I spent the last nine years of my life working with publishers, editors, and writing groups. Everyone touts their own writing process. I am no different. So, what follows is the process developed by myself and those I work with closely.
For me, these two accomplish the same task. This is not a popular opinion. Assuming your work has already gone through either a developmental editor or copywriter, the majority of your grammatical and punctuation errors, incorrect facts, anomalies, inconsistencies and typos should have already been addressed.
Your publisher should send you a typeset proof of your manuscript, although this is usually done digitally nowadays. It will be a replica of what your novel will look like once it is published. This is the last opportunity to check for typographical, grammatical, style, and spelling errors before the work is published. Because of this, proofreaders should be well versed in line editing.
When looking for a line editor or proofreader, there are questions you need to ask:
- Does the editor specialize in the genre you write in? An editor who specializes in fiction may not enjoy working on non-fiction pieces. Similarly, a romance editor will not always be able to edit a science-fiction piece.
- Are you working on a deadline? If you need a project returned to the publisher by a specific date, your editor will need to know this. The editor may or may not be able to fit you into their schedule.
- Finally, make sure you know how much you can afford to pay an editor and how much the editor charges for their skills. Will the editor require a deposit? Most do. How do they send out invoices? When will the final payment be expected?
After speaking to the line editor or proofreader, you should feel comfortable and confident in moving forward. Do not forget to request an expected date for completion. If this date has passed feel free to email the editor and request follow up information.
Be flexible. Remember editors are humans too and unexpected life experiences can sometimes cause delays.
Also, congratulations on nearing your publication date.