My primary services are developmental editing, copyediting, and substantive editing. The difference among these tasks is scale.
DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING
Developmental editing occurs relatively early in a manuscript’s life. You may have a complete draft, but it hasn’t yet been copyedited. This level of editing focuses on a manuscript’s “big picture” issues. It covers structure, organization, argument (or thesis), and plot over the course of the entire manuscript and at the chapter level. In many respects, this is an advisory task, as the editor’s interventions in the text tend to be minimal. In written and oral counsel, the editor offers recommendations that the writer can use to revise their work.
This is an area where I have strong expertise, gained through on-the job experience and earning a certificate in developmental editing from the University of Washington.
COPYEDITING
In contrast to developmental editing, copyediting requires intensive intervention by the editor and focuses on the sentence and word levels. It is the most detail-oriented form of editing and covers spelling, grammar, style, syntax, punctuation, and citations (when relevant). Because my work has mostly been in the scholarly humanities, I know The Chicago Manual of Style well.
Copyediting occurs fairly late in a manuscript’s production—usually when it is well along in the publication process, immediately before design and layout. This is the type of editing with which I have the most experience, in a variety of contexts: as a freelancer and an in-house editor, with fiction and nonfiction, and on articles and book manuscripts. I’ve worked with individual authors and publishers, and I pride myself on doing excellent work, on time.
SUBSTANTIVE EDITING
Somewhere between developmental editing and copyediting is substantive editing. Here, we focus on the section and paragraphs levels, as well as the sentence level, often making sure the connective tissue between them helps the text flow smoothly and logically. We might also ask if paragraphs should be rearranged or omitted to enhance clarity. While this approach resembles developmental editing in its coverage of “big picture” issues, it shares with copyediting a more intensive intervention by the editor. I honed my skills in this area over my many years as an in-house editor, and I think it may be the style of editing I enjoy most.
The edges between these approaches can be fuzzy, and I often use more than one over the course of a project. But knowing the dominant approach helps me decide my fee, which I usually connect to the Editorial Freelancers Association’s rate estimator.
BOOK COACHING
A new service I offer, and my most comprehensive service one, is book coaching. Not sure how to get your idea off the ground? Want to turn your dissertation in a book? I’d love to help. I have years of experience leading writers through the process of publishing their book and article manuscripts.
Schushine Editorial Services 