language and format.
This is where a lot of editing comes in. A substantive editor is a friend and a language and subject matter expert who will help you improve your article until it meets the standards for publication in all the world’s journals.
3. Line Editing
Line editing is one of the different types of editing. A line editor is a text editor that lets you change one or more whole lines of text at a time.
Line editors came before screen-based text editors. They were made in an era when computer operators worked with teleprinters, which didn’t have a video screen and didn’t let them move their cursor around inside a document.
Many home computers had line editors, which meant no need for a more memory-intensive full-screen editor.
Line editors can only accept and output text through a typewriter keyboard. Most changes are done one line at a time.
When you write, you don’t edit, and you don’t see your document simultaneously.
Typing doesn’t put content directly into the paper most of the time.
When people want to change the text of a document, they write these commands into a text-only terminal.
It will show commands, text, and the editor’s output at the bottom of the screen in the order they are written or made.
You’ll need to use a separate command to show the text you’ve changed in the context of a larger chunk of the document.
4. Proofreading
Proofreading is another type of editing. People often confuse copy editing and proofreading as the same thing.
Even though there is a lot of overlap, proofreaders don’t usually have editorial or management power.
Then, they can write down questions for typesetters, editors, or authors. Some job ads say the job is not and will not be a writing or editing job.
By their very nature, creativity and critical thinking don’t work well with the strict copy-following rules of commercial and government proofreading.
As a result, proofreading and editing are two very different jobs. On the other hand, copy editors work to “clean up” the text by correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and structure.
They are usually the last people an author works with, and their copy editor is usually the last person they meet. Copy editing is concerned with style, substance, punctuation, grammar, and consistency in using the text.
5. Mechanical Editing
In this type of editing, you use a specific style, such as The Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press Style.
The editor checks punctuation, spelling, abbreviations, and other style rules to ensure that the text meets them.
Mechanical editing is sometimes part of copyediting.
