What You Need to Know About the Types of Editing

Whether you’re breaking into freelance copywriting or finally finishing that novel you always said you’d write, you will need an editor. But many writers aren’t sure what to expect when hiring one, and you might not be aware that there are several types of editing you can request. Understanding the distinctions between these types will allow you to communicate better with your editor.

In this article, I’m going to use definitions from the Professional Editorial Standards (PES) published by Editors Canada. These standards outline four types of editing:

• structural (developmental) editing,
• stylistic editing,
• copy editing, and
• proofreading.

Other editor organizations might use slightly different terms or definitions, but they will always be similar.

Let’s look at each type of editing, what it involves, and when you might want to request it.

Structural editing: From sketch to masterpiece

Stuck between drafts? Not sure how to organize the big ideas in your piece? Structural editing is what you need.

Also called substantive or developmental editing, structural editing “is assessing and shaping material to improve its organization and content.”

Structural editors will read your early drafts and provide detailed feedback on the overall organization of your ideas and how you’re communicating them. Like an engineer working on a construction project, your structural editor wants the whole piece to be sound and make sense.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a long opinion piece about a politically charged topic. You have three arguments lined up to support your thesis. Your structural editor will help you find the strongest order of those arguments. They can also suggest transitions and other techniques that will make your opinion piece hit harder.

When I offer structural editing, I make sure my client is involved throughout the entire process. We’ll have lots of conversations about your goals with your project. My role as your editor is to help you realize your vision in the clearest form it can take.

This type of editing is the most time-intensive and, therefore, the most expensive. If you’re the one paying for the editor, keep this in mind. Nevertheless, this is a valuable step for longer works, like novels, memoirs, and academic texts.

Stylistic editing: Taking your voice from good to great

How many times have you come back to a piece of writing only to see a comment that you left to yourself reading, “Need to reword this”? No one produces a perfect first draft. Fortunately, there’s an editor for that.

Also called line editing in some circles, stylistic editing will “clarify meaning, ensure coherence and flow, and refine the language” of a piece.

At this stage, you have a completed draft and are somewhat satisfied with it. A stylistic editor will come in, read the piece in its entirety, and then make detailed line-by-line suggestions (hence, line editing).

When I perform stylistic editing, I’m looking at the tone of your work, your style of writing, and whether your work is unified and coherent—what we often call “flow.”

For example, I might rephrase sentences for clarity. I will flag areas where you could add more information to help the reader understand your point. I will suggest reordering ideas if it improves the organization of the work.

Much like structural editing, stylistic editing can involve conversations as the editor seeks clarification. Unlike structural edits, however, stylistic edits treat a piece as largely complete and just in need of polish. If you’re still concerned about the big ideas, you’re not quite at this stage.

I personally love this type of editing because I love playing with language and words. If I can help you rephrase a sentence to make it sing, I get a little dopamine burst like I’ve just solved a Wordle puzzle!

I can perform a stylistic edit in combination with the subsequent stages of editing, below, or separately if you’re not ready for those. Remember that as we move through these types of editing, we’re getting closer and closer to the final draft. By the time you get to stylistic editing, you’ll want to avoid making large changes to your work.

Copy editing: the red pen moment

When you picture editing, what comes to mind? Is it a paper covered in precise marks from a red pen? If so, you’re thinking of copy editing! This type of editing will “ensure correctness, accuracy, consistency, and completeness.”

Is it copy editing (two words) or copyediting (one word)? We editors call this distinction “open” or “closed.” Many terms, especially new ones, begin as open terms, but then gradually the closed form becomes preferable: health care, child care, sales person vs healthcare, childcare, salesperson.

It really comes down to style—I personally prefer the closed version, which you’ll see me use on my LinkedIn profile and elsewhere, but in this article I’m using the open version for consistency with PES.

Indeed, this is part of what I would do as a copy editor (see?)—I will make sure that when you have a choice of open or closed terms, to hyphenate or not to hyphenate, to use a comma or a dash, that you remain consistent throughout your writing. This consistency is one of the keys to good writing: often, it doesn’t matter which choice you make as long as you stick with it throughout.

Beyond consistency, copy editing involves reviewing a piece for accuracy and completion. For example, I’ll flag missing notes and captions on visual materials like tables or images. I will correct errors in word usage, along with the usual suspects of spelling and grammar.

I love copy editing, and I position myself primarily in this role as a freelancer, because I am a huge grammar nerd! All writers should strive for good grammar, but the beauty of copy editing is that you can make plenty of mistakes—I’ve got your back!

I can copy edit while also offering style suggestions, or if you are satisfied with your style, I’ll restrict myself solely to this stage of the process (and perhaps proofreading, next).

Proofreading: It’s showtime, baby

You’re about to press publish on your latest post. But wait! Did you fix those typos caused by autocorrect? Did you double check that the link in your call to action goes to the right place?

Proofreading happens literally at the end of the publishing process and involves “examining material after layout or in its final format to correct errors in textual and visual elements.” It’s a last-minute sanity check.

Many people disparage or devalue proofreading because it seems like such a simple part of the process. Who can’t look for typos on their own? Why hire a professional?

First, you can’t look for typos on your own. Really. If you’re too familiar with a piece of writing (because you wrote it), you’re going to gloss over obvious mistakes because your brain substitutes the typo for the word that you “know” should be there. There are strategies to work around this, but honestly, the best one is a fresh set of eyes.

Second, proofreaders do more than hunt typos. They are layout professionals. When I’m proofreading, I ensure that visual elements have been laid out properly, headings have all been styled in the same way, the brand colours are used consistently, and all the links work. If I’m looking at a web page, I’ll test it in multiple browsers and also on my phone—mobile and responsive design is vital these days—to make sure everything looks great no matter how someone reads your work.

No proofread is perfect. A few typos will always sneak through. But proofreading can be the difference between your Bible condoning or forbidding adultery! I’m doing the Lord’s work, truly.

Now you’re ready to hire an editor

So there you have it, the four main types of editing! If you need to hire an editor for your own project, now you know what to request and what to expect.

I currently offer stylistic and copy editing services. I have worked on theses and dissertations as well as other academic writing, and I routinely edit articles—whether personal, marketing, or B2B. I’ll even work on your LinkedIn posts or other social media items! Connect with me if you think I can help you with your latest project!

Still have questions about the types of editing? Leave a comment below.