Fiction Book Editing

Gary Smailes | 3 November 2025

How fiction editing differs from other editing

Fiction asks for a different toolkit. Grammar matters, yes, but story sits in the driver’s seat. A good edit reads like a rehearsal with a director who knows where the play needs more light and where silence does the work.

Story first, always

In fiction, the fix starts with cause and effect. What does the protagonist want. What blocks the path. What changes after each scene. If those answers wobble, no comma fix will save the chapter.

Quick checks:

• First page. Name the goal, the obstacle, the risk. If you cannot, the scene lacks teeth.
• Middle slump. List ten scenes from page 100 to 200. Next to each, write the new problem created by that scene. Blank line equals dead air.
• POV test. Highlight internal thoughts in one color and external action in another. Mixed colors inside one paragraph often means head-hopping.

An editor presses on motive, stakes, and order. Pages tighten, pace steadies, immersion grows.

Voice preserved, not scrubbed

Fiction editing cleans without bleaching. The aim is clarity in your voice, not a new voice. If a sentence sings off-key, we tune. We do not hand you a different instrument.

Before and after, same voice, sharper line:

• Before: “I look at the empty chair and feel like someone stole Tuesday.”
• After: “I stare at the empty chair. Tuesday feels stolen.”

• Before: “He was kind of smiling, the sort of smile people do when they want you to think they’re fine.”
• After: “He smiled, the polite version people use to pass for fine.”

Hear the shift. Fewer words, same tone. Rhythm holds. A line edit does this across pages, not one flashy sentence at a time.

Mini exercise:

• Pick a paragraph with strong voice.
• Remove fillers, sort images by strength, keep the best one.
• Read aloud. If the music drops, put one phrase back. Stop there.

Genre expectations matter

Readers arrive with a map. Break the map and you lose trust. Meet core promises, then surprise inside those borders.

A few anchors:

• Romance needs a believable central relationship, clear consent, heat level aligned to the shelf, and a happy ending, either HEA or HFN. No tragic twist in the last ten pages unless you want angry mail.
• Mystery and thriller demand fair play. Seed clues early, hide them in plain sight, build red herrings with purpose, land a reveal that feels earned.
• Fantasy and sci‑fi rely on rules with costs. Magic or tech solves problems, sure, but each use extracts a price. Info belongs in motion, not in a lecture.
• Historical asks for period logic. Language, calendars, food, clothes, laws. An 1850 pocket watch does not glow neon.
• Literary or book club leans on voice and theme. Pacing still matters. Depth works best when tension keeps a hand on your sleeve.
• YA and MG need age-true voice, brisk movement, and adults who exist. No sermon.

Word count ranges help too. A 160,000-word cozy mystery strains shelf space. A 45,000-word epic fantasy seldom satisfies.

Continuity and worldbuilding

Continuity breaks immersion in seconds. Eye color flips. Tuesday turns into Thursday. A city gains a river for one chase and loses it next chapter. Readers notice.

Professionals build and maintain a style sheet:

• Names and spellings, including nicknames
• Ages, birthdays, school years
• Setting details, maps, weather patterns, travel times
• Magic or tech rules, limits, costs
• Timeline with chapter dates and time-of-day stamps
• Series canon, what each book establishes and repeats

Mini exercise:

• Create a one-page timeline. Mark every scene with date and time.
• Do a “rule audit” for your system, two columns, rule and example on-page.
• Run a name search for every major character. Flag variations.

Worldbuilding reads best when it serves story. A spell list feels fun until a chase stops cold for a paragraph on crystal taxonomy.

Edit for emotional impact

Readers return for feeling. Curiosity, dread, longing, relief. Line choices steer feeling. Sentence length, verb strength, where a paragraph ends, which detail holds the camera.

A small shift with big payoff:

• Draft: “She reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it, thinking about how everything had changed since the last time she stood here, and then she opened the door and saw the crib was empty.”
• Edited: “She grips the knob. Turns. Opens the door. The crib stands empty.”

Short beats raise pulse. Nouns and verbs carry the weight. No need to explain fear. Readers feel it.

Another move, reveal placement. The surprise belongs at the end of a line or paragraph. Bury it in the middle and tension leaks away.

Try this:

• Mark the emotional beat for each scene, fear, desire, regret, relief.
• Choose one sensory detail that supports that beat, sound for fear, temperature for anger, texture for grief.
• Cut one sentence of explanation. Replace with action or image.

How this differs from business or academic work

Business editing prizes clarity, brevity, and brand tone. Academic work leans on method and evidence. Fiction borrows those virtues, then asks for more. A developmental note might reposition a midpoint. A line edit might shift distance to pull readers inside a character’s skin. A copyedit might carry a glossary for invented terms plus a map of three realms across four books.

You still get commas fixed, references checked, styles aligned. You also get a partner who asks, why here, why now, why this choice. The questions shape a story readers feel, not only understand.

A quick self-test before you hire

• Print the first chapter. Circle every place where a choice changes the next beat. Fewer than three circles suggests low drive.
• Hand three pages to a friend. Ask for three words on voice. If those words do not match your intent, plan for focused line work.
• List five core genre promises. Check which scenes deliver. Gaps tell you where to aim.
• Build a one-page style sheet. If it grows into six pages, you likely need continuity support.

Fiction editing aligns heart, head, and line. When those parts move together, readers forget they are reading. They live in the story. That is the goal.

Types of fiction editing and what they fix

Think of edits as different lenses. Each one brings a separate set of problems into focus. Pick the right lens and your revision time drops, your pages get stronger, and your readers feel the difference.

Developmental editing

Scope:

• Structure, theme, plot logic
• Character motivation and change
• Scene order and cause and effect
• Genre positioning and stakes

Deliverables often include an editorial letter, a scene map, and a revision plan. Margin queries point to exact pages where motive slips, tension stalls, or the timeline warps.

What it fixes:

• A middle that sags because scenes do not escalate
• A hero who wants three different things and pursues none
• A twist that feels planted at page 280 instead of earned
• An ending that breaks genre promise

Example fix:

• Before: The villain confesses in a single speech after a chase.
• After: Clues force the reveal. The confrontation grows from earlier choices. The confession becomes a consequence, not a monologue.

Self test:

• Write one sentence for each. What your protagonist wants, what stands in the way, what changes if they fail. If you stall on any one, you need developmental work.

Line, also called stylistic, editing

Scope:

• Sentence-level clarity and rhythm
• Imagery that pulls its weight
• Dialogue that sounds human
• Narrative distance dialed in
• Show versus tell balanced with intent
• Voice preserved

This pass respects your sound on the page. The goal is clean, vivid prose in your register. Not a rewrite into someone else’s.

What it fixes:

• Wordy sentences that blur action
• Stacked adjectives where one detail would land
• Dialogue that repeats information readers already know
• Filter verbs that keep readers at arm’s length

Quick before and after:

• Before: “She was starting to feel like maybe he did not care.”
• After: “Her smile fades. He checks his phone.”

• Before: “There were a lot of stars out and they were twinkling so beautifully.”
• After: “The stars were sharp.”

Mini exercise:

• Take one paragraph. Cut every weak verb. Swap for a specific verb. Read aloud. Keep the pauses you hear.

Copyediting

Scope:

• Grammar and punctuation
• Usage and word choice
• Consistency and continuity
• Fact checks
• Style guide alignment, CMOS or another chosen guide, and dictionary selection
• US or UK spelling

Copyediting protects your credibility. It also builds a style sheet so decisions stay steady across pages and across a series.

What it fixes:

• Comma splices and agreement errors
• Hyphenation choices, on-brand and consistent
• Character name spelled two ways
• Wednesday turning into Friday without a scene break
• A street that moves across town between chapters

Style sheet staples:

• Names, nicknames, and preferred spellings
• Capitalization rules for world terms
• Numerals and dates
• Hyphenation choices, email or e-mail, decision locked
• Voice notes, sentence quirks you want preserved

Example fix:

• Before: “OK” on page 12, “Okay” on page 40, “ok” on page 87.
• After: One form chosen. Applied everywhere.

Proofreading

Scope:

• Final pass on designed pages
• Typos and missing words
• Layout problems
• Widows and orphans
• Bad breaks and hyphenation errors
• Page headers and folios

Proofreading comes once the book is laid out. It is not the place to rework scenes. You are catching surface errors, plus anything the design process introduced.

What it fixes:

• “Form” where you meant “from”
• A caption misaligned with its image
• A paragraph that breaks in a way that harms rhythm
• A page header that says Chapter Five on Chapter Six

Rule of thumb. If a change would reflow multiple pages, flag and discuss. Do not rewrite paragraphs at this stage unless there is a true error.

Sensitivity reading

Scope:

• Representation and context
• Cultural accuracy
• Harmful tropes and blind spots
• Reader impact for targeted identities

Schedule this before copyediting. You want time to revise without rebuilding your style sheet.

What it fixes:

• Stereotyped secondary characters
• Harmful idioms hiding in default phrasing
• Mismatched language for a period or community
• Trauma handled without care

What you receive:

• A report with flagged passages and context
• Suggestions for revision and resources
• Sometimes margin comments for clarity

This is focused feedback, not a full edit. It works best when you supply goals and questions up front.

Manuscript assessment

Scope:

• High-level diagnostic
• Strengths and weak points
• Priority list for next steps

Use this when you are early in revisions or unsure which edit to book. You get a letter, not tracked changes. It points to the level of edit you need and where to aim first.

What it fixes:

• Decision paralysis
• Misplaced effort on sentences when structure needs work
• Confusion about genre fit and word count range

Typical outcomes:

• A ranked to-do list, restructure first, then line work, then polish
• Notes on comps and market fit
• A candid call on readiness for querying or production

How to choose your next step

• If readers are confused about who wants what, start with developmental.
• If readers track the story but report slow spots or flat dialogue, book a line edit.
• If readers love the book and you are preparing to publish, move to copyediting.
• If the book is laid out and you need a final check, hire a proofreader.
• If you are writing outside your lived experience, schedule a sensitivity read before copyediting.
• If you want direction before heavy revision, request a manuscript assessment.

One last tip. Do not stack all edits at once. Sequence them. Fix structure, then lines, then correctness, then pages. Your future self will thank you. Your readers will too.

Genre-by-genre priorities in fiction editing

Editing shifts with the shelf you’re aiming for. Each genre has its own promises. Keep those promises and readers trust you. Break them and they will feel it on page one.

Romance

The relationship is the plot. Everything else is support.

Top checks:

• A clear central arc. Two people, a believable bond, real conflict, earned change.
• Consent on the page. Heat-level consistent with your category. Closed door. Open door. No bait and switch.
• Trope execution that feels fresh. Grumpy-sunshine. Enemies to lovers. Second chance. Use the beats. Avoid the paint-by-numbers feel.
• A true HEA or HFN. No tragic twist in the last chapter unless you are writing a different genre.

Red flags:

• A crime subplot that swallows the romance.
• Internal conflicts that vanish when a character speaks one sentence.
• Love scenes that repeat the same motions without moving the story.

Quick fix:

• Before: They argue for 10 pages, then kiss because the chapter needs a lift.
• After: The argument exposes a core wound. The kiss follows a specific choice, and it changes the power balance.

Mini exercise:

• List five moments when the relationship state changes. Meet. First spark. First fracture. Point of no return. Commitment. If any box is empty, build that beat.

Mystery and Thriller

Readers want to play along and feel smart at the end.

Top checks:

• Fair-play clues planted early. Visible, but easy to miss.
• Red herrings that mislead without lying.
• Suspects with motives that evolve as facts shift.
• Escalation. Pressure rises scene by scene.
• A timeline you can chart without aspirin.

Red flags:

• A twist solved by information the reader never saw.
• Coincidences that do the heavy lifting.
• Forensics, tech, or procedure that breaks genre norms.

Toolbox:

• Color-code your clues, red herrings, and foreshadowing. You should see a pattern across the whole book.
• Build a crime timeline and a protagonist timeline. Make them align to the hour when needed.

Quick fix:

• Before: The butler confesses because the chapter ends.
• After: The butler slips once, misnames a street that only the killer would know. The reveal clicks into place from three earlier details.

Fantasy and Sci‑Fi

Wonder plus rules. If everything is possible, nothing matters.

Top checks:

• A coherent system for magic or tech. Clear limits and costs.
• World terms used consistently. Glossary and map where needed.
• Exposition fed through action. No lumps of history that stop the scene.
• Continuity across a series. Names, calendars, travel times, invented units.

Red flags:

• Power inflation to solve late problems.
• Made-up words that sound alike and blur together.
• A prophecy that explains motivation better than character choice.

Quick fix:

• Before: “The ancient order has guarded the Shard for millennia” in a two-paragraph dump.
• After: A novice fails a warding test. Sparks singe her sleeves. The mentor says, “The Shard burned my mother too.” History lands through stakes.

Mini exercise:

• Write the rule and the price. “Telepathy works through skin contact. Using it for more than a minute causes a nosebleed.” Now stress it in a scene. Does the choice cost something real.

Historical

Readers will forgive some polish on diction. They will not forgive a zipper before zippers.

Top checks:

• Period-accurate setting details and social norms.
• Language that nods to the time without turning into parody.
• Calendars, monarchs, street names, and currency right for the year.
• Real people handled with care and sourced.

Red flags:

• A twentieth-century mindset in an eighteenth-century character with no story reason.
• Anachronistic slang. Tech before its invention. Holidays on the wrong date.
• Research nuggets stuffed into dialogue.

Quick fix:

• Before: “No worries,” said the footman in 1812.
• After: “Think nothing of it,” the footman said.

Research habit:

• Keep a running anachronism list in your style sheet. Lock choices. Note sources. If you bend a fact for story, mark it and be consistent.

Literary and Book Club

Voice carries the weight. So does structure. Depth needs momentum.

Top checks:

• A distinctive narrative voice with restraint in the right places.
• Imagery that earns its keep. One image that lands beats three that smear.
• Theme braided through action, not stapled on in the last essayish chapter.
• Interiority that reveals change, and scenes that still turn.

Red flags:

• Paragraphs that read like throat clearing.
• Labyrinthine timelines that confuse without payoff.
• Sentences that sing but say nothing.

Quick fix:

• Before: “Grief was a dark ocean and she, a leaf,” and then four more watery lines.
• After: “She stacked his shirts. Counted to ten. Lost count at three.” Image, action, emotion, in one breath.

Mini exercise:

• Do an image audit. Highlight metaphors in one chapter. Keep the two strongest. Cut the rest. Watch clarity improve.

YA and MG

Voice is age-true. Stakes are clear. Adults exist, even if they are flawed.

Top checks:

• Age-appropriate world view. Teens center peers and independence. Middle grade centers family, friends, and fairness.
• Content aligned with category norms. Heat, language, violence, and on-page outcomes.
• Pacing that moves. Shorter chapters. Frequent turns.
• Adults present in a way that adds texture without fixing every problem.

Red flags:

• Moralizing. A character lectures and the scene dies.
• Slang that will date by the time you launch.
• Twelve-year-olds who talk like thirty-year-olds.

Quick fix:

• Before: “Bullying is wrong,” the teacher says for a page.
• After: The bully posts a photo. The friend does not sit with the protagonist at lunch. Consequence lands on the page. Readers draw the lesson.

Practical tip:

• Use specific, concrete teen or kid concerns. Homecoming budget. First shift at the diner. A lost library book. Situations do the work of slang.

One page test for any genre

• Write your promise in one line. What readers expect by the final chapter.
• Mark three places where you deliver on that promise.
• Find one scene where you break the promise. Fix or cut.

Honor the genre, and your voice has room to breathe. Ignore it, and the best sentences in the world will not save the book.

The fiction editing workflow from draft to publication

A smooth edit follows a clear sequence. Follow these stages and keep momentum without wasting months.

Discovery and sample edit

Start with a quick exchange of facts and a short test drive.

What to share:

• Genre and comp titles, plus word count and audience.
• Goals for this book and for your career.
• A representative excerpt, not the strongest page, the most typical page.

What to watch in a sample:

• Queries that show story sense, not nitpicking.
• Respect for voice. Edits sharpen rhythm without sanding off personality.
• Notes on level and scope. A pro names problems and proposes a path.

Mini prep:

• Write a one-line promise for the book. Share that line with the excerpt. An editor who targets that promise in feedback belongs on your shortlist.

Scoping and contract

Now set boundaries, deliverables, and dates.

Lock down:

• Level of edit. Developmental, line, copy, or a staged plan.
• Deliverables. Editorial letter page count, tracked changes, style sheet, follow-up call.
• Number of passes and whether a revision review follows.
• Schedule, fees, milestones, and payment plan.
• File format. Word with Track Changes, plus a PDF at proof stage.

Contract checkpoint:

• Clear scope language.
• Start and delivery dates.
• Confidentiality, rights, and kill terms.
• Late fees and revision windows.
• Who owns the style sheet and how future books will reference it.

Red flags:

• Vague promises.
• Refusal to sample.
• Pressure to skip proofreading.

Developmental phase

Big picture comes first. Structure, plot logic, character desire and change, scene order, genre aim.

How the work flows:

• You receive an editorial letter, a scene map, and a revision plan.
• Margin queries mark turning points, soft conflict, and unclear motivation.
• You revise in passes, high-level first, then scene-level.

Helpful tools:

• A reverse outline lists scenes with goal, conflict, outcome. Gaps jump out.
• A beat check marks inciting incident, midpoint, low point, climax. Empty slots signal missing turns.

Example margin query:

• “Goal stated as escape, but choice in paragraph four anchors the character to the house. Which desire wins.”
• “Coincidence triggers this reveal. Plant a setup two chapters earlier.”

Revision trick:

• Write a new logline after each macro pass. When the logline stops changing, move on.

Line and copy passes

Now the prose. Then consistency.

Line edit focus:

• Sentence rhythm, vivid nouns and verbs, clean interiority, dialogue that sounds like people.
• Tight point of view. Fewer filter verbs. Fewer echoes.

Copyediting focus:

• Grammar, punctuation, usage, continuity, and house style.
• A living style sheet tracks names, hyphenation, capitalization, numerals, and world terms.

Style sheet sample entries:

• Spelling: US, Merriam-Webster.
• Serial comma: yes.
• Numbers: words one through one hundred, numerals after.
• Terms: skyship, blood-mage, South Ward, the Patrol.
• Character list with ages and first appearance pages.

Order matters. Line first, copy second. Lock prose before locking commas.

Beta readers and sensitivity readers

Before copyediting, bring in outside eyes. Seek readers who love the genre and will speak plainly.

Ask for:

• Pages of confusion, skim points, and scenes loved.
• Tension map. Where pulse rises, where it dips.
• Representation notes. Harmful tropes, blind spots, or gaps.

Good prompts:

• “Mark every spot where you felt lost.”
• “Flag one scene you would cut and one you would reread.”
• “For identity X, what rang true, what hurt.”

Fold this feedback into one more pass. Keep a change log so copyediting does not trip over old versions.

Proof on designed pages

Typesetting changes the reading experience. Line breaks, hyphenation, and spacing alter flow. Time for a final quality check.

What to mark:

• Typos and punctuation slips missed earlier.
• Bad breaks, widows, orphans.
• Word stacks, rivers, cramped tracking.
• Header and footer consistency, folios, running heads.
• Scene break symbols and spacing.
• Table of contents against page numbers.

Scope discipline:

• Only minimal, non-structural changes here. New lines ripple across pages. Save big rewrites for earlier stages.

Workflow tip:

• Export a proofing PDF and use sticky notes or proof marks. Log every change for the formatter.

Handoff to production

Prepare a tidy package for formatting and cover work. Fewer surprises, faster launch.

Include:

• Clean final Word file with tracked changes accepted.
• Final style sheet.
• Proofed PDF with markups resolved.
• Front matter. Half title, title page, copyright page, dedication, epigraph if used.
• Back matter. Acknowledgments, author note, reading group guide, series order, teaser, author bio, newsletter link.
• ISBN, imprint, BISAC codes, price, trim size, paper choice.
• Series data. Numbering, universe notes, recurring characters.

Final checks:

• Confirm spelling for names across cover, spine, title page, and metadata.
• Confirm interior and cover fonts support special glyphs.
• Confirm ebook needs. Linked table of contents, scene break markers, image compression.

Two common detours:

• Stacked schedules. Build buffer time between stages, especially when developmental notes prompt fresh scenes.
• Version chaos. Use a naming scheme. BookTitle_v3_dev. BookTitle_v5_line. BookTitle_final_proof. Your future self will thank you.

Follow this sequence and each pass serves the next. Fewer loops. Cleaner pages. A book ready for readers, not guesswork.

Self-editing checklist before hiring an editor

You want an edit that moves the book forward, not a bill for fixes you could have handled. Run these passes before you hire. You will learn faster, spend less, and hand over a stronger draft.

Reverse outline

Map the story you wrote, not the story you meant to write.

• List every scene in order. For each scene, note goal, conflict, outcome.
• Draw arrows from outcome A to setup B. Missing arrows signal weak causality.
• Write two lines for every scene. Before: story state. After: story state. No change means a cut or a rethink.
• Mark scenes with the same function, for example three interrogation scenes. Combine or escalate.

Quick exercise:

• Set a 20-minute timer. Outline three chapters. If outcomes repeat, revise so each outcome forces a new problem.

POV and narrative distance

Readers stay anchored when the lens stays steady.

• Choose one point of view per scene. No head-hopping.
• Pick a baseline distance, close or distant, and stick to it during a scene.
• Search for filter verbs, felt, saw, noticed, realized. Rewrite with direct sensation.
• Confirm tense and person across chapters. Mixed signals break trust.

Quick exercise:

• Color-code pronouns by character for one chapter. Extra colors in a single scene signal a leak.
• Rewrite one paragraph in closer distance. Swap “She saw rain hit the glass” for “Rain hit the glass.”

Character and motivation

Desire drives plot. Clarity drives empathy.

• For each lead, write three lines. Want, wound, plan.
• Name a concrete external goal and a private internal need. Both should move.
• Track choices over time. Choices reveal values, not speeches.
• Log continuity. If Nora fears water in chapter two, a lake scene in chapter eight needs a reaction or a beat of growth.

Quick exercise:

• Draft a one-sentence arc for each lead. “By risking X, A learns Y, which allows Z.” If the sentence stays mushy, revisit stakes or change.

Pacing and structure

Pacing is pressure. Pressure comes from consequence.

• Chop soft openings. Start as close as possible to disruption.
• Build a midpoint that flips power or information.
• Compress the middle. Fewer travel scenes, more turns.
• End scenes on movement. A choice, a revelation, a surprise.

Quick exercise:

• Sketch an energy line across chapters, low to high. Flat stretches mark cuts, condensations, or added tension devices.
• Set a target of one material change per scene. No change, no scene.

Dialogue and exposition

Dialogue serves character and motion. Exposition serves clarity.

• Cut greetings, food orders, and recap within dialogue. Readers get bored fast.
• Use said for most tags. Fancy tags draw attention to the tag, not the line.
• Give each major character a small verbal tell, rhythm or word choice, never a catchphrase.
• Replace info-dumps with action. Plant a clue in a quarrel, reveal history during a task.

Quick exercise:

• Trim ten percent from a talky scene. Aim for shorter beats, sharper turns.
• Read one scene aloud. Stumble points often hide extra words or false notes.

Language-level polish

Clean prose lets voice breathe.

• Build a stoplist of your tics. Qualifiers, throat-clearing openings, pet metaphors. Search and prune.
• Swap vague verbs for concrete action. “He moved” becomes “He shoved the door.”
• Kill clichés. Replace borrowed lines with sensory specifics.
• Watch echoes. Same word or image twice in a paragraph muddies focus.

Quick exercise:

• Run a search for filter verbs, felt, noticed, seemed, began to. Rewrite ten examples.
• Pick one page. Circle every adjective and adverb. Keep the few that earn space.

Continuity and facts

Fiction invents freely, logic still rules.

• Build a timeline with dates, weekdays, and moon phases if relevant.
• Track ages, pregnancies, school terms, travel durations, and seasonal cues.
• For fantasy or sci-fi, write system rules with costs and limits. Enforce them.
• For historical work, verify calendars, currency, slang, and real-person appearances with two sources.

Quick exercise:

• Create a style sheet. Names, titles, hyphenation choices, capitalization, numerals, world terms. Keep it open while revising.
• Pull three scenes at random. Check clothes, injuries, weather, and props for carryover.

Market alignment

Readers expect certain beats and scope within each shelf.

• Confirm word count norms for your genre and audience.
• List must-have beats for the genre. Mark where each beat lands.
• Pick three comp titles. Note tone, heat level, violence level, humor level, ending promise.
• Draft a back-cover hook. Promise, stakes, vibe. The manuscript should deliver that promise.

Quick exercise:

• Hand the hook to a beta reader. After reading three chapters, ask whether pages match the promise.
• Compare chapter count and scene length to comps. Outliers often flag pacing problems.

Do this work and you walk into editing with clear aims, a living style sheet, and a lighter draft. Your editor will thank you. Your readers will feel the difference.

Finding, budgeting, and collaborating with a fiction editor

You want an editor who lifts the story without sanding off your voice. Start with a plan, ask sharp questions, and treat the work like a partnership.

Where to look

• Professional directories: Editorial Freelancers Association and CIEP. Use filters for genre and service.
• Curated marketplaces: Reedsy. Review portfolios and sample pages.
• Genre associations: RWA, MWA, SFWA, HWA, SCBWI. Check member directories and forums.
• Acknowledgments pages: scan books you love. Authors thank editors by name.
• Author peers: ask in genre Facebook groups, Discord servers, and local chapters. Warm referrals save time.

Five‑minute sprint:

• Pick three comp titles. Note editor names from acknowledgments. Search those names, then add two more editors from their portfolios.

Evaluate fit

Experience matters, but alignment matters more.

• Genre fluency: an editor who loves your shelf understands beats, heat level, and reader promises.
• Voice sensitivity: sample pages should refine, not flatten. If your voice sounds generic after edits, walk away.
• Story instincts: look for margin queries that ask about motive, stakes, and payoff.
• Testimonials: favor quotes that mention kindness, clarity, and tough notes delivered with respect.
• Availability match: schedule needs to line up with your revision windows.

Simple test:

• Send 1,000 words from a representative scene. Avoid a polished prologue. Ask for a short sample with tracked changes and a paragraph on big concerns. Compare two or three samples side by side.

Scope and deliverables

Clarity up front prevents friction later.

• Level of service: manuscript assessment, developmental, line, copy, or proof. Start big picture before fine polish.
• Passes: agree on number of rounds for each level.
• Editorial letter: length, structure, and focus. Ask for a sample letter from a past project, with private details removed.
• Tracked changes: line-level suggestions inside the file, plus margin queries.
• Style sheet: spellings, hyphenation choices, capitalization rules, names, place terms, world rules.
• Follow‑up: debrief call, email support, deadline for follow‑up questions.

Contract essentials:

• Start date and delivery dates.
• Word count locked or range with a surcharge policy.
• Fee structure and payment schedule.
• What counts as a revision round.
• Refund and reschedule policies.
• Confidentiality and credit language.

Budget and timeline

Editing works best in stages. Each stage solves a different problem.

• Developmental edit: structure and character arcs. Highest cost and longest timeline.
• Line edit: rhythm, clarity, imagery, and dialogue flow.
• Copyedit: consistency, usage, and continuity.
• Proofread: final typos on designed pages.

Planning tips:

• Book months ahead for a 70 to 100k novel. Popular editors fill calendars fast.
• Ask for a detailed quote by level. Per‑word or flat fee, what is included, how many passes, rush fees, and payment milestones.
• Build buffer time. Two to four weeks after each round for revisions. More if major rewrites land.
• Keep funds staged. Paying in thirds works well, deposit, mid‑point, and final.

A realistic timeline for a first novel:

• Month 1: manuscript assessment, then a revision sprint guided by the letter.
• Months 2 to 3: developmental edit and an author revision pass.
• Month 4: line edit.
• Month 5: copyedit.
• Month 6: layout, then proofread on pages.

Communication

Match working styles early.

• Feedback tone: blunt, gentle, or somewhere in the middle. Ask for a truth‑with‑tact approach if that suits you.
• Tools: Word with Track Changes for edits. Google Docs for discussion only, unless both sides prefer live editing there.
• Queries: agree on how questions will appear, margin comments or a query log.
• Response windows: how fast each side replies during a round.
• Meetings: set a debrief call after each major phase. Thirty to sixty minutes keeps things efficient.

Email template for first contact:

Subject: Novel edit inquiry, [Genre], [Word count]

Hi [Name],

I write [genre] and seek a [service level] for a [word count] novel, working title [Title]. Target window: [Month range].

Goals: [two or three goals, for example, sharper midpoint, tighter POV, stronger voice].
Comps: [two recent titles].
Would you share availability, a quote, and a short sample on a 1,000‑word excerpt?

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Website or socials]

Working through feedback

• Read the editorial letter once without touching the file. Let the plan settle.
• Reread and mark quick wins, medium lifts, and heavy lifts. Tackle quick wins first for momentum.
• If a note feels off, look under the surface. The solution offered might not fit, yet the symptom points to a real snag.
• Keep a revision log. Scene changes, added beats, cuts. Share a summary when returning the next draft.

Two quick exercises:

• One‑page synopsis rewrite after the developmental round. If the summary reads cleaner, the book moved in the right direction.
• Dialogue polish pass aloud. Your ear hears false notes your eyes skip.

Red flags

• Bestseller promises or magic‑bullet marketing talk.
• Pressure to skip proofreading or sensitivity reads.
• No sample edit offered for a new client, even a short slice.
• Vague contracts or refusal to define scope and passes.
• Disinterest in genre norms, word count ranges, and reader expectations.
• A voice rewrite in the sample that makes your sentences sound like someone else.

Green lights

• Specific notes tied to scenes and outcomes.
• Respect for your voice on the line level.
• A style sheet started during early passes.
• Clear boundaries on what belongs in each round.
• A timeline with slack for you to revise, not a rush to the finish.

Find a partner who asks smart questions and honors your goals. Pay for the work that moves the book forward. Set clear terms. Then do the revisions with care. Strong collaboration saves money, shortens timelines, and sends a sharper story into readers’ hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

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