Development Editing, also known as Substantive or Structural Editing, is all about the big picture. It examines the entire manuscript from single words to overall style and structure. Developmental editing finds larger areas of improvement such as plot holes, underdeveloped characters, fine-tuning world-building, and everything in between.
Also known as Line Editing because it goes line-by-line correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style. It will also check for inconsistencies in scenes. Did someone start with red hair, but now they’re suddenly blonde?
The least onerous of the editing options. This is a final pass after the manuscript has already been copy edited. The author has made the changes and now needs someone to do a final pass for errors in the changes.
“Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear.”