2026-08: The editing process
As a freelance editor, I’ve worked with a lot of clients new to the publishing game—and it’s become clear that the differences between editing services aren’t well known.
That’s a statement written without any judgment, by the way. You don’t know what you don’t know, especially when you’re new. And that’s fine!
This week, I want to demystify the editing process a little bit with a quick overview of the different stages, what they’re good for, and why they’re typically done separately from each other.
First up: we’ve got the editorial assessment. In this stage, an editor functions as a sort of super alpha reader, providing a document with broad, high-level feedback on the state of a manuscript. The idea here is to nip any major problems in the bud so a writer can get more out of the next phase of the process. An assessment is most useful for newer writers who feel a little unsure about their work.
Next, we’re heading for developmental. A lot of writers choose to start at this phase. Here, the editor’s focused on the core components of your story: plot, setting, character, tone, pacing, and structure. We’re looking for inconsistencies, missing information, events that are out of order, out-of-character behavior, and opportunities to make the story stronger, the characters more dynamic, and the whole narrative more appealing. This feedback is often communicated via in-line edits and comments, plus an additional document detailing higher-level recommendations.
Developmental typically leads to a pile of revisions for the writer. Once those are complete, it’s time for copy editing. This isn’t just fixing commas and making sure everything’s spelled right; it’s also another check for inconsistencies, for sentences that lack clarity, for annoying repetition, and anything else that might inhibit the reader’s understanding. These tasks typically happen after developmental because it makes the most sense to handle them when major story revisions have been completed.
Then it’s off to design. A layout professional takes your manuscript, makes it pretty, and produces a proof.
An editor then gives that proof one final read. That’s proofreading. At this point, we’re looking for things that maybe went weird during the layout process, and for any last spelling or grammar mistakes that somehow persisted through previous stages.
And then, you’re done! As I hope you can see, editing’s an iterative process where each step builds on the previous, eventually refining a manuscript to its ultimate form.
What else is going on?
After a few weeks, I think I’m finally used to my new pickleball paddle. It’s carbon fiber, with a lot of grit on the face—a big change from my previous too-smooth fiberglass. The sweet spot’s really different, and I’ve got a little less power, but that grit’s given me so much more control, especially on dinks. Fair trade!
I’m about 65% through my first round of revisions on the sixth Deviant Magic book. I still love it. Just a few more details to iron out!
With Fallout complete, I picked The Great back up. I’m about halfway through the second season and still very entertained. Such a fantastic cast.
Til next week!
