Not sure what type of editing your manuscript needs? Read through this list of definitions to get a better sense of where your project is at.

Developmental/Project Editing

Coordinating and editing a project from proposal or rough manuscript to final manuscript, incorporating input from authors, consultants, and reviewers.

Substantive or Structural Editing

Clarifying and reorganizing a manuscript for content and structure. Changes may be suggested to or drafted for the author.

Stylistic Editing

Clarifying meaning, eliminating jargon, improving fluency, and other non-mechanical line-by-line editing.

Copy Editing

Editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation and other mechanics of style.

Rewriting

Creating a new manuscript or parts of a manuscript on the basis of content and research supplied by an author. May include some research and writing of original material.

Fact Checking/Reference Checking

Checking accuracy of facts and quotes by reference to original sources used by author and from other sources.

Proofreading

Reading proofs of edited manuscripts.

*Term Definitions taken from the Calgary Association of Freelance Editors