6 Myths about Editing
For many aspiring writers, the editing process can be confusing or daunting, partly because there are many misconceptions about what to expect. Here are six of the most common myths I hear about editing.
Myth #1: The term “editing” means the same thing to everyone.
When a writer says they’re looking for editing services, it’s important to clarify what exactly they mean because the word “editing” means different things to different people. Writers may be looking for someone to fix grammar, assess plot and character development, or check formatting. Even within the publishing industry, you may hear terms defined differently. The three most common types of editing that writers seek prior to self-publishing are as follows:
Developmental editing, also called content editing or substantive editing, looks at the writing as a whole to make sure the story works well and makes sense. Are there major plot holes? Poorly developed characters? Issues with pacing? The goal is to bring attention to what’s working and what could benefit from further adjustments. This service usually comes early in the process so that the writer can work on the broader elements and nail down the story before moving on to the next type of editing.
Copyediting refines writing by making it the best it can be. The terms “copyediting” and “line editing” are sometimes used interchangeably, although some will differentiate between the two. Generally speaking, a copyeditor will make corrections to issues with grammar, spelling, punctuation, typos, and consistency. They may also look at word repetition, sentence structure, and confusing or ambiguous phrasing, and they may suggest sentence rewrites if needed. Copyeditors often make sentence-level corrections to make the writing more readable. Even though the reader is there for the story, they may put down an otherwise compelling book if it’s riddled with grammatical mistakes and misspelled words they just aren’t able to see past.
Proofreading comes last in the editing process. Once a manuscript has been through developmental and copyediting, the proofreader performs a final eagle-eyed sweep to catch those last-minute typos, grammar errors, or formatting issues that would have otherwise made it through to the published product.
Clear communication between writer and editor is crucial in order to outline expectations. It’s important for the writer to know what they want, and it’s important for the editor to define their scope of services. The last thing anyone wants is for an editor to return a manuscript, only to have the writer say, “You didn’t fix these types of issues.” When someone tells me they’re interested in editing services, the first step is to figure out what exactly they’re looking for. Even if they don’t know the specific terminology, we can figure it out with the right questions.
Myth #2: Editors and writers are enemies.
What are the first things you think of when you think of an editor? Is it someone who corrects errors and provides valuable feedback on your manuscript? Or is it someone who calls out your typo on social media, slashes through sentences and pages with their red pen, or tears up your manuscript? (Okay, even my business name and logo have “red pen” in it, although it’s used by a cute and fluffy rabbit. Not so scary, right?)
Hopefully the image in your head was of the former, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter. With the numerous myths that exist about editing, it’s no wonder authors may be apprehensive or even afraid to have their work edited. Good editors are allies, not enemies. They work with writers in service of the readers, not themselves. As an editor, I need to be able to justify the changes I make. If my reason for changing something is that I don’t like the way it sounds, that won’t cut it.
As an editor, my job is not to
make the story into my own
rewrite the words in my personal style
assume I know what an intended meaning is and make changes based on my assumptions
criticize or demean
impose my will
Instead, my job is to
correct errors
ensure consistency throughout the manuscript
query when unsure of what the meaning or intent is
suggest rewrites when they may provide clarity
preserve the author’s voice and story
illuminate areas that may benefit from thought or revision
collaborate with the author to make the story the best version of itself
Myth #3: Editing can guarantee a perfect manuscript.
Editors are human, and humans are imperfect. At times, we make mistakes or overlook things just like anyone else. According to the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, “some people will assert that proofreaders should catch a certain percentage of errors, but we don’t believe this is helpful – because of the subjective nature of errors, and also because the proofreader will be working within other constraints.”
Some have said that a good copyeditor should pick up 80% of errors, and a good proofreader should pick up 80% of what remains. Editors and proofreaders strive to make the text as error-free as possible, but we can’t guarantee perfection. Imagine I’m asked to copyedit a manuscript that has 80,000 words. There are 80,000 chances for a word to be misspelled or misused, thousands of chances for sentences to be ungrammatical or confusing, and thousands of chances for punctuation marks to be incorrect. Let’s say the manuscript has five errors per page. If the book averages 250 words per page, that’d make it 320 pages long, so some quick math means 5 errors per page × 320 pages = 1,600 errors in the manuscript. At an 80% catch rate, I should catch 1,280 errors at minimum, leaving 320 in. If I perform another round of copyediting, I might catch 256 next time, leaving 64 in. A proofreader should then catch 51, leaving 13 in. Yes, 13 errors might sound like a lot in a published novel. However, when we consider that the manuscript began with 1,600 errors, having 13 errors left means that 99% of them were fixed.
There’s also no universal definition of what “perfect” is. Maybe there are no grammatical issues or typos (yay!), but there are some stylistic choices that bother a few readers or sentences that are slightly confusing. Does this make the manuscript imperfect?
Myth #4: Beta readers can take the place of professional editors.
Beta readers are readers who assess a manuscript draft before publication, early on in the process. Good beta readers are assets for any writer because they provide honest, valuable feedback on the story, characters, pacing, and emotional impact, as well as their overall impressions. Writers can decide whether to adjust their manuscript according to the feedback, and it gives them an idea of how the general audience may react to the story after publishing. Some beta readers are not paid, though there are professional beta readers. Writers may believe they can save money on editing by using beta readers instead of hiring professional editors. It’s important to keep in mind that beta readers are not the same as professional editors, who have specialized training and expertise. At times, beta readers may even provide editing advice that is inaccurate, potentially introducing errors that didn’t exist before. When possible, writers can use both beta readers and professional editors to get different levels of feedback. Check out Reedsy’s explanation of beta readers for more details on what they do.
Myth #5: Professional editing isn’t necessary in the digital age.
With Word plugins like spell check and grammar check, as well as editing programs, some writers feel that these replace the need for human editors. While these tools are valuable in assisting writers with self-editing, there are many things a professional editor will help with beyond what these tools are capable of, such as looking for the following:
Confusables (peak/peek/pique, infer/imply, bring/take)
Inconsistencies (Katherine/Catherine/Kathryn, a lieutenant being called a captain later)
Verification of proper nouns (Honda Elantra, Steven King)
Confusing sentences
Overuse of certain words or expressions (how many things can people do with their eyebrows?)
Punctuation marks that may be jarring to the reader (too many exclamations!!!)
Conscious language choices (stereotypes, biased language)
Developmental issues (flow, development, themes)
Also, it’s no secret that Word’s spell check and grammar check features can offer incorrect suggestions. For example, I wrote that “dialogue tags let the reader know who’s talking” in my post about writing dialogue. The blue squiggle appeared under “who’s,” and the grammar check suggested it be changed to “whose,” which is incorrect. A human editor can ignore the incorrect suggestions and also look for these other types of issues.
Myth #6: Editing is expensive.
Okay, yes, editing can be expensive (although “expensive” is relative). After all, when you hire a professional to provide a service, it’s going to cost money. There are no universal rates in the editing world because each editor sets their own rates according to what works for them. The Editorial Freelancers Association has a list of average editing rates, which is a great starting point, but some editors charge less than these rates and some charge more. Editors also vary in the ways they charge—per hour, per project, per word. As with any service, the best thing to do is talk to different editors about what they can offer. Editors usually look at a manuscript or a representative sample to provide a quote of how much it will cost, and one of the biggest factors an editor will consider is how much work they’ll have to do.
Here are some ways to potentially cut down on the cost of hiring a professional editor:
Understand the type of editing you need so you don’t pay for the wrong service.
Self-edit your manuscript (multiple times if possible).
Use beta readers to get feedback and incorporate it when necessary.
Format your manuscript before submitting it to an editor.
Talk to editors early in the process so you don’t have to pay rush fees to meet your deadline.
If you look at editing as an investment, this may help put things in perspective. A well-edited book doesn’t guarantee commercial success, but it may reduce the likelihood that readers will put the book down, leave negative feedback, or not take you seriously as a writer. To learn more, read my post about the costs of professional editing.
Final thoughts
I hope this helped clear up misinformation you may have heard regarding these editing myths. I also hope it may have shifted your view of what editors are like, if the first thought you had was of an intimidating, red-pen-wielding pedant. I promise that most of us aren’t so bad. Are there any other editing myths you’ve heard?
