See bottom of page for rates.
Copy editing. Line editing. Proofreading. Developmental editing. What do these terms mean? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a copy editor is “an editor who prepares copy for the typesetter” or “one who edits and headlines newspaper copy.” The first thing I notice about each of these definitions is that they are glaringly obsolete! Typesetting is an obsolete profession, and the print versions of newspapers are, unfortunately, heading in that same direction.
Copy editor Benjamin Dreyer, author of Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, says that his “job is to lay [his] hands on that piece of writing and make it . . . better. Cleaner.” He continues: “On a good day, [copy editing] achieves something between a really thorough teeth cleaning . . . and a whiz-bang magic act.”
There are three levels of copy editing: light, medium, and heavy. Often, the condition of a manuscript will demand what level of copy editing is needed (see the above teeth-cleaning analogy). Line editing is the equivalent of heavy copy editing.
Developmental editing is completely different than copy editing. A developmental edit identifies problems with the text and improvements that can be made, such as plot holes, duplicate information, an illogical flow, and the like. A developmental editor may also fact-check, as needed.
Proofreading is the last step in the editorial process. A proofreader examines the text after it has been copy edited and simply identifies and corrects errors that were missed in earlier stages.
I offer all of these services, and many copy-editing projects also entail a bit of informal developmental editing.
My rates, which are in line with the 2024 Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart, are as follows:
- Copy editing (academic, fiction, nonfiction): $40.00 per hour
- Business/legal/medical/technical copy editing: $50.00 per hour
- Developmental editing: $45.00 per hour
- Proofreading: $40.00 per hour
