Manuscript Editing in 2024: Elevating Your Writing for Success

• Aug 28, 2024
• 4 min read

• Tags: Editing, Editing Services, Language

Do you dream of making your book a bestseller? Manuscript editing is the first step to achieving this dream. In this article, we’ve explained all the costs and steps associated with manuscript editing. 

From manuscript editing tips to how long editing a manuscript takes, we’ve covered everything! We’ve also answered the common question: How to select the perfect manuscript editing service for your book?  

So let’s start by quickly understanding what editing manuscripts means!

What is manuscript editing?

Manuscript editing is a detailed process to enhance the text’s structure, readability, and formatting. It includes rectifying any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. 

Manuscript editors work with writers to enhance pacing, character development, plot, conflict, and dialogues. For academic writing, manuscript editors ensure the text follows the required style guide (APA, MLA, Chicago, or others).

There are usually 2-5 rounds of editing to ensure the manuscript is ready for publication. However, the actual number can vary, depending on the manuscript’s length and complexity. 

Now let us understand the stages of manuscript editing! 

4 key stages of manuscript editing

1. Developmental editing

Developmental editing is the first step of the manuscript editing process. Developmental editors address issues related to clarity, coherence, and logical flow of ideas.

They also assist authors in removing plot inconsistencies, improving pacing, and developing well-rounded, believable characters. 

With this, they focus on improving the manuscript’s overall structure, content, and quality. They provide detailed feedback for revisions. This can include eliminating content, adding text, and reorganizing chapters. Let’s see a brief example of this! 

Before developmental editing: John killed a man. The police soon realized that John was the murderer and tried to catch him. However, he disappeared. 

After developmental editing: John killed a man. The police investigated the man’s death and realized that John was the murderer. They issued a warrant for his arrest. However, John escaped to France. 

2. Line editing

Line editors pay close attention to the word choice and overall readability of every line. They may suggest rephrasing awkward sentences and replacing repetitive words. 

With this, line editors also remove any vague words and redundancies, enhancing sentence structures. They also suggest improvements to enhance the writing’s clarity and flow. The goal of line editing is to make the text impactful and enjoyable for the reader. Let’s see a quick example: 

Before line editing: The girl was very scared and did not know anything about the truth. 

After line editing: The girl was terrified and unaware of the truth. 

3. Copy editing

Copyeditors focus on correcting any spelling, grammar, terminology, syntax, and punctuation errors.  They also check for consistency in formatting, such as the use of italics, boldface, and capitalization. 

Furthermore, they also review the text for unclear passages or potential factual inaccuracies. They provide in-depth feedback, ensuring a polished, error-free manuscript that meets professional standards. Let’s see a simple example! 

Before copy editing: He realizes what has happened. 

After copy editing: He realized what had happened.

4. Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process. Proofreaders meticulously review the manuscript to catch any remaining errors or inconsistencies. Here is a quick example: 

Before proofreading: He traveled to Venice, France, Japan, and China.

After proofreading: He traveled to Venice, France, Japan, and China. 

They look for typographical errors, misspellings, punctuation mistakes, and formatting issues. With this, they may also check for consistency in design elements, such as page numbers, headers, and footers. 

Now let us see what authors should look for while selecting professional manuscript editing services. (If you already know this, you can skip this and explore the next section where we’ve mentioned manuscript editing pricing.)

Importance of manuscript editing 

1. Enhanced clarity

Manuscript editors improve your text’s word choice, and sentence structures, making your writing more engaging. This reduces the chances of readers abandoning the text due to confusion or boredom.

2. Improves reader experience

A well-edited manuscript without complex, wordy, and technical phrases enhances a reader’s experience. This increases the chances of positive reviews and recommendations.

3. Elimination of all errors 

Editors correct grammar errors, capitalization mistakes, factual errors, and inconsistencies in tone, formatting, and writing style. This improves the reader’s trust in the content and the author’s credibility. 

4. Maximizes chances for publication Many publishers and literary agents prioritize manuscripts that have been professionally edited, potentially increasing your chances of acceptance and success. It also demonstrates the author’s attention to detail and professionalism.

How can authors select the best manuscript editing services? 

Consider the following aspects while selecting the best services: 

1. Look for editors with degrees, certifications, and experience in your genre.

2. Make sure the service offers the types of editing you need (developmental, line, copy, or proofreading).

3. Check for positive reviews from previous clients on social media.

4. Ask for a sample edit of your first few pages to see if the editor’s style works for you.

5. Choose an editor who communicates clearly and promptly.

6. Compare prices and services from different editors to find the best value.

7. Ensure the editor can meet your deadline without sacrificing quality.

Now let’s understand manuscript editing rates for a 70,000-word book.

What is the cost of editing a manuscript?

The following table explains the manuscript editing fees for a 70,000-word manuscript: 

Note: The prices may vary, depending on the editor’s experience, turnaround time, country, volume of work, and manuscript complexity. 

How long does it take to edit a manuscript? 

The time taken for editing a 50,000-word manuscript can take 1-5 months. Developmental editing usually takes more time compared to line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. 

However, the time taken varies, depending on the manuscript length, type of editing, editors’ availability, and workflow. Additionally, the manuscript’s complexity can also affect the editing time required. It’s essential to discuss timelines with your editor and keep buffer time for unexpected delays or additional rounds of revisions.

Self-editing the manuscript is a crucial step before hiring manuscript editing services. The next section explores manuscript editing tips for the first draft. 

Manuscript editing tips for beginners 

Following are some tips for beginners: 

1. Analyze and rectify any inconsistencies in your story, such as unexplained changes in character appearance, timeline discrepancies, or contradictory plot points.

2. Focus on one aspect of your manuscript at a time, such as dialogue, pacing, or character development while editing a book manuscript. You can create a self-editing checklist and mark every aspect after you finish checking it. 

3. Alternate between short and long sentences, and use different sentence types (simple, compound, and complex sentences). 

4. Identify and remove unnecessary filler words and phrases, such as “just,” “really,” or “in order to,” to make your writing more concise and impactful. (To identify such filler words, analyze if the sentence’s meaning will change without those words. If the meaning doesn’t change, remove them!) 

5. Keep track of your manuscript’s specific style, formatting, and language choices in a style sheet to maintain consistency throughout the editing process. You can use Google Docs, MS Word, or Editpad to do so. This is also an important aspect of scientific manuscript editing. 

6. Proofread your manuscript multiple times to catch any lingering errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. You can use grammar checkers, spell checkers, and punctuation checkers to do so. 

This concludes our guide about editing a manuscript! Now you can compare the best manuscript editing services to select one. You can also request a sample edit to assess their credibility. If you require high-quality manuscript editing services, you can rely on PaperTrue’s expertise! 

We provide both, non-fiction and fiction manuscript editing services. Our dedicated team can eliminate all language errors and give in-depth feedback to polish your manuscript. 

Here are some useful resources for you: 

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Tanvi

With a foundation in Life Sciences, Tanvi enjoys curating technical writing tips tailored for ESL students. When she's not translating complex concepts into bite-sized nuggets, she can be found playing with dogs or painting landscapes.