The Difference Between Developmental Editing and Copyediting: What You Need to Know
As an author, you’re well aware that editing is a critical part of the writing process. But when you start looking into the different types of editing, you might be wondering: What exactly is the difference between developmental editing and copyediting? While both are essential for refining your manuscript, they serve very distinct purposes. Here’s a deeper look at the roles each editing stage plays in perfecting your manuscript and why both are necessary.
What is Developmental Editing?
Developmental editing is the first and most in-depth step in the editing process. It’s where the big-picture elements of your manuscript come under the microscope, and it’s typically done before any copyediting occurs. This phase focuses on the overall structure and content of the story, helping you shape and mold the manuscript into a coherent, engaging, and emotionally resonant work.
A developmental editor isn't just concerned with fixing small errors—they’ll engage deeply with your manuscript, offering guidance on all aspects of the narrative. Developmental editing can often feel like a partnership, with the editor collaborating with you to build on the potential of your manuscript.
Key Aspects of Developmental Editing:
Structure and Organization:
Developmental editing is where an editor will analyze the plot structure, pacing, and overall organization of the manuscript. The editor will examine whether your story flows logically and if the pacing holds the reader’s interest throughout. Are there plot holes? Are certain sections too slow, or do they need more development? A developmental editor will help you identify these areas, guiding you to craft a compelling narrative arc that builds tension and momentum.
Character Development:
Characters are the heart of any story, and a developmental editor will carefully review your character arcs. Are your characters well-developed, with clear motivations and emotional depth? Are they relatable and consistent in their actions? The editor will provide feedback on how your characters interact with each other and the plot, ensuring that their motivations drive the story forward.
Theme and Message:
A story’s theme helps convey the message you want to communicate to your readers. Developmental editing focuses on enhancing these underlying themes, ensuring they are woven into the fabric of the narrative in a natural and engaging way. Whether you’re exploring love, justice, or the human condition, a developmental editor will ensure that the message is impactful without being overly explicit or preachy.
Dialogue and Voice:
Dialogue is an essential tool for character development, world-building, and advancing the plot. A developmental editor will analyze how your characters speak to one another, ensuring that each character has a unique voice and that the dialogue feels natural. They’ll also check to see if the dialogue is effective in conveying information or moving the story forward. If there are any opportunities to make your dialogue more dynamic or meaningful, the developmental editor will point those out.
Point of View and Narrative Voice:
The choice of point of view (POV) and narrative voice can significantly affect how a story is told. A developmental editor will assess if the chosen POV serves the story’s purpose. Is it consistent throughout? Does the narrative voice create the right tone and mood? They will also check for any narrative shifts that might confuse readers and ensure the voice matches the emotional beats of the story.
Consistency of World-Building (for Fantasy or Sci-Fi):
If you’re writing a genre such as fantasy or science fiction, developmental editing is where the editor checks the consistency and believability of the world you've created. Are the rules of your world clear and consistent? Does the setting serve the plot? Is the world-building integrated into the characters’ experiences and actions? Developmental editing will focus on making sure the fictional world is immersive and coherent.
What is Copyediting?
Once the story has been shaped, developed, and polished during the developmental editing phase, it’s time for copyediting. This stage focuses on the finer details of your manuscript, ensuring that the text is clean, professional, and technically sound. A copyeditor’s role is to catch any lingering issues that may distract or confuse your readers, such as typos, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies.
Think of copyediting as the process of turning your rough draft into a polished, finished product. While developmental editing is about content and structure, copyediting is all about precision and consistency.
Key Aspects of Copyediting:
Grammar and Syntax:
One of the most obvious roles of a copyeditor is to ensure that the grammar is correct. This involves checking for common issues such as subject-verb agreement, punctuation errors, run-on sentences, and awkward phrasing. A copyeditor will also ensure that sentence structures are varied and fluid, improving readability.
Spelling, Typos, and Word Usage:
Copyediting goes over the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb to eliminate any spelling mistakes, typos, or misused words. Whether it’s common issues like confusing “there,” “their,” and “they’re,” or more specific errors like the use of incorrect homophones (e.g., “affect” vs. “effect”), a copyeditor will ensure your text is error-free.
Consistency in Style and Formatting:
A copyeditor makes sure that your manuscript adheres to a consistent style guide, which can be particularly important if you’re submitting your manuscript to a publisher or literary agent. They will standardize elements like punctuation usage, capitalization, font choices, and hyphenation, ensuring your manuscript looks cohesive and polished from start to finish. If you’ve used a specific style guide, like the Chicago Manual of Style, the copyeditor will follow those rules meticulously.
Clarity and Readability:
Copyediting improves the readability of your manuscript by ensuring that your sentences are clear and concise. The copyeditor will suggest changes to eliminate awkward phrasing or overly complex sentences, which can disrupt the flow. They’ll help you make your prose as smooth and readable as possible, improving the overall reading experience.
Consistency of Details:
If you’re writing a series or have detailed character descriptions, locations, or specific plot points, the copyeditor will ensure consistency. This includes checking that character names are spelled correctly throughout, that locations don’t change names unexpectedly, and that key details like timelines, relationships, and events stay consistent from beginning to end.
Formatting for Publication:
When preparing a manuscript for publication, a copyeditor ensures that the manuscript is properly formatted. This includes checking for consistent indentation, line spacing, margins, and correct placement of headings, chapters, and page numbers. If you’re preparing a manuscript for a digital or print version, copyediting ensures that your document adheres to industry standards.
Why Both Are Necessary
Think of developmental editing as the blueprint of your manuscript, and copyediting as the fine-tuning that makes everything shine. While developmental editing shapes the story and fixes overarching issues, copyediting ensures that every sentence is precise, clear, and grammatically correct.
One cannot replace the other—developmental editing prepares the manuscript for a clean-up, and copyediting refines the language and presentation. If you try to skip developmental editing and jump straight into copyediting, the issues with plot, pacing, and character development will remain, and no amount of polishing will fix them. On the other hand, skipping copyediting leaves your manuscript vulnerable to grammar and readability issues that can distract your readers and undermine your professionalism.
How They Work Together
For the best results, developmental editing and copyediting should work hand-in-hand. After the developmental edits have been made, your manuscript will be in a stronger place, but it won’t be perfect yet. Copyediting comes next, ensuring that all of the finer details are in place and the manuscript is ready for submission or publication.
This two-step approach is the key to taking your manuscript from rough draft to polished, professional book that’s ready to capture readers’ attention and stand out in a competitive market.
Conclusion
Both developmental editing and copyediting are essential to the success of your manuscript. Developmental editing is about crafting and shaping the story—working on everything from structure and character development to themes and pacing. Copyediting, on the other hand, ensures that your manuscript is technically sound, grammatically correct, and polished for publication.
Understanding when and why to use each type of editing will help you achieve a stronger, more polished final product. We offer both Developmental Editing and Copyediting services to help you refine every aspect of your manuscript, ensuring that it’s both compelling and professional.
If you’re ready to take your manuscript to the next level, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help guide you through every step of the editing process.
