Author: Guy

Before a story or novel becomes a book, it spends time as a manuscript, and a manuscript is a working document. Editors mark it up. Publishers pass it between departments. Interior designers import it into layout software. Each of those steps goes faster when the file follows a format everyone already knows.

For fiction, that format is usually called Shunn manuscript format, or standard manuscript format. This guide explains what the format requires, how to build it in Microsoft Word with the settings that hold up through editing and layout, how story and novel manuscripts differ, and what changes between the modern and classic versions.

Free Word templates: Guy Anthony De Marco of Publication Engineering offers two free manuscript templates on his author site: a template with page headers and a template without headers. Both are RTF files that open in Word, LibreOffice, and other word processors.

What “Shunn format” means

The name comes from William Shunn, a writer who has published a guide called “Proper Manuscript Format” since the mid-1990s (shunn.net). Shunn describes the guide as “the de facto standard for a host of professional publications” (Shunn, 2020).

Shunn himself does not endorse the “Shunn format” label (Shunn, 2026). When guidelines use it, though, they mean his guide.

The main guide covers short stories and comes in a modern and a classic edition. A separate sample shows how novel manuscripts differ. The rules underneath are the same: a plain page that is easy to read, easy to mark up, and easy to convert.

The core specifications

Shunn’s formatting checklist and the modern story guide set out these requirements.

Element	Shunn’s guidance
Page	Plain white, black text only, no decorations
Margins	1 inch on all sides
Font	Times New Roman or Courier New, 12 point
Line spacing	Double
Paragraphs	First line indented 0.5 inch, no extra space between paragraphs
Alignment	Left aligned, ragged right
Contact information	Upper left of the first page
Word count	Upper right of the first page, rounded to the nearest hundred (nearest 500 for longer works)
Title and byline	Centered, one third to one half of the way down the first page
Page header	Byline surname, a keyword from the title, and the page number, upper right, every page but the first
Emphasis	Italics, not underlining
Scene breaks	A centered # on its own line

Shunn also advises one space between sentences in the modern version, two hyphens for an em dash, and smart quotes turned on. Fancy elements such as drop caps and ornaments stay out of the manuscript entirely.

Building the file in Word

A manuscript can look correct on screen and still be built wrong. Tabs, extra spaces, and blank lines produce the same appearance as proper paragraph settings, but they behave differently once someone else opens the file. These steps use Word’s own settings so the format holds.

1. Set the page. Under Layout, set margins to 1 inch on all sides and confirm the paper size your market expects.
2. Set the Normal style. Modify the Normal paragraph style to 12-point Times New Roman (or Courier New), black. Set line spacing to Double and spacing before and after to 0 pt.
3. Set the indent in the style. In the same style, set Indentation, Special, to First line by 0.5 inch. Shunn notes that letting the word processor handle indentation also makes things easier for the production team. Do not indent with the Tab key or the spacebar.
4. Set alignment. Choose Align Left. Leave the right edge ragged.
5. Build the first page. Type the contact block at the top left and the word count at the top right. Move down a third to half of the page, center the title, double-space once, and center the byline. Double-space twice more and begin the text.
6. Add the header. Insert a header on page two, align it right, type your surname and a title keyword separated by slashes, add a page number field, and check Different First Page so it does not appear on page one.
7. Mark scene breaks. Center a single # on its own line wherever the scene changes.
8. Check the details. Use italics for emphasis, type two hyphens for a dash, and confirm smart quotes are on. If the file is in Courier, consider turning off the autocorrect that converts hyphens to dashes, since Shunn notes a dash is hard to tell from a hyphen in a monospaced font.

Word’s status bar or Review tab gives the word count. Use that number, rounded, rather than an estimate based on page count. Shunn explains that the old 250-words-per-page rule stopped working once writers moved to proportional fonts (Shunn, 2021).

Why the build matters after acceptance

A manuscript that follows the format with real settings is easier for every professional who handles it next.

• Copy editors work in tracked changes. Clean paragraph styles mean the tracked changes show edits to words, not to stray spaces and tabs. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.
• Interior designers map the manuscript’s paragraphs onto book styles. Manual tabs, spaces, and blank lines all have to be found and stripped before typesetting can start.
• Proofreaders check what survived conversion. Scene breaks marked only with a blank line are a common casualty. Shunn warns that word processors often hide blank lines at the top or bottom of a page, which is why the guide calls for a visible #. The proofreading guide includes an illustration of scene breaks that vanished during conversion.

The same logic explains why the manuscript stays plain. Full justification, decorative fonts, and drop caps belong to the finished book. The interior designer adds them at the layout stage, built for the trim size and format. In a manuscript they only add work to remove.

Story manuscripts and novel manuscripts

Shunn’s sample novel manuscript shows how the two forms differ.

	Short story	Novel
First page	Contact information, word count, title, and byline on page one, with the story starting below	A separate title page
Page numbering	Page one is the first page	Page 1 is the first page of text, after the title page
Chapters	Not applicable	Each chapter begins on a new page
Word count	Rounded to the nearest hundred	Shunn’s Word templates round to the nearest thousand

Everything else, including margins, font, spacing, indents, header, and scene breaks, stays the same.

Modern and classic versions

In 2020 Shunn released the guide in two editions with identical text (Shunn, 2020).

	Modern	Classic
Font	Proportional serif, such as Times New Roman	Monospaced, such as Courier
Space between sentences	One	Two
Where to read it	shunn.net/format/story	shunn.net/format/classic

Shunn’s note on both versions says that a publication asking for “Shunn Classic” means a Courier font, not Times New Roman. His original guide URL redirects to the Classic edition, so a market that has linked to the guide for years may be pointing at Classic without meaning to require it. If the guidelines name a version, use it. If they do not, the modern edition matches current practice. Shunn writes that Courier is probably on its way out in fiction circles.

Common setup problems and fixes

Problem	Fix
Paragraphs indented with tabs or spaces	Remove them and set a 0.5-inch first-line indent in the paragraph style
Blank line between every paragraph	Set spacing before and after to 0 pt and delete the empty paragraphs
Fully justified text	Change to Align Left
Scene break shown as an empty line	Replace it with a centered #
Underlining for emphasis	Change to italics unless the guidelines ask for underlining
Two spaces after periods in a Times New Roman file	Find and replace double spaces with single spaces
Header showing on page one	Check Different First Page in the header settings
Word count estimated from pages	Use the word processor’s count, rounded
Social Security number on the first page	Remove it. Shunn notes the publisher will ask for tax information with the contract

Writers who would be put at risk by sharing a legal name or address have options. Shunn’s July 2026 post says the contact block can hold as much or as little as the writer chooses, including only a pen name, as long as the market’s guidelines do not specifically require more. Shunn adds that most of the big professional markets do ask for full details, because contracts and tax documents follow a sale.

When guidelines say something different

Shunn’s guide closes with the rule that outranks every other: check each market’s submission guidelines, and when their rules differ from his, follow theirs. A publisher may ask for a different font, a different header, or no header at all. The acquisitions editor guide makes the same point from the publisher’s side. Ignoring instructions is an easy reason for a no.

The same applies to editors and designers. A freelancer may request a particular file type or style setup. Publication Engineering’s guide to how to self-edit before hiring an editor recommends Shunn format for files headed to an editor, because a plain, consistent file is the fastest one to work on.

Templates to start from

Building the format once and saving it as a template removes the setup step from every future project. Two free options:

• Guy Anthony De Marco’s templates. A version with headers for markets that want the surname, title, and page header, and a version without headers for guidelines that ask for none. Both are free downloads from the downloads page on guyanthonydemarco.com, in RTF format for Word and other word processors. His notes on the templates point out that some publishers want variations, such as Courier New instead of Times New Roman, so adjust the template to match the guidelines.
• William Shunn’s templates. Shunn offers Word templates for stories and novels, built for Word 2010 and later, with a field that calculates a rounded word count.

Sending the manuscript

For a quote on editing or interior design, Publication Engineering asks for a sample, typically a chapter from the beginning, middle, and end, or enough pages to show heading styles, scene breaks, and dialogue (Design & Editing Rates). A sample in standard manuscript format makes those elements easy to see. For how the editing stages fit together, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

When the manuscript is ready, request a quote.

Sources

• William Shunn, “Proper Manuscript Format” (Modern Edition): https://www.shunn.net/format/story/ (page, margins, font, contact information, word count, no Social Security number, title and byline placement, double spacing, 0.5-inch indent set in paragraph formatting, left alignment, header with Different First Page behavior, one space, italics, two hyphens, autocorrect note for Courier, smart quotes, # scene breaks and hidden blank lines, follow market guidelines, Courier “on its way out”)
• William Shunn, “Proper Manuscript Format” (Classic Edition): https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ (“Shunn Classic” means Courier)
• William Shunn, “‘Proper Manuscript Format’ Now Comes in Two Distinct Flavors,” April 16, 2020: https://www.shunn.net/format/2020/04/proper_manuscript_format_now_comes_in_two_distinct_flavors.html (quote “the de facto standard for a host of professional publications”; modern and classic differences; identical text; original URL redirects to Classic; guide online since 1995)
• William Shunn, “A Brief Manuscript Formatting Checklist,” January 20, 2024: https://www.shunn.net/format/2024/01/a_brief_manuscript_formatting_checklist.html (specification table; no drop caps or dingbats)
• William Shunn, “Sample Novel Manuscript”: https://www.shunn.net/format/novel/ (separate title page, numbering, chapters on new pages)
• William Shunn, “The Old Rule of Thumb for Estimating Word Count Is Obsolete,” April 23, 2021: https://www.shunn.net/format/2021/04/the_old_rule_of_thumb_for_estimating_word_count_is_obsolete.html (computer word count over 250 words per page)
• William Shunn, “Withholding Personally Identifiable Information,” July 13, 2026: https://www.shunn.net/format/2026/07/withholding_personally_identifiable_information.html (contact information flexibility; does not endorse the “Shunn format” designation)
• William Shunn, “Microsoft Word Templates”: https://www.shunn.net/format/templates.html (Story and Novel templates for Word 2010 and later; rounded word count to the nearest hundred for stories and nearest thousand for novels)
• Guy Anthony De Marco, “Manuscript Template (With Headers)” and “Manuscript Template (No Headers)”: https://guyanthonydemarco.com/downloads/manuscript-template-with-headers/ and https://guyanthonydemarco.com/downloads/manuscript-template-no-headers/ (free RTF templates)
• Guy Anthony De Marco, “Free Manuscript Templates for Authors”: https://guyanthonydemarco.com/free-manuscript-templates-for-word/ (some publishers want Courier New or other variations)
• Publication Engineering, “Design & Editing Rates”: https://publicationengineering.com/design-rates/ (sample request for quotes)

A finished draft feels like the end of the work. For most books, it is the start of the expensive part. Professional editing is priced by the word, the hour, or the project, and the condition of the manuscript drives how much work each stage takes. A careful self-edit before hiring an editor is the cheapest way to make every paid hour count.

This guide covers what self-editing can and cannot do, which problems to fix before each kind of edit, and how to prepare the manuscript file so the handoff goes smoothly. For the full sequence of professional roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Why self-editing changes the cost of editing

Editors charge for the words in front of them. Words that should have been cut still get read, marked, and billed.

The Editorial Freelancers Association publishes a rate chart based on a survey of its members. In the 2026 chart, the median range for developmental editing of fiction is 3.0 to 3.5 cents per word, and the median range for copyediting fiction is 2.0 to 2.7 cents per word (EFA). The EFA notes that it does not set rates and that individual rates vary with experience, turnaround, and other factors.

Illustration (arithmetic from the EFA ranges, not a quote): A 100,000-word novel at 3.0 to 3.5 cents per word comes to $3,000 to $3,500 for a developmental edit. If a self-edit cuts 10,000 words of repeated scenes and padding first, the same rates on 90,000 words come to $2,700 to $3,150. At copyediting rates of 2.0 to 2.7 cents, those 10,000 words would have cost another $200 to $270.

Publication Engineering quotes every project individually after reviewing a sample, as described on the Design & Editing Rates page. The principle holds for any editor, though. A tighter, cleaner manuscript takes less time to edit, and the editor’s attention goes to problems the author could not have found alone.

What self-editing can do, and what it cannot

Self-editing is good at catching problems the author can see once there is some distance from the draft. It is poor at catching problems the author is too close to notice.

The author can usually fix	A professional usually catches
Scenes that repeat information	Why a structure is not working, and the options to fix it
Plot threads that were dropped	Pacing problems that feel fine to the person who knows the ending
Names and terms spelled three ways	Habits so familiar the author reads right past them
Bracketed notes and placeholders	Consistency against a style guide across the whole book
Obvious typos and formatting mess	Typos and layout errors that survive several careful reads

A self-edit leaves every professional stage in place. What it changes is the manuscript each editor receives: one where the remaining problems are the ones that need an expert.

The order matters: work from big to small

Professional editing moves from the whole book down to the printed page, and a self-edit should follow the same order. Polishing sentences in a chapter that later gets cut is wasted effort, whether the effort is paid or not.

Before starting, set the draft aside. Andrew Park’s self-editing guide for Authors Publish recommends stepping away for at least a month, preferably longer (Authors Publish). Distance makes the gaps between intention and execution easier to see.

EV Editing’s guide for speculative fiction authors lists the author self-edit as the first step in the editing sequence, ahead of developmental editing, then line and copy editing, then formatting, then proofreading (EV Editing). The checklist below follows that order, matched to the professional stage each step prepares for.

Before a developmental edit: fix what you already know

A developmental editor reads for structure, plot logic, character, and pacing. The edit delivers the most value when it finds problems the author did not already know about. See Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book for what that edit covers.

Before booking one:

• Read the whole manuscript once without changing anything. Mark where attention drifts, where the logic gets fuzzy, and where the story works.
• Write a one-line summary of every chapter. Two chapters with the same summary usually means one of them can go.
• Finish or cut every dropped thread. If a subplot disappears halfway through, decide its fate before an editor bills time to point it out.
• Write down the intended story in one or two pages. A synopsis of what the book is meant to do lets the editor measure the gap between intention and the page.
• List the problems you already suspect. “The middle drags and I can’t tell why” is a useful question. “Is it good?” is not.

Before a line edit: clear the obvious sentence-level clutter

A line editor works on voice, rhythm, clarity, and flow. That work depends on taste and close attention, which is why it is worth protecting from easy fixes. See Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story.

• Read dialogue aloud. Lines that are hard to say are often hard to read.
• Search for the words you lean on. Every writer has a few. Count them and trim.
• Cut dialogue that only delivers information both characters already know.
• Merge paragraphs that make the same point twice.

Grammar and style software can help with this pass. Tools that flag repeated words, passive constructions, and overused adverbs are useful as a first sweep. Treat every flag as a question, not an instruction. Software does not know that a character speaks in fragments on purpose, and it cannot judge voice. A line editor can.

Before a copy edit: start the style sheet

A copy editor checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency, and builds a style sheet that records names, terms, and style decisions. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.

An author can save the copy editor real time by starting that sheet:

• Every character name, place name, and invented term, spelled the way it should appear.
• Choices that look like errors but are intentional, such as a character’s nonstandard speech or a deliberately lowercase name.
• Number and date decisions the book already follows.

Illustration (invented example): A fantasy author lists “Aethelmark” on the style sheet and notes that the city is never abbreviated. During the copy edit, the editor finds “Aethelmarc” twice and “the Mark” once, and corrects or queries each against the author’s own sheet instead of asking which spelling is right.

If the book makes factual claims or depends on real history or technical detail, list the claims that need checking. That list is the starting point for a fact-checking pass. If any characters or communities fall outside the author’s own experience, note the specific portrayal questions for an authenticity reader.

Before layout and proofreading: hand over a clean file

This step is often skipped, and it affects every stage after it. A messy manuscript file slows down editing and interior design alike. Hidden formatting has to be stripped out before a book can be typeset for print or styled for eBook.

Before sending the manuscript anywhere:

• Accept or reject all tracked changes and delete old comments. Send one clean version.
• Use Shunn standard manuscript format. Follow William Shunn’s Proper Manuscript Format: a standard 12-point font such as Times New Roman or Courier, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and a header carrying your surname, the title, and the page number. Indent paragraphs with a first-line indent setting, not tabs or spaces, and do not add blank lines between paragraphs.
• Pick one scene-break marker and use it everywhere. Shunn format uses a single centered # on its own line; whatever the marker, use the same one every time.
• Format chapter headings the same way throughout.
• Name the file clearly, with the title, the stage, and the date, so nobody edits an outdated version.
• Leave decorative choices for the interior designer. Keep the manuscript in plain Shunn format. Fancy fonts, drop caps, and ornaments in the manuscript file usually get removed before layout begins.

Proofreading happens on the laid-out pages, not the manuscript file. A clean file going into layout means fewer layout slips for the proofreader to catch later. See The Proofreading Stage: A Practical Guide for Book Authors.

Know when to stop

Self-editing has a point of diminishing returns. Signs that the manuscript is ready for a professional:

• Changes are swapping one word for another and back again.
• The remaining notes are all small, and none are about story.
• It is no longer clear whether a change made the book better or only different.
• Beta readers agree something is wrong but cannot say what.

At that point, more solo passes are unlikely to help. An outside editor will see the book as a reader does, which the author cannot do anymore.

Budget also shapes what comes next. A self-published book rarely needs every editing role at once. When only one paid service fits the budget, a copy edit usually produces the most visible improvement, because it catches the errors readers notice. A developmental edit is worth adding when the story itself is the open question. The self-edit makes either choice go further.

What to send with the manuscript

A good handoff makes a quote faster and more accurate. For a sample, Publication Engineering typically asks for a chapter from the beginning, middle, and end, or enough pages to show heading styles, scene breaks, and dialogue (see Design & Editing Rates). Along with the sample, include:

• Genre, subgenre, and total word count.
• The level of editing requested, or a note that the level is undecided.
• The one- or two-page synopsis and the list of suspected problems.
• The style sheet, even if it is short.
• The formats planned for the finished book: print, eBook, or both.

When the manuscript is ready, request a quote.

Sources

• Editorial Freelancers Association, “Editorial Rates,” 2026 Rate Chart: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/ (median rate ranges for fiction developmental editing, 3.0 to 3.5 cents per word, and fiction copyediting, 2.0 to 2.7 cents per word; survey of EFA members, November 2025 to mid-January 2026; EFA does not set rates)
• Andrew Park, “Beyond the First Draft: Self-Editing Your Way to the Second Draft and Beyond,” Authors Publish, 2026 (PDF): https://authorspublish.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/self-editing-andrew-park.pdf (step away from the manuscript for at least a month, preferably longer)
• Emily Vousden, “What is Developmental Editing? Ultimate Guide for Speculative Fiction,” EV Editing: https://www.ev-editing.com/blog/ultimate-guide-what-is-developmental-editing (editing order beginning with an author self-edit, then developmental editing, author revisions, copy and line editing, formatting, and proofreading)
• Publication Engineering, “Design & Editing Rates”: https://publicationengineering.com/design-rates/ (per-project quotes after a sample; sample from beginning, middle, and end)

Every other editor in this series is someone an author can hire. The acquisitions editor is the exception. Nobody hires one for their own book. An acquisitions editor works for a publisher, and the decision runs the other way: the editor chooses the book.

Put simply, an acquisitions editor finds books for a publisher and persuades the publisher to buy them. That means reading submissions, picking the projects they believe in, making the case internally, and negotiating the deal. At many publishers, the same editor then works with the author on the book itself.

Independent authors do not work with an acquisitions editor at all, and do not need to hire one. In self-publishing, the author is the one deciding what gets published. The role is still worth understanding, because the questions an acquisitions editor asks about audience and market apply to any book. For the full map of editing roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

From submission pile to signed deal

The details depend on the size of the publisher, but the core of the job usually includes:

• Sourcing projects. Reading submissions from literary agents and, at some publishers, directly from authors. Editors also find books at conferences and conventions, and sometimes approach authors they already know.
• Evaluating. Deciding whether a book fits the publisher’s list, whether it can sell, and whether it is good enough, or close enough to get there with editing.
• Championing the book internally. At many publishers, an editor who wants a book has to pitch it to colleagues in editorial, sales, marketing, and management, often at a meeting held for that purpose. The pitch is typically backed by figures on costs and projected sales.
• Making the offer. Once the book is approved, the editor makes an offer to the agent or author and negotiates terms.
• Editing and advocating, often. At many houses the acquiring editor stays on as the book’s editor and champion through publication. At others, acquiring and editing are separate jobs.

At a small press, a single person may handle all of this along with several other responsibilities.

Where the role stops

An acquisitions editor does not work for the author. They work for the publisher. A good one can be a powerful advocate for a book, but their job is to build a list that sells.

They are usually not the people who copy edit or proofread the book, either. Those stages come later and often involve different people. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet and The Proofreading Stage: A Practical Guide for Book Authors.

They also do not provide free critiques. Editors see far more submissions than they can buy, so most rejections come without an explanation. A form rejection says very little about the manuscript, and reading meaning into one is rarely useful.

What makes a manuscript stand out

Every editor has personal taste, but certain qualities come up again and again:

• A strong opening. An editor may decide within the first few pages whether to keep reading.
• A distinctive voice. Competent is not enough when the stack is full of competent manuscripts.
• Fit with the list. An excellent book that does not match what the publisher sells is still a no.
• A clear audience. Who buys this, and which shelf does it sit on?
• Comparable titles. Recent books showing that readers want this kind of story. Realistic, recent comps work better than the biggest bestseller anyone can name.
• An author who is easy to work with. Professional, responsive, and open to editing.
• A pitch that fits in a sentence or two. If the editor cannot summarize the book quickly, they cannot sell it to their own sales team.

A track record helps. Short fiction published in magazines and anthologies can show an editor that other editors have already said yes to an author.

Media tie-in work tends to follow its own route. Tie-in projects often seem to come through existing relationships with a property’s owners and editors, so being known within a community can matter as much as a cold submission. That is a general pattern, not a rule.

Getting through the door

Access comes first. Many large publishers accept submissions only through literary agents, which makes finding an agent the real first step for those houses. Smaller presses, and some imprints of larger ones, open submission windows when authors can submit directly. Guidelines change, so check each publisher’s current guidelines on its own website.

Once a door is open, these habits help:

• Follow the guidelines exactly. Word count, format, required materials, and delivery method. Ignoring instructions is an easy reason for a no.
• Aim at the right editor or imprint. Look at what they have published recently and submit where books like yours already live.
• Finish fiction before submitting. Most fiction publishers want a completed manuscript from a new author. Nonfiction often sells on a proposal. The guidelines will say which.
• Meet people in person. Conventions and writing conferences put authors in the same room as editors. Panels and hallway conversations are a good way to learn what editors want. Basic courtesy applies: a restroom line is not a pitch venue.

Here is an invented illustration, not a real case. A writer has a cozy mystery set in a lighthouse town and submits it to an imprint whose recent releases are all dark psychological thrillers. The manuscript is polished, but it is turned down quickly. The same book, sent to an imprint with a shelf of small-town mysteries, at least gets a read. Nothing about the writing changed. The fit did.

Before you submit

• Polish the manuscript. Get feedback from critique partners or beta readers first.
• Draft the query, synopsis, and pitch in advance. Have them ready before a window opens.
• Research the publisher. Read recent releases, check the guidelines, and look into how other authors describe working with them.
• Track every submission. Record who received what, when, and their response, to avoid submitting twice by accident.

When an offer arrives

If an acquisitions editor wants the book, the author or agent receives an offer. It usually covers any advance, royalties, rights, formats, and a rough schedule. The contract follows.

Read that contract carefully, or have an agent or publishing attorney review it. Pay close attention to which rights are being granted, for how long, and how they revert. Knowing exactly who is on the other side of the signature line matters.

Saying yes is also a choice. Questions worth asking before accepting:

• Does this editor understand the book that was written?
• What changes do they expect?
• How will the publisher get the book in front of readers?
• Who else have they published, and what do those authors say?

After signing, an editorial letter or a round of edits typically follows, which brings the process back to the roles covered earlier in this series. See Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book and Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story.

Warning signs

• Payment is requested from the author. A traditional publisher pays the author. If someone calling themselves an acquisitions editor asks for money for publishing, editing, or marketing as a condition of the deal, that is a vanity or hybrid arrangement, not traditional publishing. Understand exactly what is being agreed to.
• Pressure to sign quickly. A genuine offer can wait while the contract is read.
• Vague or permanent rights grabs. Rights should be specific, with a clear path to getting them back.
• No visible track record. If their books cannot be found in stores or online, ask why.
• Unsolicited flattery. An “editor” who cold-contacts an author with praise and a sales pitch is usually selling a service.

For how the acquisitions editor relates to every other role, return to Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Frequently asked questions

Should a self-published author hire an acquisitions editor?

No. An acquisitions editor works for a publisher and buys books for that publisher’s list. Independent authors make that decision themselves. The editors they typically hire are developmental editors, line editors, copy editors, and proofreaders.

Is it possible to submit straight to an acquisitions editor?

At some publishers, yes, usually during open submission periods. Many large publishers accept submissions only through literary agents. Current guidelines on each publisher’s site are the authority.

How does an acquisitions editor differ from a developmental editor?

An acquisitions editor decides whether a publisher buys a book. A developmental editor works on structure and story. At many publishers the acquiring editor also does developmental work, while freelance developmental editors are hired by authors. See Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book.

What qualities help a manuscript get acquired?

A strong opening, a distinctive voice, a clear audience, and a good fit with the publisher’s list. The editor also needs to be able to pitch it to colleagues in a sentence or two.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

Research can tell a writer a great deal about a culture, a disability, a faith, or a profession. It cannot always tell them how that life feels from the inside, or which details someone who lives it would notice on the first page. That gap is where an authenticity reader comes in.

This guide explains what the role covers, how to decide whether a manuscript needs one, how to brief a reader, and what to expect afterward. For how this role fits among the other editing stages, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Two names, one job

“Sensitivity reader” and “authenticity reader” generally describe the same work. The reader brings a specific lived experience to the manuscript and points out where the portrayal of that experience rings false, relies on stereotypes, or misses something an insider would see.

Many people now prefer “authenticity reader” because it describes what the author is paying for: a portrayal that feels true. This guide uses both terms.

The knowledge usually comes from the reader’s own identity or life. That might be a culture, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, profession, or a particular experience such as military service or living with a chronic illness.

Does the manuscript need one?

An authenticity read is worth considering when a book portrays a character, culture, or experience significantly outside the author’s own, and that portrayal matters to the story. Two common triggers:

• A character’s identity drives the plot.
• The story is told from inside a community the author does not belong to.

Timing matters as much as the decision itself. The best window is after developmental editing and before line and copy editing. By then the structure has settled, so the reader is not commenting on scenes that are about to be cut. It is also early enough to make real changes without disturbing a finished layout.

That timing pays off when the notes are structural. If a subplot rests on a harmful trope, it is far better to learn that before paying for a line edit of those chapters. See Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story for where that stage falls.

Traditional publishers sometimes arrange sensitivity reads and sometimes leave them to the author, so ask the editor. Independent authors arrange their own.

What the reader looks for

The reader works through the manuscript, or the sections that matter, watching for:

• Wrong details, such as customs, food, language, slang, or how a community refers to itself
• Stereotypes and worn-out tropes, including unintended ones
• Characters who exist only to serve someone else’s arc
• Terms that are outdated or carry baggage the author may not know about
• Missed opportunities, where a real-life detail would make a scene stronger

The last item is often overlooked. A good read does more than find problems. It frequently hands the author better material than the draft had.

Here is an invented illustration, not a real manuscript. A thriller features a hospital nurse whose shift scenes use vague, television-style dialogue, and who refers to colleagues and departments in ways real staff would not. A reader who has worked as a nurse can point out what staff actually call things, how a handoff between shifts might sound, and what the character would plausibly notice first when walking onto the ward. The notes fix errors and add texture at the same time.

What a read cannot do

An authenticity reader does not censor a book. The reader gives notes, and the author decides what to do with each one. Every change remains the author’s call.

A reader also does not:

• Represent an entire group. One reader is one person with one set of experiences. No reader can approve a book on behalf of millions of people.
• Guarantee that nobody will object. A read lowers the chance of a careless mistake. It cannot promise universal approval.
• Replace research. The author should do the reading and homework first. The reader is a check on that work, not a substitute for it.
• Edit for craft. Pacing and punctuation belong to other editors. See Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book and Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.
• Verify the whole book. The reader will catch errors in their area. General verification is a separate job, covered in Fact-Checking a Book: How Claims Get Verified Before Publication.

Briefing your reader

A well-prepared brief produces a sharper read.

• Define the scope. Identify which characters, scenes, or threads touch the reader’s area. If only a few chapters matter, say so. A narrower scope can also lower the cost.
• Give context. Provide a short synopsis, the genre, the intended audience, and any world-building that changes how things work. In science fiction and fantasy, an invented culture may be modeled on a real one. Tell the reader if it is.
• Ask pointed questions. “Does this character’s speech pattern feel respectful?” gets a more useful answer than “Is this okay?”
• Admit the guesses. Anything the author was unsure about should be flagged.

Dialect and accents deserve a specific question. Phonetic spelling can turn a character into a caricature quickly. Word choice and rhythm often carry a voice better than altered spellings do. Asking the reader directly about this is usually worthwhile.

The report and the conversation after

Most readers deliver a written report, often alongside comments in the manuscript. A useful report usually contains:

• An overall impression of how the portrayal reads
• Specific flagged passages, each with an explanation
• Suggested alternatives, where the reader has them
• Notes on what works, so the author does not change parts that are already right

Ask in advance whether a follow-up conversation is included. Sometimes the most valuable part of the process is a call where the author can ask why a passage bothers the reader and actually understand the answer.

Finding the right match

• Match the lived experience as closely as possible. Communities are not uniform. Traditions within a single heritage group can vary by region, by generation, and by how long ago a family arrived. A reader who is “close enough” may not be close enough.
• Ask about process. Full manuscript or flagged sections? Written report? Follow-up call?
• Request a sample report or references. Some readers can share redacted examples.
• Check genre comfort. A reader who never reads fantasy may struggle with invented settings.
• Get scope and terms in writing. Rates are not covered here. A written agreement should cover what will be read, what will be delivered, and the deadline.
• Consider a second reader. For a central character, a second opinion from someone with a similar background can show where one reader’s view is personal and where it is shared.

Warning signs on both sides

From the reader:

• Claims to cover every identity. No one’s lived experience covers everything.
• Promises to “clear” the book. No reader can guarantee there will be no criticism.
• Wants to rewrite the story their way. Notes are appropriate. Taking over the book is not.
• Gives vague notes. “This is problematic” with no reason offers nothing to fix.
• Cannot describe their relevant background. That experience is what the author is hiring, so asking about it is fair.

From the author: hiring a reader with no intention of listening wastes money. Not every note has to be accepted, but each one deserves real consideration.

The final role in this series is the one authors cannot hire at all. See Inside the Acquisitions Editor's Role: How Publishers Decide Which Books to Buy. For the full editing sequence, return to Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Frequently asked questions

Are “authenticity reader” and “sensitivity reader” interchangeable?

Generally, yes. Both describe someone who reads for accurate, respectful portrayal of an identity or experience they know firsthand. “Authenticity reader” puts the emphasis on accuracy and truthfulness.

Does a sensitivity reader have the power to censor a book?

No. The reader gives notes and explains concerns, and the author decides what changes. A reader has no authority over the book unless the author grants it.

Where in the editing sequence does an authenticity read belong?

After developmental editing and before line and copy editing. The story is stable at that point, and there is still room for meaningful changes.

Do science fiction and fantasy books ever need one?

Sometimes. If invented cultures, species, or characters draw on real cultures, disabilities, or identities, a reader with that experience can say whether the parallel works or misfires.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

Many authors assume that somewhere between signing a contract and seeing a book on the shelf, a professional checks every date, quote, and name. Often, nobody does. Fact-checking is the editing role writers most often believe someone else is covering.

A fact-checker verifies the claims in a book. Names, dates, quotations, figures, locations, how a device works, who said what. If a claim can be checked, a fact-checker checks it and reports where the evidence falls short. This guide explains who usually carries that responsibility, how the work is done, and how to prepare for it. For the full set of editing roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Why the responsibility usually lands on the author

When people picture fact-checkers, they usually picture magazine research departments. Book publishing generally does not work that way. In many book contracts, the author is responsible for the accuracy of the work. Contracts differ, so the only reliable answer is in the contract itself.

The practical result is that a book fact-check is often something the author arranges and pays for, whether the book is traditionally or independently published. The simplest step is to ask the editor early what the publisher provides. Assuming is how errors get printed.

The claim-by-claim method

A fact-checker works through a manuscript one claim at a time. Each claim gets two questions: is it true, and where is the evidence?

Typical tasks include:

• Confirming names, titles, dates, and spellings of real people, places, and organizations
• Comparing quotations against the original source
• Checking numbers, statistics, and the arithmetic behind them
• Confirming that a cited source actually says what the text claims it says
• Testing technical details, such as how equipment operates, how a procedure unfolds, or how long a journey takes
• Flagging statements presented as fact that have no source at all

For memoir and narrative nonfiction, the work may extend to contacting people who appear in the book or reviewing interview recordings and notes. Whether that happens depends on the project and the agreement.

Here is an invented illustration, not a real book. A popular history quotes a nineteenth-century inventor with a memorable line about failure. When the checker traces it, the earliest appearance is in a biography written sixty years after the inventor died, with no citation. The checker marks it “unable to verify” and suggests attributing it to the biography instead. The quote may still be usable, but the reader now knows where it actually came from.

Outside the fact-checker’s lane

A fact-checker is not a lawyer. A checker can flag a passage that seems risky, but a legal review for defamation or privacy is a separate service from a different professional. A book that portrays real, living people in an unflattering light is a reason to consult a publishing attorney.

A fact-checker is also not a copy editor or a developmental editor. Comma splices and chapter structure are someone else’s job. A checker may note that correcting a fact breaks a sentence, but the rewrite belongs to the author. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet and Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book for those roles.

Finally, a fact-checker cannot make an argument true. The checker can confirm that the sources say what the text says they say. Whether the conclusion follows from them is a separate question.

Novels and invented worlds

Novelists sometimes assume none of this applies to fiction. It does, in a narrower form. Readers who know a subject notice when a story gets it wrong, and some of them will write to say so. Readers with technical backgrounds may catch a misdescribed radio, network, or firearm, and a single wrong detail can pull them out of the story. Firearms in particular are an area where small errors are easy for knowledgeable readers to spot.

Speculative fiction gets some latitude, because inventing things is part of the genre. But the invented elements need to rest on real elements that work, and on internal rules that stay consistent. Illustration only: a starship pilot in chapter four is established as unable to fly without a co-pilot, then lands alone in chapter eleven with no explanation. That is not world-building. It is a continuity error, and attentive readers will catch it.

Fiction rarely needs a full professional fact-check. A subject-matter expert who reads only the relevant chapters is often enough.

Timing the check

The best moment for a fact-check is after the content is stable and before copy editing. Checking while chapters are still being added means paying to verify material that may be cut. Waiting until proofs means every correction disrupts a finished layout.

A sensible order for nonfiction:

1. Complete developmental and structural revisions.
2. Fact-check.
3. Line edit and copy edit (see Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story).
4. Format, then proofread (see The Proofreading Stage: A Practical Guide for Book Authors).

A checker should come in sooner rather than later when a book:

• Quotes real people
• Makes claims about real people that could harm them if wrong
• Depends on statistics, scientific findings, or historical dates
• Teaches readers to do something where errors could cause harm, such as medical, legal, financial, or safety topics

Organizing your research for the handoff

Organized research saves the checker time and saves the author money. Before handing over a manuscript:

• Build a source list. Connect each claim to its origin. Footnotes, a spreadsheet, or manuscript comments all work.
• Collect the materials. Interview recordings, transcripts, notes, PDFs, photos of documents, and links, all easy to find.
• Mark opinion. Opinions do not need checking. Point the checker to where they are.
• Name the weak spots. If a detail came from something half-remembered with no surviving source, say so. That is exactly where a checker should look first.
• Raise confidentiality early. If sources spoke on condition of anonymity, agree on how the checker will handle that before sharing anything.

A checker working from a disorganized pile of notes spends the budget on searching instead of verifying.

Reading the fact-check report

Expect a report, an annotated manuscript, or both. Formats vary, so ask in advance. A useful deliverable usually shows:

• Each claim that was checked
• Its status, such as confirmed, corrected, unable to verify, or contradicted by sources
• The source used for the check
• Suggested corrections, with supporting evidence

Some checkers mark only problems. Others record every claim checked. The second approach takes more time but produces a record the author can point to if the book is questioned later.

Hiring well

• Look for relevant background. Journalism or magazine research experience is common. Knowledge of the book’s subject is a bonus.
• Ask about method. Do they go to primary sources? What happens with a claim that has only one source?
• Request a sample. A few checked pages reveal thoroughness and reporting style.
• Put the scope in writing. Every claim or only flagged ones? Will interviewees be contacted? What is the deadline?
• Get a written quote. Rates vary by project and are not covered here.

Warning signs

• A single web search counts as verification. One search result is not confirmation.
• Sources stay hidden. A checker who says “trust me” defeats the purpose of checking.
• Legal clearance is on offer. Unless the checker is a lawyer, they cannot give it.
• The checker argues with opinions. The job is facts, not the author’s views.
• There is no plan for confidential sources. For books that rely on them, that plan is essential.

Accuracy is the cost of being trusted, and a correction after publication costs more than one made before it. The next role in the sequence deals with portrayal rather than facts. See Authenticity Readers: How a Sensitivity Read Works and When to Book One. For how fact-checking fits with the other roles, return to Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Frequently asked questions

Will a traditional publisher fact-check the book?

Usually not the way a magazine would. Many book contracts place responsibility for accuracy on the author. Ask the editor what the publisher provides, and read the contract.

Does a novel need a fact-check?

A full professional check is rarely needed, but real-world details should still be correct. For fiction, an expert reading the chapters that touch their field is often enough.

At what point should a fact-checker be brought in?

Once the content is final and before copy editing. That avoids paying to check material that gets cut, and keeps corrections from disrupting a finished layout.

Does a fact-check replace a legal review?

No. A fact-checker verifies claims against sources. A review for defamation, privacy, or permissions comes from a publishing attorney.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

Picture a finished novel with a clean cover, a strong blurb, and a first chapter where the same word appears twice in a row on page three. Most readers will forgive a lot, but small errors near the front of a book tend to shape how they judge the rest of it. Proofreading exists to catch those errors before anyone pays for the book.

This guide covers where proofreading fits in the editing sequence, what a proofreader actually checks, what falls outside the job, and how to set up a proofread so it does what it should. For the full map of editing roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Where proofreading sits in the sequence

Proofreading comes last. It follows developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and formatting. The manuscript should be finished changing before a proofreader sees it. If revisions are still underway, the book is not ready for this stage.

The name comes from “proofs,” the typeset pages that show the book as it will appear in print or as an ebook. A proofreader is not working in a word processor full of tracked changes and margin comments. The proofreader is looking at the same pages a reader will see.

Who arranges it depends on the publishing path:

• Traditional publishing. The publisher’s production team usually handles proofreading. Authors often receive proofs to review as well, and those deserve a careful read.
• Independent publishing. The author is the production department, so the author schedules the proofread.

For independent authors, a workable order looks like this:

1. Complete all revisions and the copy edit.
2. Format the print and ebook editions.
3. Send the formatted files to the proofreader.
4. Enter the corrections in the formatted files.
5. Order a printed proof copy and check it personally.

Some authors have the manuscript proofread before formatting to save money. That approach can work, but it cannot catch errors that formatting creates, and those errors are a large part of what proofreading is meant to find.

What gets checked on the page

A proofreader reads for anything that makes a finished book look unfinished. Common targets include:

• Typos and misspellings that survived earlier passes
• Doubled, missing, or swapped words, with “the the” as the classic case
• Punctuation slips, such as a closing quotation mark that never arrives
• Departures from the style sheet, like a name spelled two different ways
• Layout faults: awkward line breaks, a stray blank page, a chapter opening on the wrong page, or one short line stranded at the top of a page
• Running heads, page numbers, and table of contents entries that no longer match the pages
• Damage done during formatting, such as italics that disappeared or a scene break that collapsed

That last category is easy to underestimate. Every time a file moves from one program to another, something can break. A proofreader checks the output, not the input, which is why the formatted pages are the better thing to proofread.

Here is an invented illustration, not a real book. A fantasy novel is converted from a word processor into layout software. In the process, every scene-break symbol vanishes, so two scenes set in different cities now run together with no visual signal. The text itself is still spelled correctly. Only someone reading the formatted pages would notice the problem.

The limits of a proof pass

A proofreader is not a second copy editor and is certainly not a developmental editor. Comments about a slow middle section or repetitive dialogue tags are outside the job. Rewriting sentences for style is generally outside it too.

When a proofreader finds a sentence that is genuinely broken, they flag it. At this stage, though, every change has a cost. In a print layout, adding a few words can push a line, which pushes a paragraph, which pushes a page. A good proofreader makes the smallest fix that solves the problem.

If the manuscript still needs real sentence-level work, it needs a copy editor first. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet. If the problems run deeper than sentences, see Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story or Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book.

Getting your files ready

A proofread goes better when the job is clearly defined. Before sending anything, gather:

• The final formatted files. Send the versions intended for publication, not a draft.
• The style sheet. If the copy editor created one, include it. A style sheet records character names, invented terms, spelling preferences, and capitalization rules. In science fiction and fantasy it carries a lot of weight. Illustration only: if a city is called Varrow in chapter two and Varow in chapter nineteen, someone has to know which spelling is correct.
• Notes on deliberate oddities. Dialect, nonstandard grammar in a character’s voice, invented words, and intentional sentence fragments should be listed up front so they are not “corrected.”
• The deadline and preferred file format. Be realistic about the date. Rushed work invites misses.

A single typo in a short story is very visible. A typo in a long novel is just as visible to the reader who finds it. Giving the proofreader good reference material improves the odds of catching it.

What comes back

Proofreaders return their work in a few common formats. Ask which one to expect before hiring.

• Annotated PDF. Corrections and comments placed directly on the page. This is common for formatted books.
• Tracked changes. Used when the proofread happens before layout.
• Correction table. A list of page, line, error, and fix. Useful when the author or a formatter will enter the changes by hand.

There may also be a short list of queries. These are questions, not corrections. A proofreader might ask whether an odd spelling is intentional dialect or a typo. Queries need answers. Skipping them defeats part of the purpose.

Choosing a proofreader

Look for someone who specializes in proofreading rather than someone who offers every editing service at once. Useful checks:

• Request a sample. Many proofreaders will mark up a few pages. The sample shows both their eye for errors and their markup style.
• Ask about process. Do they work on PDFs? Do they check running heads and page numbers? Is it one pass or two?
• Ask where the job ends. A professional can describe exactly what they will and will not do.
• Check genre experience. Someone used to technical manuals may be uncomfortable with invented languages. Ask about past work in the same genre.
• Get the terms in writing. Rates vary widely and are not covered here. A written quote should state what is included and the deadline.

Warning signs

Slow down, or walk away, when a proofreader:

• Promises a “100 percent error-free” book. No human reader catches everything, and a professional will say so.
• Wants to rewrite the prose. That is not proofreading. Either a different service is being sold or the job is misunderstood.
• Offers no sample, references, or past work. Everyone starts somewhere, but some evidence matters.
• Relies only on software. Spelling and grammar tools miss real words used wrongly. Illustration: “she walked form the dock” passes a spellchecker because “form” is a real word.
• Cannot define the scope. If it is unclear whether layout gets checked, it is unclear what the fee buys.

The case for a final pass

This is an opinion, not a statistic. By the time a book reaches proofs, months or years of work have gone into it. A reader who hits several typos in the opening chapter may decide the whole book is careless and say so in a review. A proofread is the last chance to prevent that.

Authors are poorly placed to be their own only proofreader. A writer knows what they meant to type, so the brain tends to read the intended word instead of the one on the page. Reading the proofs is still worth doing, but a fresh reader sees what the author cannot.

The next stage worth understanding is verification of facts. See Fact-Checking a Book: How Claims Get Verified Before Publication. For how proofreading relates to every other editing role, return to Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

Frequently asked questions

How is proofreading different from copy editing?

Copy editing happens on the manuscript and addresses grammar, consistency, word choice, and style. Proofreading happens later, usually on formatted pages, and catches leftover errors along with layout problems. For more on the earlier stage, see Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.

Is it safe to proofread a book without help?

Reading your own proofs is a good idea, but being the only proofreader is risky. Familiarity makes the eye skip mistakes. Reading aloud or switching fonts can help, though a second reader still catches things the author misses.

Should the proofread happen before or after formatting?

After is better, since formatting can introduce new errors. If the budget only allows a pass before layout, check the formatted files personally afterward and order a print proof.

Do traditional publishers handle proofreading?

Usually. The production team arranges it, and authors typically receive proofs to review too. The contract and the editor’s instructions will say what the author is expected to check.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

A reader who loves a story will still notice when a detective’s partner is “Kat” in one chapter and “Cat” in the next, or when a winter storm somehow lands in July. Errors like these break the reader’s trust, and they often show up in reviews. Catching them before publication is the copy editor’s job.

This guide explains what copyediting checks, how style guides and style sheets work, how to read a copy editor’s queries, how the stage differs from line editing and proofreading, and how to prepare for and hire a copy editor. For the complete set of editing roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

What copyediting checks

A copy editor reads line by line, like a line editor, but with a different aim. The question is not whether a sentence could be more elegant. The question is whether it is correct and whether it agrees with the rest of the book.

The work usually covers these areas.

Grammar and syntax. Subject-verb agreement, consistent tense, dangling modifiers, and pronoun errors.

Spelling and usage. Including commonly confused pairs such as affect and effect, lay and lie, or discreet and discrete.

Punctuation. Commas, dialogue punctuation, hyphens, ellipses, and dashes, applied the same way throughout.

Internal consistency. Names of characters and places, invented terms, ages, eye colors, timelines, and who is present in each scene.

Continuity. A character who breaks a leg in chapter 5 should still be limping in chapter 9.

Light fact queries. A copy editor may flag a date or detail that looks wrong. Full verification belongs to a fact-checker. See Fact-Checking a Book: How Claims Get Verified Before Publication.

The style guide and the dictionary

Copy editors apply a published reference so that decisions follow a consistent rule instead of personal preference. In US trade publishing, that is commonly The Chicago Manual of Style together with a standard dictionary such as Merriam-Webster.

The style guide governs questions such as when to spell out numbers, how to capitalize titles and ranks, and how to handle abbreviations. The dictionary settles spelling and hyphenation for ordinary words. Authors can request exceptions, such as dropping the serial comma, and the copy editor records those choices.

The style sheet as a series tool

One of the most useful things a copy edit produces is the style sheet. It records every decision made for the book, including:

• Exact spellings of character and place names.
• Invented words, titles, ranks, and technology.
• Hyphenation and capitalization choices, such as “airlock” or “air lock,” and “the Admiral” or “the admiral.”
• Number style, meaning words or numerals.
• Deliberate nonstandard usage, such as dialect or a character’s speech habits.

For a series, the style sheet is essential. Passing it to the next copy editor, the proofreader, and the cover designer keeps book four consistent with book one.

Reading a copy editor’s queries

A copy edit normally comes back as:

• The manuscript with tracked changes, usually in Microsoft Word, so each change can be accepted or rejected.
• Margin queries for anything the editor could not resolve alone.
• The style sheet.

The queries often hold the most important catches. Read every one, and avoid clicking “accept all changes” without review. The author still has the final word.

Illustration (invented example): “Ch. 3 gives the farmhouse two bedrooms. Ch. 18 puts Theo in ‘the third bedroom.’ Please confirm the number and it will go on the style sheet.”

Illustration (invented example): “Lena is described as left-handed in ch. 2 but signs the contract with her right hand in ch. 12. Intentional?”

A good copy editor also recognizes deliberate rule-breaking. A fragment used for rhythm or a character who never uses contractions should prompt a query, not a silent correction.

How copyediting compares with nearby stages

Copyediting versus line editing. Line editing asks whether a sentence is the best way to say something, and it deals with voice, style, and flow. Copyediting asks whether the text is correct and consistent. A copy editor may smooth an awkward sentence, but heavy rewriting is line editing. See Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story.

Copyediting versus developmental editing. Plot holes, pacing, and character arcs belong to a developmental edit, which comes much earlier. See Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book.

Copyediting versus proofreading. This is the most common mix-up. The copy editor works on the manuscript file before layout and makes corrections and consistency decisions. The proofreader works last, on formatted pages, catching remaining typos plus layout problems such as bad line breaks and missing text. A proofreader is not a cheaper copy editor, and a raw draft sent to a proofreader gets neither job done well. See The Proofreading Stage: A Practical Guide for Book Authors.

Timing the copy edit

Book the copy edit after structural revisions and any line editing are finished. The manuscript sent to the copy editor should be the text intended for publication, minus the errors. Significant changes after the copy edit introduce new errors that nobody has checked.

For most self-published books, a copy edit is the paid service to prioritize when the budget covers only one, since it fixes the errors readers notice most.

Pricing varies widely with genre, length, and the condition of the manuscript. Professional associations for freelance editors publish rate surveys, which are a sensible reference before requesting quotes.

Before sending the manuscript

• Finish revising. Moving scenes after the copy edit undoes part of its value.
• Run spell-check and search for known personal typos. Software can catch those for free.
• Supply a character list, a list of invented terms, and any style preferences, such as serial comma use or number handling.
• Include the previous book’s style sheet when the book belongs to a series.
• Note deliberate rule-breaking, such as dialect, fragments, or speech quirks.
• Use the file format and formatting the editor requests, usually a Word document with consistent styles.

Hiring a copy editor

What to look for

• A sample edit on a few pages of the actual manuscript. Check what they catch, what they query, and whether the voice survives.
• A named style guide and a style sheet. An editor who cannot name a reference or has never built a style sheet is a poor fit.
• Genre familiarity. A copy editor experienced with science fiction and fantasy will not mark invented words as typos. One experienced with thrillers will watch the timeline closely.
• Clear process. Ask how many passes they make and whether a check of the author’s revisions is included.
• A written agreement covering scope, price, payment terms, deadline, and what happens if the manuscript needs more work than expected.

Warning signs

• No style guide and no style sheet.
• A sample that flattens the voice or “corrects” deliberate quirks without asking.
• A promise of a “100 percent error-free” book. Nobody can guarantee that, which is why proofreading exists.
• No sample, no references, and no checkable work.
• Developmental, line, and copy editing offered in one pass for one price.
• A clean file returned with no tracked changes, which hides what was altered.

Copyediting FAQ

What is included in a copy edit? A copy editor corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage, applies a style guide, and checks consistency and continuity across the manuscript. The usual deliverables are tracked changes, queries, and a style sheet.

How is a copy editor different from a proofreader? The copy editor works on the manuscript file before layout and makes corrections and consistency decisions. The proofreader works on the formatted pages at the end, catching leftover typos and layout errors.

Are copyediting and line editing the same thing? No. Line editing improves how the prose reads. Copyediting confirms that it is correct and consistent. The line edit usually happens first.

Is a copy editor necessary for a self-published book? For most self-published books, yes. A copy edit fixes the errors readers notice most, and it is usually the service to choose when the budget allows only one.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

Picture a manuscript where the plot is sound and the characters are clear, yet every page feels a little heavier than it should. A reader can follow it, but the reading takes effort. Sentences wander, favorite words repeat, and dialogue tags pile up. The story is fine. The prose needs work.

That is the job of a line editor. This guide covers what line editing changes, what it leaves alone, how it differs from copyediting, when it is worth paying for, and how to pick an editor whose taste fits the book. For where line editing sits among the other roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

What line editing is

A line editor works through a manuscript one sentence and one paragraph at a time, improving clarity, rhythm, word choice, voice, and flow. The goal is prose that reads more easily while still sounding like the author.

Line editing comes after the structure is settled and before the copy edit. It is slow, detailed work, and it involves more judgment calls than any other editing stage.

Line edits in practice

The clearest way to understand line editing is to see it. Each example below is invented to show the kind of change a line editor might suggest.

Illustration (invented example), cutting padding: Before: “He quickly turned around and looked back toward the parking lot, and he noticed that the van was gone.” After: “He turned. The van was gone.”

Illustration (invented example), removing a filter word: Before: “She felt the cold seep through her coat.” After: “The cold seeped through her coat.” The second version puts the reader inside the sensation instead of reporting that the character noticed it.

Illustration (invented example), fixing a tone slip: In a novel set in 1840s Boston, a character says, “Let’s circle back on that.” A line editor flags the phrase as too modern for the narrator’s voice and suggests a period-appropriate alternative.

Illustration (invented example), trimming tags: Before: “‘Get down,’ he shouted loudly. ‘Now,’ he added urgently.” After: “‘Get down! Now!’” The action and punctuation carry the urgency, so the tags and adverbs can go.

What a line editor watches for

Common targets of a line edit include:

• Wordy sentences and redundant phrases.
• Repeated words, phrases, and sentence openings.
• Runs of sentences with the same length and structure, which make paragraphs feel flat.
• Rough transitions between paragraphs and between scenes.
• Dialogue tags and adverbs propping up weak verbs.
• Filter words such as “she saw” or “he felt” that put distance between reader and character.
• Shifts in tone, such as a modern idiom in a historical voice, or a joke that deflates a frightening moment.
• Unclear sentences, ambiguous pronouns, and description that stalls the action.
• Dialect written so heavily that it becomes hard to read.

Any of these can drag down a book whose story is otherwise sound.

What stays outside the job

A line editor typically does not restructure the book. If the middle sags or the plot has a hole, the editor may mention it, but fixing it is developmental work. See Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book.

A line edit is also not the final error check. Line editors catch plenty of mistakes along the way, but systematic grammar, punctuation, and consistency work belongs to the copy editor. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.

Finally, a line editor should not replace the author’s voice with their own. When every sentence comes back rewritten in someone else’s style, the edit has gone wrong.

Line editing and copyediting compared

The two stages get confused often, and some editors sell them as a bundle.

Line editing asks whether this is the best way to say something. It deals with style, voice, clarity, and flow, and it depends on judgment.

Copyediting asks whether the text is correct and consistent. It deals with grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, and adherence to a style guide.

A line editor might rebuild a clumsy sentence. A copy editor makes sure that sentence has the right comma, and that a character’s name is spelled the same way on page 12 and page 312.

Combined “line and copy edit” packages can work well on a clean manuscript. Ask how many passes the editor makes, because doing both jobs well in a single read is difficult.

Is a line edit worth booking?

Wait until the structure is final. Line-editing a chapter that later gets cut or rewritten spends money on text that will not survive.

A line edit is often worth considering when:

• Readers enjoy the story but describe the writing as clunky or slow.
• The author drafts fast, and first drafts are rough at the sentence level.
• The book depends on a precise voice, such as a first-person noir narrator or an ornate fantasy storyteller.
• The author writes in a second language and wants the prose to read naturally.

A line edit may be unnecessary when the prose is already clean and reader complaints are about plot (a developmental issue) or typos (a copyediting and proofreading issue).

Rates vary widely. Professional associations for freelance editors publish rate surveys, which are a useful reference before requesting quotes.

Reading a line edit without losing the voice

A line edit usually comes back as the manuscript file with:

• Tracked changes for each suggested edit, which can be accepted or rejected one at a time.
• Margin comments that explain larger changes, ask questions, or point out patterns.
• With many editors, a short summary of recurring habits, such as overused words or a tendency to open paragraphs with dialogue tags.

The summary can be the most valuable part, because a writer who knows their habits can catch them in the next book.

Every change is a suggestion, and the author has the final say. Accept what improves the book and reject what does not fit. If the rejections pile up, it is worth asking whether the editor misread the voice or whether some sentences really do need help.

Preparing pages for a line editor

• Finish structural revisions first. The line editor should see the version intended for publication, minus the sentence-level polish.
• Do a personal cleanup pass. Search for known pet words and fix the easy cases.
• Listen to the text, either read aloud or through text-to-speech. Clunky rhythm is easier to hear than to see.
• Send a brief note on the intended voice, such as “dry and wry,” “lean and fast,” or “lush gothic,” so the editor works toward that goal.
• List deliberate quirks, including dialect, fragments, invented words, and any rules broken on purpose.
• Format the file the way the editor requests.

Choosing a line editor

Because line editing is the most taste-driven stage, fit matters more here than anywhere else in the process.

What to look for

• A sample on the actual manuscript. Generic samples show little. Some editors charge for samples, and the cost is usually worth it.
• Voice preserved. The edited pages should sound like the author, only sharper.
• Genre experience. Thriller pacing and literary pacing differ. An editor who loves long, layered sentences may smother a fast action novel.
• Explanations. Good line editors say why they made the bigger changes.
• A written agreement covering scope, number of passes, deadline, price, payment terms, and cancellation.

Warning signs

• The sample comes back in a style that belongs to the editor.
• Promises of “bestseller quality,” guaranteed sales, or an agent.
• No sample, no references, and no published work to check.
• Inability to explain how line editing differs from copyediting.
• Developmental, line, and copy editing offered in one pass for one price.
• No contract, or a scope that shifts after payment.

Line editing FAQ

What changes during a line edit? A line editor works at the sentence and paragraph level on clarity, rhythm, word choice, voice, and flow. The usual return is tracked changes, margin comments, and notes on recurring habits.

How does line editing differ from copyediting? Line editing shapes how the prose reads. Copyediting checks correctness and consistency, including grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style-guide rules. The line edit normally comes first.

If a copy editor is already booked, is a line edit still needed? Not always. Strong prose may only need a copy edit. When readers call the writing clunky, the line edit is the stage that addresses it.

Can a line edit damage an author’s voice? A good one should not. Its purpose is to make the voice clearer and stronger. A sample edit on the author’s own pages is the best test before committing.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

Some manuscripts have clean sentences and still do not work. Readers enjoy the first fifty pages, then put the book down and never pick it up again. The climax arrives and feels unearned. The subplot everyone liked disappears without explanation. None of these problems lives in the sentences, and no amount of polishing will fix them.

Developmental editing addresses that level of the book. This guide explains what a developmental editor examines, how to tell whether a manuscript needs one, what the deliverable looks like, and how to choose and work with an editor. For the full sequence of editing roles, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.

The questions a structural edit asks

Developmental editing goes by several names, including structural editing and substantive editing. Whatever the label, the editor reads the whole manuscript and asks whether the story holds together as a piece of design.

The questions usually fall into a few groups.

Shape and structure. Does the book open in the right place? Do the major turning points arrive when they should? Does the middle build, or does it only fill time before the ending?

Cause and effect. Does each event follow from the one before it? Are there plot holes, coincidences carrying too much weight, or setups that never pay off? Planted clues, decoy suspects, and countdown deadlines all live here, because they depend on where information appears in the story.

Character. Does the protagonist want something, act to get it, and change (or refuse to change) in a way that matters? Does each secondary character have a job in the story?

Pacing and tension. Where does momentum drop? Which scenes repeat what the reader already knows? Is it clear what the protagonist stands to lose, and does the risk grow?

Point of view. Is the story told through the right character, at the right distance? Do unplanned shifts between characters’ heads pull the reader out?

Genre fit. Does the book give readers of its genre what they came for?

Signs a manuscript needs a developmental edit

The best time to book a developmental edit is after at least one full self-revision and before any money goes to line editing or copyediting. Paying to perfect chapters that later get cut is one of the most common ways editing budgets disappear.

A developmental edit is often worth considering when:

• The book is a first novel, or a first attempt at a new genre.
• Beta readers agree something is wrong but disagree about what.
• Several rounds of revision have not made the book better.
• The book opens a planned series and the foundation needs to be solid before the next installment.

It is usually not the right purchase when readers are happy with the story and their complaints are about clunky sentences or typos. Those point to a line edit or a copy edit instead. See Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story and Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.

Inside the editorial letter

A developmental edit usually comes back in two parts.

The first is the editorial letter. It summarizes what the manuscript does well, names the largest problems, and suggests approaches, typically ranked by priority. Its length depends on the editor and the book, and it can run from several pages to many more.

The second part is the annotated manuscript. Margin comments point to the scenes and passages where each problem shows up, so the author can see the issue in context.

Some editors add extras, such as a follow-up call to discuss the notes, a chapter-by-chapter outline of what they observed, or a review of the author’s revision plan. These vary, so confirm what is included before signing.

Illustration (invented example): A letter for a space-station mystery might read, “The murder that drives the plot happens in chapter 6, but the first five chapters are spent on station politics that never connect to the crime. Consider opening closer to the body and threading the political tension into the investigation.” The note names the problem, explains why it matters, and offers a direction. The writing itself stays with the author.

Full edit or manuscript assessment?

A full developmental edit includes both the letter and detailed margin notes. A manuscript assessment, sometimes called a critique or evaluation, delivers a big-picture report without the line-by-line annotations. An assessment generally costs less than a full developmental edit.

An assessment can be a sensible middle step when the budget is tight, or when the author wants a diagnosis before committing to a larger revision. Prices for both services vary widely. Professional associations for freelance editors publish rate surveys, which are a reasonable reference before requesting quotes.

Where the job stops

Disappointment with a developmental edit often comes from expecting a different service. A developmental editor typically does not:

• Correct grammar or typos. An editor may point out a pattern, such as heavy use of fragments in action scenes, but systematic correction belongs to copyediting.
• Polish the prose. Sentence-level improvement is line editing.
• Rewrite the book. The editor diagnoses and suggests. The author rewrites. An offer to rewrite chapters describes ghostwriting or co-writing, which should be priced and credited as such.
• Guarantee results. No editor can promise an agent, a publishing deal, or sales.

Getting a manuscript ready

Preparation affects how much value the edit delivers.

• Send a complete draft. Some editors accept partial manuscripts, but a finished story lets them judge the whole shape.
• Fix the known problems first. Paying someone to report problems the author already knows about is wasted money.
• Follow the editor’s file requirements. That usually means a Word document in a readable font, double-spaced, with clear chapter breaks.
• Include a one- or two-page synopsis of the intended story. The gap between intention and execution is often where the most useful notes come from.
• List specific questions. “Does the rival-chef subplot earn its page count?” gets a better answer than “Is it good?”
• State the genre, target audience, and a few comparable titles, since a cozy mystery and a grim military fantasy follow different conventions.
• Block out time for the rewrite. The notes only matter if they lead to revision.

Vetting a developmental editor

What to look for

• Experience in the genre. An editor who mainly works on memoir may not suit a space opera.
• A sample critique. Many developmental editors offer a sample on a chapter, or a short call. Some charge for it. Judge how clearly they explain problems. Vague praise and vague criticism are equally useless.
• References or testimonials from authors whose work can be checked.
• A written agreement covering scope, deliverables, deadline, price, payment schedule, and cancellation terms.
• Respect for the author’s intent. The goal is the book the author is trying to write, not the one the editor would have written.

Warning signs

• Promises of an agent, a deal, or bestseller status.
• No contract, or a scope that stays vague after questions.
• Plans to rewrite large sections when that is not the agreed service.
• Feedback that is all praise or all teardown, with no specifics.
• No sample and no verifiable past clients.
• Pressure tactics, such as a price that supposedly rises tomorrow.
• A single low price for developmental, line, and copy editing in one pass. Those are separate jobs.

After the notes arrive

Read the whole letter before reacting to any single point. Then test each major note against three questions. Is the note clear? Once it is pointed out, is the problem visible? Does a way to fix it come to mind? A note that passes all three is worth acting on. When an editor’s sample notes pass that test, the editor is likely a good fit.

Work from the editor’s priority order, biggest structural issues first, since fixing those often resolves smaller ones. Hold off on line editing and copyediting until the rewrite is done.

Developmental editing FAQ

What does developmental editing cover? It covers the big-picture elements of a manuscript, including structure, plot, character, pacing, and point of view. The editor delivers an editorial letter and margin comments that explain what works, what does not, and possible fixes.

How is a manuscript assessment different from a developmental edit? An assessment is usually a big-picture report on its own. A developmental edit adds detailed notes inside the manuscript. The assessment is often the less expensive of the two.

At what point should a developmental editor be hired? After the draft is finished and self-revised, and before line editing or copyediting. Settling the structure first avoids paying to polish scenes that will be cut.

Will a developmental editor correct grammar? No. Grammar, spelling, and consistency belong to the copy editor, who works later in the process.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.

A finished draft is the start of a second project. Before a book reaches readers, it usually passes through several rounds of editing, and each round is handled by a different kind of specialist. The problem for many writers is the vocabulary. “Editing” covers at least four separate jobs, and several more roles sit around them.

Hiring the wrong specialist at the wrong time is expensive. A polished chapter that later gets cut is money spent on words nobody will read. This guide sorts the book editing stages into a working order, explains what each role checks, and shows how to build an editing plan that fits a real manuscript.

One question per editor

The fastest way to tell editors apart is to ask what question each one is paid to answer.

Role	The question it answers
Developmental editor	Does the story work as a whole?
Line editor	Does each sentence read well?
Copy editor	Is the text correct and consistent?
Proofreader	Did anything slip through or break on the final pages?
Fact-checker	Are the claims true?
Authenticity reader	Is this portrayal accurate and fair?
Acquisitions editor	Should the publisher buy this book?
Managing or production editor	Is the book on schedule and in the right hands?

Freelancers label their services in different ways, so the question a service answers says more than its name.

The four core stages, from widest to narrowest

The core stages move from the whole book down to the printed page, and each pass assumes the previous one is finished.

Stage 1: developmental editing

Developmental editing, also called structural or substantive editing, looks at the architecture of the book. The editor reads for structure, plot logic, character arcs, pacing, point of view, stakes, and whether the ending pays off what the opening promised.

The usual deliverable is an editorial letter that ranks the biggest issues and suggests ways to address them, plus comments in the manuscript margins. A developmental editor diagnoses problems and points toward fixes. The author does the rewriting. Grammar and comma placement are outside the job.

Full guide: Developmental Editing: How a Structural Edit Fixes the Shape of a Book

Stage 2: line editing

Once the structure is settled, a line editor works on the prose itself, sentence by sentence and paragraph by paragraph. The focus is clarity, rhythm, word choice, voice, tone, and the flow from one line to the next. Typical line-level fixes include trimming wordy sentences, flagging repeated words, cutting excess dialogue tags, and merging paragraphs that make the same point twice.

Line editing depends heavily on taste, so the match between author and editor matters more here than at any other stage. A good line edit makes the writing sound more like its author.

Full guide: Line Editing: Sentence-Level Polish for a Finished Story

Stage 3: copyediting

A copy editor checks the manuscript for errors and inconsistencies against a style guide. In US trade publishing, that is commonly The Chicago Manual of Style together with a standard dictionary such as Merriam-Webster. The copy editor corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage, enforces consistent capitalization and number style, and catches continuity slips.

A copy editor also builds a style sheet. This document records character names, invented terms, and every style decision so the book (and any later books in a series) stays consistent. When a copy editor spots a larger problem, the normal practice is to query the author rather than rewrite.

Illustration (invented example): In a thriller manuscript, the heroine’s flight leaves at 6 a.m. in chapter 2 and at 9 p.m. in chapter 11. A copy editor flags the conflict and asks which time is correct.

Full guide: Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet

Stage 4: proofreading

Proofreading happens last, on the laid-out pages (the proofs) rather than the manuscript file. A proofreader catches typos that survived earlier passes, plus problems that only appear after formatting. Those include awkward line breaks, widows and orphans, wrong running heads, skipped page numbers, and text that dropped out during layout.

A proofread is not a cheaper copy edit. Sending an unedited draft to a proofreader asks for a different and much larger job.

Full guide: The Proofreading Stage: A Practical Guide for Book Authors

Specialists the book may or may not need

Two roles sit outside the core sequence. Whether a project needs them depends on its content.

Fact-checkers

A fact-checker verifies claims. That covers names, dates, quotations, statistics, place details, and sources. The role matters most for nonfiction, memoir, and journalism, where an error can damage credibility or create legal exposure. Fiction writers sometimes hire one for historical settings or technical detail. In fiction, though, that checking often falls to the author, a subject-matter expert, or an attentive copy editor.

Full guide: Fact-Checking a Book: How Claims Get Verified Before Publication

Authenticity readers

An authenticity reader, also called a sensitivity reader, reads with a specific lived experience or area of expertise in mind. The reader flags portrayals that are inaccurate, stereotyped, or likely to land differently than the author intends. Writers often hire one when a character’s background, culture, identity, disability, or experience differs from their own.

The reader provides notes. The author decides what to change. An authenticity reader is a specialist reader, not a censor and not a general editor.

Full guide: Authenticity Readers: How a Sensitivity Read Works and When to Book One

Roles inside a traditional publishing house

Some editor titles describe jobs that exist mainly inside publishing companies.

An acquisitions editor decides, or makes the case internally, which books the publisher buys. The work includes reading submissions (often through literary agents), pitching books to colleagues, and negotiating deals. At many traditional publishers, the acquiring editor also handles the big-picture editing on the books they bring in. Authors do not hire acquisitions editors. A self-publishing author makes the “should this be published?” decision personally.

Full guide: Inside the Acquisitions Editor's Role: How Publishers Decide Which Books to Buy

A managing editor or production editor runs the schedule. This person moves the manuscript between the copy editor, the author, the typesetter, and the proofreader, and confirms that corrections actually get entered. In self-publishing, the author fills this role. A simple calendar and a strict file-naming system help prevent sending the proofreader an outdated version.

Where beta readers fit

Beta readers and critique partners are readers, not editors. Their value is honest reaction: where they got bored, where they got confused, where they could not stop reading, and whether the ending satisfied them.

That reaction is useful before or after a developmental edit, but it does not replace one. When several beta readers say the middle drags, the author learns that a problem exists. A developmental editor explains the cause and lays out options. Treating a paid editor as a beta reader wastes most of what the edit offers.

A sample editing sequence for one novel

The order below is common for fiction. Individual projects may skip, merge, or reorder some steps.

1. The author finishes the draft and completes at least one full self-revision. Paying someone to find problems the author could find alone is poor value. For what to fix first, see how to self-edit before hiring an editor.
2. Beta readers or critique partners read the draft. This step is optional and can also follow the developmental edit.
3. A developmental edit, followed by a real rewrite.
4. An authenticity read, if the book calls for one. It tends to work best after the structure is settled and before line-level polish, so the resulting changes do not undo paid work.
5. A line edit, followed by revision.
6. A copy edit. For nonfiction, fact-checking runs alongside it or just before it.
7. Layout and formatting, meaning typesetting for print and conversion for ebooks.
8. A proofread of the formatted pages.

In traditional publishing, the acquisitions editor enters before step 3, and a managing or production editor oversees steps 6 through 8.

Many freelancers sell a combined “line and copy edit.” That can work for a clean manuscript. Ask how many passes the editor makes and exactly what each covers, because the two jobs call for different kinds of attention.

Illustration (invented example): A writer finishes a fantasy novel and self-revises twice. Three beta readers report confusion about the magic system. A developmental editor traces the confusion to rules that are first explained in chapter 14 but used in chapter 3, and suggests moving a demonstration earlier. After that rewrite, the author skips a separate line edit because the prose already reads cleanly, then books a copy edit and a proofread.

Building an editing plan for a self-published book

A self-published book rarely needs every role, and it rarely needs them all at once. The following tiers are a reasonable starting point.

• Nearly every book benefits from a copy edit and a proofread. These stages catch the errors readers notice and mention in reviews. When the budget covers only one paid service, a copy edit usually produces the most visible improvement.
• Many books benefit from a developmental edit. Strong candidates include a first novel, a first book in a new genre, and a story the author knows is not working but cannot diagnose. A manuscript assessment, which is a big-picture report without margin notes, can be a lower-cost middle option.
• Some books benefit from a line edit. This applies when the story is solid but the prose is not yet where the author wants it.
• A fact-checker or authenticity reader is worth adding when the content calls for one.
• An acquisitions editor plays no part in self-publishing, and the author handles the managing editor’s work.

Prices vary widely by genre, length, manuscript condition, and editor experience. Professional associations for freelance editors publish rate surveys, and a current survey is a sensible reference before requesting quotes.

One more habit helps at every stage. Ask for a short sample edit on pages from the actual manuscript. The sample shows what the editor does in practice, whatever the service is called.

Quick reference: stages at a glance

Role	Typical timing	Main focus	Usual deliverable
Developmental editor	After self-revision	Plot, structure, character, pacing, point of view	Editorial letter and margin comments
Authenticity reader	After structure, before polish	Accuracy and fairness of specific portrayals	Report and comments
Line editor	After structure is settled	Sentences, voice, flow, word choice	Tracked changes and comments
Fact-checker	Before or during copyediting	Names, dates, claims, sources	Annotated manuscript or source report
Copy editor	After line-level revision	Grammar, consistency, style, continuity	Tracked changes, queries, style sheet
Proofreader	After layout	Typos and formatting errors on final pages	Marked-up proofs or a corrections list
Acquisitions editor	At submission (traditional only)	Whether to acquire the book	An offer or a pass
Managing or production editor	Throughout production	Schedule and handoffs	Deadlines and workflow

Frequently asked questions

Which editing stages does a book go through? The core stages are developmental editing (story and structure), line editing (sentences and voice), copyediting (correctness and consistency), and proofreading (the final formatted pages). Fact-checkers, authenticity readers, acquisitions editors, and managing or production editors join depending on the book and the publishing path.

How do developmental, line, and copy editing differ? Developmental editing judges whether the whole story works. Line editing improves the prose one sentence at a time. Copyediting corrects errors and enforces consistency. They normally run in that order, since each pass assumes the larger problems are already solved.

Does a self-published book need every type of editor? No. A copy edit and a proofread are a sensible minimum for most books. A developmental or line edit can be added based on where the manuscript is weakest.

Can a single editor handle all the stages? Some editors offer several services. Doing developmental, line, and copy editing in a single pass rarely works well, because each stage needs a different kind of attention. If one person covers several stages, schedule them as separate passes.

Publication Engineering offers every level of editing plus print and eBook interior design. Request a quote or see our design and editing services.