October 25, 2025
Understanding what kind of editing you need can save time, money, and stress.
People often ask me to proofread their documents, and when I review them, it’s clear they’re not at the proofreading stage yet. Here’s a description of the four stages of editing.
I’ve done all four throughout my career, and for smaller jobs, I can be flexible about who does what and how well it’s done. For larger jobs, I perform the higher-level editing at the average rate for that kind of work. For example, I won’t do developmental editing at a proofreader’s rate. When someone works outside their area of expertise, everybody loses: the client doesn’t get what they really need, and the service provider risks a bad reputation.
I don’t want to tell a prospective client, “No, I won’t do that.” Instead, I explain the editing process and offer to find someone qualified to provide the editing services they need at each level. Hopefully, they remember that kindness and bring the job back to me when it’s at the proofreading stage.
There are four common levels of editing (often called “editorial passes”). It’s important to understand these levels, because each requires a specific skill set, and editors charge different rates for each.
Level 1: Developmental Editing
(usually for book manuscripts)
Sometimes called structural or substantive editing, developmental editing involves looking at the story as a whole—the “big picture.” A developmental editor ensures that the story makes sense and that the author addresses larger issues before moving forward.
- plot
- setting
- overall structure
- character development
- addition, deletion, or rearrangement of scenes or content
- the introduction and ending
Level 2: Line Editing
The line edit comes after the developmental edit is complete. Sometimes called stylistic or content editing, this stage drills down into more specific items.
- voice (word choice) and style (phrasing)
- refinement of characterization
- dialogue and dialogue tags
- hooks and prompts (chapter beginnings and endings)
- sentence structure
- coherence and concision within sentences
Level 3: Copyediting
Copyediting is the stage most commonly confused with proofreading. I can’t stress enough that copyediting and proofreading are very different. When someone wants words changed or sentence structure fixed, that’s not proofreading—that’s copyediting.
- grammar
- punctuation
- spelling
- fact-checking
- cross-checking the table of contents, footnotes, bibliography, etc. (if applicable)
- ensuring consistency of actions
- fixing “echo words” (repeated vocabulary)
- checking the accuracy of the timeline and sequencing of chapters and pages
Level 4: Proofreading
You're almost there! It's time for final inspection. Proofreading originated with Johannes Gutenberg and his printing press. He would print one copy (a proof) for a client (the reader). Mass production started when both agreed the sample met the requirements of the job. Proofreading is the last stage before a piece of content goes live. A proofreader looks for issues that previous editorial passes may have missed or inadvertently added. This is not the stage for rewriting sentences or changing phrasing—but if you see a glaring error, flag it for the author.
- typos
- double words (“the the,” “and and,” etc.)
- grammatical errors
- punctuation errors
- misspelled words
- formatting issues