Many authors think that getting their book edited means getting a copy edit. And if they've even heard of a line edit, they often think that there's no difference between line editing and copy editing. WRONG There is a difference between line editing and copy editing. Many authors think that a copy edit is all their book needs. WRONG. Both kinds of editing are important if you want your book to compete with genuinely professional authors. And you need a developmental edit as well. Developmental editing Before the copy and line editing can begin, you'll need to have your book looked at for conceptual and structural issues. This is called the developmental edit, and it can be done in a manuscript appraisal. This will tell the author what they need to do to solve structural issues like plot, pacing, world building, characterisation, dialogue and so on. It's the big-picture editing. Quality beta readers can give you this level of feedback, but they need to be … [Read more...]