Quick Visual of 4 Levels of Editing

Proofreading, Copyediting, Line-editing, and Content Editing

Sometimes it’s easier to see the differences in a table.

All four levels of editing are concerned with maintaining the author’s voice throughout. It’s your story, it must be in your voice with your style.

Type of Edit	Proofread	Copyedit	Line-Editing	Content, Developmental, Substantive Edit
Ensures that the author’s voice, his/her style is maintained throughout	✓	✓	✓	✓
Fixes misspellings, grammar, punctuation in text, footnotes, endnotes, glossaries, etc.	✓	✓	✓	✓
Ensures consistent appearance: Cleans up doubles & blanks Ensures proper space between paragraphs Eliminates widows and orphans (eek, that sounds bad!) Verifies that numbers for pages, figures, and tables are accurate and consecutive	✓	✓	✓	✓
Verifies links connect and are using SEO	✓	✓	✓	✓
Notes consistency errors	✓	✓	✓	✓
Looks for word or phrase problems (slang terms from the 1920s are not appropriate in Regency romances): Notes clichés Eliminates modifiers where possible Eliminates words or phrases used too often Eliminates unnecessary words Notes mixed metaphors		✓	✓	✓
Ensures proper styling for caps, italics, foreign words, titles, numbers, and more		✓	✓	✓
Verifies facts		✓	✓	✓
Eliminates passive voice		✓	✓	✓
Catches loose threads			✓	✓
Emphasizes individual sentence construction: Excessive wordiness or bloat May rewrite sentences and paragraphs with a focus on the grammar, punctuation, and spelling Ensures that paragraphs contain one idea at a time Ensures that paragraphs flow from one to the next			✓	✓
Examines dialog for: Awkwardness Unrealistic for the character, the plot			✓	✓
Includes notations about text flow			✓	✓
Concentrates on the structure of the manuscript, the writer’s style, and the story content, looking for particular problems				✓
Rearranges sections of text, possibly rewriting sections May recommend substantial changes in the entire manuscript				✓
Rewrites for a smooth, clear, logical flow and readability — that the horse gets saddled before the hero leaps up on it				✓
Identifies weaknesses in character and plot development				✓
Ensures that: Plot events are plausible With believable dialog Pacing suits the story, the scene				✓
Ensures consistency of: Character(s)’s behavior, description, or dialog Point-of-view and tone Story continuity				✓
Ensures layout usability				✓
Analyzes the language to ensure proper word use for the genre audience				✓

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