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.
Many times people cannot afford a good developmental editor; in these instances a copywriter makes a useful alternative. They are developmental editors lite. They will not delve deeply within your novel, but will address surface issues they notice as they work.
Copywrite editing addresses grammatical or punctuation errors, incorrect facts, anomalies, inconsistencies and typos. This process is meant to improve the readability of a piece. In fiction, copywriting ensures a story comes together without leaving random threads unaddressed. Did you lose a character halfway through a story? Did your characters change personalities without reason? Does all of your dialogue between characters sound the same? In nonfiction, copywriters address tangents. Have you lost your point in the story? Can your claims be verified? Do your thoughts flow chaotically?
When looking for a copywriter, there are questions you need to ask yourself and the editor (these are the same questions you will have for a developmental editor):
- Does the editor specialize in the genre you write in? An editor who specializes in fiction may not enjoy working on non-fiction pieces.
- Do you need to communicate face-to-face, in person or via online communications, such as Zoom? Or will email work?
- 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?
Once the two of you are on the same page, you should feel confident in moving forward. Expect the work to take several weeks. An editor should give you an expected completion time for your work to be returned. 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.