Polishing your prose to perfection

Nail the big picture: The importance of developmental editing

As a writer, you spend countless hours composing characters, preparing plotlines, and tuning your unique voice. Still, even the most talented authors benefit from the expert guidance of a developmental editor to take their stories to the next level.

What does developmental editing entail?

Your developmental editor should be an objective, experienced partner who deeply understands storytelling and the publishing market. They identify your manuscript's strengths and weaknesses and provide constructive feedback to help you revise and improve your book by doing the following:

• Collaborating with an editor who focuses on the big-picture elements of your book to help shape and refine your story.
• Fixing story structure and pacing issues.
• Refining character development and motivation.
• Ensuring a consistent point of view and narrative voice.
• Meeting theme and genre expectations.
• Assuring clarity and cohesion.

Investing in a developmental edit can yield significant benefits for both you as a writer and the marketability of your finished book. A developmental edit can turn your stories into promising, publish-ready books that resonate with readers and help you stand out in a crowded market.

When should I do developmental editing?

The most effective time to have a developmental editor review your work is right after you've completed a solid first draft and revised it to the best of your abilities. You'll want to provide your editor with a polished manuscript to minimize costs.

Some writers work with a developmental editor chapter-by-chapter as they draft, which can help catch issues early and provide guidance as the story unfolds. Others prefer to write a complete draft first and then revise it based on the editor's feedback. At Inkwright, Inc., we have found working on a chapter-by-chapter basis to be the most effective.

Energize the power of your prose: The importance of line editing

Line editing is a crucial step in writing that can elevate your manuscript from good to great. It comes after developmental editing, which focuses on big-picture elements like plot, characterization, and structure. Once you have finished correcting the issues discovered during developmental editing, line editing zooms in to carefully examine the flow, clarity, and power of your writing at the sentence and paragraph level.

What does line editing entail?

The line editor aims to make your writing as strong and impactful as possible while staying true to your unique style and voice by doing the following:

• Reviewing your manuscript line by line, looking for ways to strengthen your prose.
• Eliminating redundancies and unnecessary words.
• Improving word choice.
• Smoothing out awkward sentence structures.
• Ensuring a consistent authorial voice and tone.
• Maintaining a good pace and rhythm to the writing.

Investing the time and effort to line-edit your work can improve clarity and provide more engaging prose that will hook your readers. It eliminates clunky prose that pulls readers out of your story and gives your writing a polished, professional quality. It can also result in more positive reviews and word-of-mouth referrals.

While you can do some line editing yourself, getting the objective perspective of a skilled editor is invaluable. They can spot issues you're too close to see and push your writing to the next level.

When should I do line editing?

The best time to have a line editor review your stories is after you've completed any developmental edits and are happy with your manuscript's overall content and structure. At this stage, it's all about refining and elevating the prose. Ideally, line editing is then followed by a final copyedit to catch any remaining grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors before your book is ready for publication.

Leap from good to exceptional: The importance of copy editing

As a writer, you pour your heart and soul into crafting compelling content, whether a blog post, article, or book manuscript. Even the most talented writers can benefit from the critical eye of a skilled copy editor. Copy editing is an essential step in the writing process that elevates your work from good to exceptional.

What does copy editing entail?

Copy editing involves reviewing and refining written content to improve clarity, coherence, and correctness. A copy editor meticulously examines your writing line by line, looking for ways to enhance readability, eliminate errors, and ensure consistency by doing the following:

• Correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Improving sentence structure and clarity.
• Ensuring consistency in writing style and voice.
• Fact-checking for accuracy.
• Assuring adherence to editorial guidelines.

Investing in professional copy editing can yield significant benefits for your writing by improving the clarity and readability of your work. A copy editor helps streamline your writing, making it easier for readers to understand and engage with your content. They eliminate ambiguity, tighten wordy sentences, and ensure a logical flow of ideas.

When should I do copy editing?

The copyediting process is most effective after completing both the developmental and line edits and having a solid draft of your writing. This draft allows the copy editor to focus on refining and polishing rather than grappling with incomplete thoughts or significant structural issues.

At Inkwright, Inc., we can do the line and copyediting simultaneously if the writer fixes the issues we surface during the developmental editing process, which saves the writer time and money.

Embrace your editing journey

Receiving constructive criticism on your book can feel daunting, but you should approach developmental, line, and copy editing as an opportunity for growth and refinement. Your editor is your partner and advocate, invested in helping you bring out the best in your writing.

In the competitive publishing landscape, editing is a wise investment in your writing career. By collaborating with an expert editor to craft an irresistible story, you'll become a better writer and increase your chances of attracting readers, agents, and publishers.

If you dream of writing a book that captivates, moves, and sticks with readers long after they turn the final page, consider investing in yourself with Inkwright, Inc.'s online coaching. Your story is worth it!

Complete the form below, and one of our college-trained writing coaches will contact you to customize a program to fit your goals and budget.