A question that I get a lot, and a good one! Editing is a big investment in both time and money, so obviously you don’t want to hand your work over to your editor before it’s ready to go.
The truth is, though, that a manuscript can benefit from editing at any stage. The real question is: What do I want to get out of this edit? Another good question is: where am I stuck, and why?
The early stages: developmental editing
At the earlier stages, an editor can help pull out the threads and themes of your work. We can help you structure everything so that it makes sense, and can point out the pieces of your argument or narrative that aren’t coming together. This is what developmental editing does, and is REALLY helpful when you’ve hit a wall, or when you’ve been staring at the document for so long it’s not making sense to you anymore.
When you book a developmental edit you should be at a point where you feel you need professional outside help. This isn’t a job for beta readers, or your writer’s group: both are helpful, but beta readers are for when the book is almost done and you need feedback from a real reader. Your writer’s group is great for ongoing feedback (we hope), but doesn’t have the time to dedicate to a deep read and then a write-up with recommendations. You should be booking that developmental edit in when you feel like you’re at the edge of a working draft and that you’re ready to proceed onto the next stage in the process.
If you aren’t at that stage yet, that’s ok! There’s help for you out there, but I wouldn’t recommend a developmental edit just yet. This is a great job for a writing coach or book coach, someone who can talk through your working pages with you and help you as you process and write down your ideas. I offer 30-minute meetings that are designed for exactly this purpose.
The later stages: copy editing
So when do I book a copy editor, then? If the developmental edit is for structure, when do I book a copy edit?
Copy edits are very practical beasties. When you book in your copy edit you want to be sure that your structure is nailed down and that you’re ready to start thinking about language. Copy edits focus on the text (the “copy”) of the manuscript, and some folks use them as beefed-up proofreads, where the editor fixes any typos, formatting, or citations while also keeping an eye out for issues with the flow of the prose. I have had other folks use copy edits as a developmental edit-lite, where I focus on the prose, but I make a lot of comments on structure as well.
In either case, when you book in a copy edit you want to make sure that you won’t be doing too much work on the draft after you get the edit back. If you’re planning on going in and doing heavy editing yourself afterwards then there’s no point in having someone look for typos. Copy edits are best for when you’re 1-2 steps away from sending your manuscript or paper off to a journal, agent, publisher, or committee. It can make sense to book in a copy edit and then a subsequent proofread, if you want to focus on your language and then check for errors! I offer discounts for this kind of thing, if I’ve already read the manuscript once.
All that said, every manuscript is unique, and every author’s process is unique. Some manuscripts undergo multiple edits, and that’s totally normal (and encouraged). If you’re not sure what (or if an) edit is right for you, then I encourage you to message me! Together we’ll figure out what makes the most sense for you.