> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://andilgregory.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Many Phases of Editing: Part 2 - URL: https://andilgregory.com/adventuring-through-life/the-many-phases-of-editing-part-2/ - Published: 2026-10-23T18:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-23T18:00:03.000Z - Author: Andi Gregory - Tags: #Migrated-1787683573322, #sqs, #Import 2026-08-25 14:46, In the Editing Sphere, Adventuring Through Life, Editing Basics, blog, line editing, copy editing, beta readers, The Many Phases of Editing In my last *Phases of Editing* post, we talked about the first steps in the process—developmental editing and alpha readers (check it out [here](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/the-many-phases-of-editing-part-1?ref=andilgregory.com)). We also covered a special note on self-editing for authors, where it's useful, but also how it doesn't negate the necessity of outside eyes on a manuscript before hitting "publish." There are two models you can use when moving through the editing process toward publication. The first is one most traditional publishing houses use. The second is a modified version some indie authors use. These are the lists we're working off of to define terms, typical scope of the work, and why each step is a necessary part of the process. #### Traditional Publishing Model: - Developmental/Structural/Substantive Editing - Line Editing - Copy Editing - Formatting - Advanced Reader Copies Sent - Proofreading #### Approximate Indie Author Model\*: - Alpha Readers - Developmental/Structural/Substantive Editing - Beta Readers - Line Editing - Copy Editing - Formatting - Advanced Reader Copies Sent - Proofreading \*Please note each indie author has their own model with more or fewer steps, or some steps in a slightly different order. There's no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to a model for indie authors, though the principles and necessary editing steps are the same. Today, we're going to cover three steps on these lists: **line editing, copy editing, and beta readers.** --- ### Line Editing Also called line-by-line editing, this step confuses authors the most, as the term is used widely to mean a *lot* of different things, and the scope of what it covers during an edit is often either vague or misrepresented. It's the second step to ensuring your book is solid by **looking at the structure, pacing, and word choice at the scene, paragraph, and sentence level.** This is the deeper, more detailed look at many of the things a developmental editor looks at—but *it's not an evaluation of the overall structure of your book*. Instead, it's a **genre-specific** look at pacing at the scene and sentence level to ensure your story has the right cadence without bogging readers down with too much information or racing through the story scene after scene without a chance for the reader to breathe. It's a look at the language used and ensuring it conveys the right questions, the right context, and the right subtext for the story's genre. It's less about grammar (though that is sometimes included) and more about word choice and pacing. This is the edit where the story language tightens and the beats hit at just the right time. Some authors skip this edit, which I personally think is a shame, because *this edit is where the story undergoes its final refinement*. On the other side of this edit, your manuscript is concise, readable, and—most importantly—holds the right amount of clarity for your reader. During this edit, those small, throw-away observations of a character that turn out to be foreshadowing sneak in and hide beneath a bigger, perhaps less important, reveal. The subplots come together and fuse with the main plot in an unbreakable way. After this edit, the book begins to feel like a *publishable* manuscript, and is far more book-shaped than any iteration before it. **Important Note:** Some authors and/or editors use the terms *line editing* and *copy editing* interchangeably, but they're truly two separate passes. A line editor will do what they can not to introduce new grammar issues for the copy editor, but they're not obligated to check for and correct commas, hyphens, em dashes, or any other grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. **Before hiring an editor, make sure *you* know what you want the editor to do, and find out how the editor defines the edit you're looking for.** As I said in my last post, **if an editor cannot clearly define what they include in the edit you’re asking for, do not hire them.** You as the author are paying them for a service and deserve to understand the scope of the edits you're receiving and whether they're in line with what you're asking for. Editors familiar with the industry and different types of edits will be able to clearly define what they provide for each type of edit, and *should be clear and upfront about those specifications.* --- ### Copy Editing As mentioned above, this term is often used interchangeably with *line editing*, though they are fundamentally different processes. **A copy edit is a look at grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency throughout a manuscript.** This is where the editor ensures the main character's eyes aren't blue in the first chapter and green in the thirtieth (unless there's an excellent reason for the change). Authors often change details between drafts, but can't catch every instance of the change because, in some way, *both* are true to them. **A copy editor, however, isn't familiar with earlier versions of the story and can catch those small changes in details better than the author.** Many copy editors will work either off of (in a traditional house) or with a *Style Sheet*. This is *a document that holds the spellings of names, places, worlds, buildings, etc. and any necessary details associated with them that may be important later. It also houses descriptions of the characters and world-specific terms or rules.* This Style Sheet allows the copy editor to ensure all of the details through the manuscript, or series, are consistent. (Trust me, readers will absolutely pick up on inconsistencies, and it will break their suspension of disbelief.) **An important note:** The role of a copy editor varies slightly depending on whether the manuscript is fiction or non-fiction. Although the look at grammar, spelling, and punctuation is the same, the consistency aspect changes. For fiction, the main role is ensuring consistency throughout with spellings, world-specific terms, magic systems, and the minute details associated within the story world. *For non-fiction, a copy editor is also a fact-checker.* The editor ensures quotes are attributed correctly and accurately, sources are listed correctly, and any facts or figures presented in the text are accurate. Depending on the genre and level of fact-driven or quoted data included, the price of a copy editor's service may vary greatly. --- ### Beta Readers Beta readers are especially important for indie authors, though they can be helpful for traditional authors as well—before a publishing company picks up the manuscript. **Beta Readers receive the manuscript before it's undergone *all* editing passes, though usually after a developmental and/or line edit. They give reader-level feedback on the pacing, language, and how the novel is landing.** Beta readers often help an author determine the best way to market their book, and some authors ask their beta readers to highlight or pull out favorite quotes. Beta readers are *typically not author friends or authors themselves.* They're individuals from your book's audience, generally only readers, and generally those who read widely in the genre. This allows them to give feedback on tropes, content, and overall pacing. Betas are *usually* employed before the entire editing process is complete, though there is no one "right time" to use them. I've heard of authors employing beta readers before and after the developmental edit, before and after the line edit, and even after the copy edit. There are a lot of options for the placement of this one, but, either way, *beta readers receive the book in exchange for feedback helpful to the author.* Some authors change major aspects of the book after receiving feedback from their betas, some leave the book as is and use the feedback to shape their marketing campaign for the book or series. Placement of this step is entirely a personal preference. **Note:** We covered this in the last post, but the term *beta reader* is often used to mean *alpha reader*, though the two are fundamentally different. Alpha Readers are first-look readers after the initial draft is complete, often before the author tackles any form of editing. These are author friends or dedicated readers the author can trust to be entirely honest with their feedback in a constructive way. So if you're looking for one or the other among your friends and followers, be sure to *define the term so your early reader understands the scope and what feedback you're looking for*. --- That's all for this week! If you have a question about any of these terms I didn't address, please leave it below. There are a lot of different definitions of these terms out there, and it can be extremely confusing. I hope my explanations are helping you understand the publishing process better. When hiring an editor, it’s good practice to remain wary, as there are a lot of scammers targeting authors—including within the editing sphere. [So here’s a few things to watch out for when looking for an editor to hire.](https://andilgregory.com/adventuring-through-life/unsavory-editing-practices-when-to-be-wary) Looking to hire an editor? Check out [my services here](https://andilgregory.com/author-services). --- #### The Phases of Editing Series: [The Many Phases of Editing: Part 1Introduction and an Overview of the First Step in Editing To an author or writer new to the publishing world, there are so many things that can be confusing—but the different phases of editing is the area I see most authors’ confusion. It can definitely be a struggle to![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/icon/Logo-b7692beb-49e0-4450-82f5-1f79cc614501.png)Andi L. Gregory CreativeAndi Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/thumbnail/seo-social-images-for-blog-9f18a5b3-c67a-40a3-879c-c663ca68c3fa.png)](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/the-many-phases-of-editing-part-1?ref=andilgregory.com) #### The Grammar Mechanics of Writing Series: [The Grammar Mechanics of Writing - CommasEditing is something every author needs—whether they’re pursuing traditional publication (through either a large or small press) or indie publication (AKA self-publication). As an editor focused on the details of a novel, one essential piece I rarely see talked about is the power of punctuation. Punctuation is![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/icon/Logo-67208b96-0779-460e-b9a1-abc9598a26c8.png)Andi L. Gregory CreativeAndi Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/thumbnail/commas-2c9dfdb2-b031-4068-a40d-af04a780a338.jpg)](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/the-grammar-mechanics-of-writing-commas?ref=andilgregory.com) [The Grammar Mechanics of Writing - Em Dashes, En Dashes, and HyphensI want to keep talking about the power of punctuation in fiction, and try to show how important it can be to a reader’s understanding of the prose. After all: choosing the right punctuation will enhance a reader’s experience, drawing them further into the story. Since punctuation is![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/icon/Logo-9db61184-26e7-4695-a65a-8755fd12c33a.png)Andi L. Gregory CreativeAndi Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/thumbnail/em-dashes-2c-en-dashes-2c--26-hyphens-b153a2ca-7f05-46a0-9653-99ce6484fe02.png)](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/the-grammar-mechanics-of-editing-em-dashes-en-dashes-and-hyphens?ref=andilgregory.com) [The Grammar Mechanics of Writing: EllipsesThe more fiction I edit, the more I realize how powerful punctuation is to a reader’s understanding of the prose and overall story. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: choosing the right punctuation will enhance a reader’s experience, drawing them further into the![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/icon/Logo-58e28ae8-3db0-481d-852e-8cc773f80dc8.png)Andi L. Gregory CreativeAndi Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/thumbnail/ellipses-852a64e5-0b69-4f0b-a687-ef999bcfd5ad.png)](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/the-grammar-mechanics-of-writing-ellipses?ref=andilgregory.com) #### Other Editing Tips: [In the Editing Sphere: Utilizing Nuance When EditingMost often, the process of copyediting covers grammar usage, spelling mistakes, and attention to details throughout the novel, from a character’s physical traits or worldbuilding notes to consistent spelling or usage of specific words. Although copyediting in this kind of description just looks like following a set of rules![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/icon/Logo-dfcfbb33-91c9-4c3f-aac3-538d66895c33.png)Andi L. Gregory CreativeAndi Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/thumbnail/blog-2bimage-2b--2bediting-2btips-fe5509cc-c25e-4b15-a315-82ec18d17ca4.jpg)](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/in-the-editing-sphere-nuance-vs-rules?ref=andilgregory.com) [Unsavory Editing Practices — When to Be WaryIt’s an unfortunate truth that the world of publishing is full of unsavory practices—from scams to stolen intellectual property (ideas) to a barrage of badgering. As both a writer and editor myself, I’ve seen (and avoided) quite a few of these things firsthand, and I’ve heard![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/icon/Logo-6164e84a-9194-421e-b4c3-c0c3683d3aeb.png)Andi L. Gregory CreativeAndi Gregory![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/50/05/5005b841-a6a9-4902-ad65-ff17b958f53d/content/images/thumbnail/unsavory-editing-practices-e2-80-94when-to-be-wary-2-13-26-e7a26189-6dee-458d-bee2-467918ee12c4.png)](https://adventuring-through-life.ghost.io/adventuring-through-life/unsavory-editing-practices-when-to-be-wary?ref=andilgregory.com)