What kind of editing does your book need?

Quiz Questions

• 1.
  Which genre best describes your book?

  • A.
    Image Source

    Fiction Novel
  • B.
    Image Source

    Children's
  • C.
    Image Source

    Christian
  • D.
    Image Source

    Photography / Art
  • E.
    Image Source

    Poetry
  • F.
    Image Source

    Sci-Fi / Fantasy
  • G.
    Image Source

    Romance
  • H.
    Image Source

    Mystery / Thriller / Crime / Horror
  • I.
    Image Source

    Self-Help / Inspirational
  • J.
    Image Source

    Comic / Graphic Novel
  • K.
    Image Source

    Business
  • L.
    Image Source

    Cookbook
  • M.
    Image Source

    Textbook
  • N.
    Image Source

    Non-Fiction / Biography
• 2.
  Have you published a book before?

  Image Source

  • A.
    No, this is my first book.
  • B.
    Yes, I've published one or more books.
• 3.
  Have you previously published a book in this genre?

  Image Source

  • A.
    Yes
  • B.
    No
• 4.
  Is this book a new edition of a previously published book?

  Image Source

  • A.
    Yes
  • B.
    No
• 5.
  Was the previous edition professionally edited?

  Image Source

  • A.
    Yes
  • B.
    No
• 6.
  Have you had any editing done on your manuscript already?

  Image Source

  • A.
    None at all.
  • B.
    I've done self-editing.
  • C.
    I've received feedback from friends or family.
  • D.
    I've received feedback from beta readers or a writing group.
  • E.
    I've had developmental editing.
  • F.
    I've had line editing.
  • G.
    I've had copy editing.
  • H.
    I've had proofreading.

Quiz Outcomes

• 1.
  Your manuscript needs... proofreading

  Image Source

  Congrats, friend! By completing this quiz, you’ve proven just how committed you are to publishing your masterpiece of a manuscript. So what type of editing is your best fit? Based on your answers, proofreading is the clear pick for your manuscript.Proofreading is the necessary last step in the editing process—and the final stop before publishing. It gets its name from the “proofs” typesetters produced before the final print run. While copy editing and line editing can make substantial changes (such as correcting inconsistent spelling or hyphenations) to the manuscript’s language, a proofreader’s role is more about quality assurance. Proofreading is not the time to revise, rewrite, and delete.Proofreading is only done after the raw manuscript has already been edited. Before that, the text should have at least gone through copy editing.For this reason, proofreading is intended to pick up the final typos and spelling mistakes and to correct inconsistencies, like making sure the word “proofreading” is always spelled as one word and not “proof-reading” or “proof reading.”A professional proofreader brings a fresh set of eyes to your work and scours for absolute errors such as:Misspelled namesWrong/bad URLsNumbers that don’t add up in a tableDoubled wordsMissing wordsProofreaders also look for awkward word splits at the end of a line and ensure there is no ugly single line left at the top of the page from the previous paragraph (known in publishing as a widow) or at the bottom of the page, which really belongs with the paragraph on the next page (orphan).If you’re serious about publishing, download our new free guide, You're Not An Editor, from BookBaby President Steven Spatz to help you find the right editor for your book. Here are the questions he’ll help you answer:Does my book need editing?What kind of editing do I need?How much does it cost?How do I find an editor?"An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has escaped the terrible desire to write.” —E.B. White
• 2.
  Your manuscript needs... copy editing

  Image Source

  Congrats, friend! By completing this quiz, you’ve proven just how committed you are to publishing your masterpiece of a manuscript. So what type of editing is your best fit? Based on your answers, copy editing is the clear pick for your manuscript.Copy editing is a word-by-word edit that addresses grammar, usage, and consistency issues. It's the stage where almost all mistakes have been found and corrected. Copy editors will check for typos and spelling errors along with correcting grammar, language, and syntax errors. They will also pay particular attention to punctuation such as commas, semicolons, and quotation marks.Only when the author is completely satisfied with the plot, story structure, characterization, settings, etc. is the manuscript ready for copy editing. And nobody, no matter how good, gets all that right with a first draft.After undergoing copy editing, writers can move on to proofreading, which is the final editing stage where a fresh, experienced set of eyes reviews the manuscript.Copy editing focuses on the technical aspects of your manuscript, guaranteeing that your writing meets industry standards. A professional copy editor keeps an eye on:Story elements consistency (plot, setting, characters, etc.)Spelling, grammar, and syntax errorsMissing wordsWriting style consistencyVague and inaccurate statementsAny mistakes you may have overlookedOverall, your copy editor will impose a consistent style for your text. Most editors use The Chicago Manual of Style as preferred unless the work needs to conform to an academic convention such as APA, AMA, or MLA.If you’re serious about publishing, download our new free guide, You're Not An Editor, from BookBaby President Steven Spatz to help you find the right editor for your book. Here are the questions he’ll help you answer:Does my book need editing?What kind of editing do I need?How much does it cost?How do I find an editor?“An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has escaped the terrible desire to write.” —E.B. White
• 3.
  Your manuscript needs... line editing

  Image Source

  Congrats, friend! By completing this quiz, you’ve proven just how committed you are to publishing your masterpiece of a manuscript. So what type of editing is your best fit? Based on your answers, line editing is the clear pick for your manuscript.Line editing is an intensive structural edit that focuses on the finer aspects of language–the flow of ideas, transition elements, tone, and style. Line editors suggest changes to make sentences crisper and tighter by fixing redundancy and verbosity issues while improving awkward sentence and paragraph construction without a full rewrite. While copy editing combs through every sentence, word, letter, and punctuation mark to look for errors, line editing takes a more holistic approach.Editors will look at the manuscript using a holistic methodology with a review of key aspects of the manuscript: the narrative, vocabulary, structure, characterization, style, and development.While your line editor will also catch simple grammar errors, the main focal points are:Run-on sentences and unnecessary/overused wordsInformation redundanciesShifts in toneUnnatural/inconsistent phrasingConfusing narrative and character dialoguePacing improvementsOverall story communicationAlong with suggesting different words, phrases, and ideas that can clarify or enhance your book, your line editor will ensure your language is clear, fluid, and pleasurable to read.If you’re serious about publishing, download our new free guide, You're Not An Editor, from BookBaby President Steven Spatz to help you find the right editor for your book. Here are the questions he’ll help you answer:Does my book need editing?What kind of editing do I need?How much does it cost?How do I find an editor?“An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has escaped the terrible desire to write.” —E.B. White
• 4.
  Your manuscript is ready for publishing!

  Image Source

  Congrats, friend! By completing this quiz, you’ve proven just how committed you are to publishing your masterpiece of a manuscript. Based on your answers, your manuscript is ready for publishing!Because you have already sent your manuscript through proofreading, the necessary last step in the editing process and final stop before publishing, you should be ready for publication. But if you haven't sent your manuscript in for deeper levels of editing, you may wish to consider your options.As a refresher, these are the primary types of editing an author may use to polish their manuscript:Proofreading is the vital last step of the editing process. Your book proofreader will perform a final review to fix any remaining mechanical and grammar issues before your book is printed and published. Proofreading is not a structural edit and instead focuses on eliminating minor errors and inconsistencies.Copy editing is a basic word-by-word edit that addresses grammar, usage, and consistency issues. Your copyeditor will correct continuity issues in your story and ensure your manuscript is free of technical problems or major loose ends that’ll confuse your readers.Line editing is an intensive structural edit that focuses on the finer aspects of language—the flow of ideas, transition elements, tone, and style. Your line editor will take a critical look at your manuscript’s writing flow, language usage, character development, and make suggestions that ensure that you’re communicating your story effectively while maintaining your voice.Developmental editing will focus on the big parts of your story — your literary elements — including characters, plot, setting, and theme. Your developmental editor will help you fix these big elements and point out any inconsistent details. A developmental edit will come early in the publication process, while you are still in the drafting stage. In the end, it’s up to you, the author, to decide how much or how little editing you would like for your book. You might not want the editor to interfere with the format, for example, and you might have your own ideas for a particular style issue. It certainly helps to be aware of what an editor can do, and what can be done at each stage of your rewriting. Writing is, after all, rewriting. 😉If you’re serious about publishing, download our new free guide, You're Not An Editor, from BookBaby President Steven Spatz to help you find the right editor for your book. Here are the questions he’ll help you answer:Does my book need editing?What kind of editing do I need?How much does it cost?How do I find an editor?“An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has escaped the terrible desire to write.” —E.B. White