How To Know When Your Manuscript Is Ready For An Editor

Gary Smailes | 18 November 2025

Know Which Editing Stage You’re Aiming For

Hiring the right edit saves money, time, and sanity. Pick the stage that matches your draft, not your dreams.

Developmental editing

Goal: strengthen structure, argument, pacing, and character or author ethos.

You are ready when:

• A full draft exists from beginning to end.
• Premise holds steady. No new concept every few chapters.
• Ending appears on the page, not in your head.
• No “TK” placeholders.
• You want big-picture help, not sentence polish.

Quick checks:

• Summarize the book in one sentence. Struggle here signals a premise wobble.
• List scenes or sections and state the purpose of each. Any unit with no change to status quo goes on a cut or combine list.
• Mark setups and payoffs. Missing payoffs point to structure work.
• Name the central desire and the cost. Vague desire means stakes work ahead.

What you receive from a strong developmental edit:

• An editorial letter with a plan, not a line-by-line pass.
• Notes on structure, logic, point of view, argument scaffolding, and pacing.
• A clear set of revision priorities.

Mini-exercise:

• Write three questions for a developmental editor. Example: Where does momentum stall. Which thread steals focus. What sequence order would raise stakes.

Line editing

Goal: improve voice, flow, rhythm, and clarity on the page.

You are ready when:

• Order of scenes or chapters is locked.
• No major cuts, merges, or moves on the horizon.
• You want stronger prose and consistent tone.

Quick checks:

• Read aloud. Stumbling signals clunky syntax.
• Highlight filter words, hedges, and weak modifiers. Replace or cut.
• Test paragraph focus. One job per paragraph, two outcomes across a page.

A tiny before and after:

• Before: She felt a sense of fear rising up inside as she started to slowly open the door.
• After: Fear climbed as she opened the door.

What you receive from a strong line edit:

• Revisions in-line with Track Changes or comments.
• Alternatives for tangled sentences.
• Notes on repetition, cliché, and tonal drift.

Mini-exercise:

• Pick one page. Shorten average sentence length by two words without losing meaning.

Copyediting

Goal: fix grammar, usage, consistency, and style. Also fact-checking.

You are ready when:

• Content is final.
• Only light wording tweaks expected.
• A style sheet exists with names, spellings, hyphenation, numbers, capitalization, dialogue choices, world rules, and deliberate quirks.

Quick checks:

• Choose a style guide. CMOS for books, AP for journalism-heavy work.
• Standardize numbers, dashes, ellipses, quotation marks, and lists.
• Verify every fact, quote, date, and source.

What you receive from a strong copyedit:

• Consistency across the book.
• Corrections for grammar and usage.
• Queries where clarity breaks.

Mini-exercise:

• Create a style entry for one thorny choice. Example: email, not e-mail. OK, not okay. US spelling throughout.

Proofreading

Goal: catch typos and layout glitches after typesetting.

You are ready when:

• Pages are laid out in final format, PDF or proof copy.
• All edits above are complete.

What a proofreader hunts:

• Typos, punctuation slips, double spaces.
• Widows and orphans, awkward hyphen breaks, bad line wraps.
• Page numbers, headers, footers, and TOC mismatches.
• Image placement, caption accuracy, and link targets in ePub.

Mini-exercise:

• Print ten pages. Use a ruler under each line. Read backward word by word. Slow eyes find errors fast.

Action step: write a one-page revision brief

One page, no fluff. This brief keeps you and your editor aligned.

Include:

• Promise to the reader. Outcome or emotional ride.
• Target audience. Age range, niche, pain points or cravings.
• Genre or category. Upmarket romance, epic fantasy, narrative nonfiction, prescriptive business, memoir.
• Three to five comp titles with one line per comp on fit.
• Word-count goal and current count.
• Stage requested. Developmental, line, copyedit, or proofreading.
• Top three concerns. Examples: soft midpoint, thin antagonist, uneven voice, jargon load.
• Known risks. Sensitive topics, legal exposure, accuracy traps.
• Style guide and style sheet link.
• Timeline and delivery format. Word with Track Changes, Google Docs, or PDF for proofs.

Subject line for the email:

• Revision brief, [Book Title], [Stage], [Month Year]

Send the brief before a quote request. Right stage, right scope, right partner. That mix brings a clean edit and a better book.

Self-Revision Milestones to Hit Before You Hire

Hire after a strong pass on your own. Editors do their best work when a draft shows clear intent and clean choices.

Reverse outline your manuscript

Give every scene or section a job title and an outcome. If nothing changes, merge or cut.

• Create a quick table with four columns: chapter or scene, purpose, outcome, and tension level.
• Purpose answers why this unit exists. Outcome states what changes on the page.
• Tension level reveals heat. Low heat across several units signals a lull.

Example row:

• Scene: Dinner with the boss.
• Purpose: Push Alex to accept a transfer.
• Outcome: Alex refuses, HR opens an audit.
• Tension: Medium.

Two passes help:

• Pass one, list every unit in order. No commentary.
• Pass two, fill purpose and outcome. Flag any unit with “no change” or a vague purpose.

Quick fix:

• Combine two soft scenes into one decisive scene.
• Move a strong scene earlier to break a slow stretch.

Pass the Two-Job Test

Every scene or paragraph should do at least two jobs. One job bores. Two or more builds momentum.

Common jobs:

• Advance plot or argument.
• Reveal character or establish authority.
• Raise stakes.
• Develop theme.
• Build world or context.
• Sharpen voice.

Fast audit:

• Write two verbs under each scene header. For example, “pressures” and “reveals.” Absence of two strong verbs signals thin material.

Fiction example:

• A car chase advances the pursuit and exposes loyalty when the sidekick refuses to leave a bystander.

Nonfiction example:

• A case study supports the claim and builds trust through transparent methods.

Trim common bloat

Readers forgive many sins, not flab. Tighten at the line level.

• Cut throat-clearing openings. Begin where pressure starts.
• Replace filter words. Swap “I saw the lights flicker” with “Lights flickered.”
• Delete hedges and weak intensifiers. Precision beats puff.
• Compress stacked modifiers. One clean noun or verb outperforms a cluster.
• Remove redundant statements. Say a thing once, then move.

Mini-drill, one page, five minutes:

• Circle every “there is” or “there are.” Replace with a noun-verb start.
• Highlight -ly adverbs. Keep one that earns its keep, cut the rest.
• Reduce average sentence length by two words without losing meaning.

Before and after:

• Before: She started to slowly walk toward the door, feeling a cold kind of fear in her stomach.
• After: She walked toward the door. Cold fear pooled in her stomach.

Solidify structure

Structure carries readers through. Loose structure drops them.

For fiction, run these checks:

• Clear desire line. Name what the protagonist wants and why it matters.
• Cause and effect chain. Each beat triggers the next.
• Midpoint shifts pressure. A reveal, reversal, or raised cost.
• Climax solves the central problem through earned choices.
• Setups pay off. Promises on page 50 deliver by page 300.

For nonfiction, run these checks:

• A logical progression from problem to payoff.
• Chapters with a clear question and a solid takeaway.
• Recurring scaffolding, such as open with a story, explain, apply, recap.
• No orphan ideas. Each key term appears where readers need it.

Quick tool:

• Print the table of contents. Beside each chapter title, write one outcome. Gaps or repeats point to missing links or bloat.

Build a style sheet

Protect voice and continuity with a one-page style sheet. Editors love a clean reference, readers love consistency.

Include:

• Names and places, with spellings and diacritics.
• Capitalization choices, such as internet or Internet.
• Hyphenation and compounds, such as email, health care, time line or timeline.
• Numbers and dates, words or numerals, day-month order.
• Dialogue punctuation and interior thought format.
• World rules for fantasy or SF, tech terms for nonfiction.
• Deliberate quirks, such as sentence fragments or no oxford comma.

Example entries:

• Percent, use symbol with numerals, 5%.
• OK, not okay or O.K.
• US spelling throughout.
• Swear words appear in dialogue only.

Keep the file at hand. Update after every revision pass.

Stabilize content

Editors expect a full draft, not Swiss cheese.

• Replace every TK note with content, even a rough placeholder paragraph.
• Verify facts, dates, quotes, and attributions.
• Secure permissions for long quotations and images.
• Standardize citations and references. Pick a system and stick to it.
• Confirm timelines and ages. Build a quick spreadsheet for complex plots.

Mini-checklist:

• Every figure and table has a caption and a source.
• Every epigraph holds a clearance note or falls under fair use.
• Foreign words carry translation on first use or a glossary entry.

Action step: targeted sweeps and read aloud

One focused afternoon pays off more than a week of vague tinkering.

Run four targeted sweeps:

• Echo words. Search for repeated nouns or verbs within a short span. Swap or cut.
• There is or there are. Rewrite to start with a subject and a strong verb.
• Passive overuse. Change to active where clarity improves. Keep passive where the actor matters less than the action.
• -ly adverbs. Trade for precise verbs or concrete detail.

Then read aloud:

• Read a chapter to a phone recorder or use text-to-speech. Mark every stumble, breath, or tune-out moment.
• Flag long sentences that drain air. Split or re-balance.
• Note where eyes glaze. Diagnose cause, such as abstraction, low stakes, or summary.

A tiny cadence drill:

• Take one paragraph. Alternate sentence lengths, short then long, or long then short. Keep meaning the same. Listen for new energy.

Reach these milestones and an editor steps into a stable room, not a moving truck. Strong prep lowers costs, shortens timelines, and raises the ceiling on quality. Your future self will send a thank-you note.

External Signals: Use Reader Data to Confirm Readiness

You know your book from the inside. Readers show you the outside view. Use their notes to confirm strength, spot weak links, and decide when to hire.

Beta readers who match the work

Recruit three to eight readers who know your genre or subject. Give a small brief, a deadline, and a simple way to respond.

Where to find strong readers:

• Trusted critique partners.
• Genre forums or book clubs.
• Newsletter subscribers who love your niche.
• Colleagues with relevant training.

What to send:

• A one-page brief with promise to the reader, audience, comps, word count goal, and content notes.
• A survey link plus permission for in-document comments.
• A due date and word-count range for desired comments.

Survey prompts that pull signal:

• Where did interest spike or flatten? Mark page numbers.
• What are the stakes by chapter three? State in one sentence.
• Which character or claim felt strongest? Weakest?
• Any confusion about timeline, world rules, or argument steps?
• Where did skimming start?
• Rate engagement and clarity per chapter, 1 to 5.
• One wish for the next draft.

Keep readers focused. Ask for evidence, not line edits. A single outlier gives flavor. Patterns give truth.

Mini-exercise:

• Pick two readers with no history with your work. Ask for a one-page response only. No margin notes. If those pages point to the same three hotspots as your heavy readers, you have reliable signal.

Look for convergence, not noise

You are ready for professional editing when notes shift from structural gaps to taste.

Signs of convergence:

• Feedback clusters on line-level polish, tone, or rhythm.
• Comments praise structure and flow, with small pockets of confusion.
• Suggested cuts target repetition, not story logic or argument order.
• No one begs for a different ending, a new villain, or a missing chapter.

Signs you need another self-revision pass first:

• Multiple readers lost track of stakes.
• Repeated “I skimmed here” flags over the same chapter group.
• Disagreement over protagonist goals or central claim.
• Timeline or argument steps raise questions, not curiosity.

Two quick patterns to watch:

• If three readers highlight Chapter 8 as slow, Chapter 8 needs surgery.
• If one reader hates a subplot that others love, that note goes in the taste column.

Specialist reads, done early

Bring in a sensitivity reader or a subject-matter expert when accuracy and lived experience matter. Early specialist reads save time and avoid costly fixes.

When to hire:

• Identities or cultures outside your lived experience.
• Legal, medical, military, or high-risk technical content.
• Historical settings, real persons, or regulated fields.
• Trauma and mental health depictions.
• Financial advice or scientific claims.

How to brief:

• Share relevant excerpts plus context for goals and audience.
• Name the scope of feedback you want. Accuracy, harm avoidance, missing nuance, or ethical concerns.
• Offer clear examples of the tone you seek.

What to expect:

• Margin notes with corrections and risks.
• A summary of systemic issues.
• Sources for further verification.

Quick diagnostics before you pay

Run a light test with two fresh readers who suit your audience. Use a tight checklist.

Ask for three numbers and three answers:

• Engagement, 1 to 5, per act or per chapter.
• Pacing, 1 to 5.
• Clarity of stakes or throughline, 1 to 5.
• State the main desire or problem in one line.
• Point to the first skim point, with a page number.
• Name one scene or section that felt essential.

Ready signals:

• No confusion about stakes or throughline from both readers.
• Engagement and pacing scores at 4 or 5 across most of the book.
• No repeated “I skimmed here” hotspots.
• Opening pages earn a yes to “Would you read on?”

If numbers sag or answers waffle, return to structure or line work before hiring.

Not sure where to start? Get a small professional sample

Two light options reduce guesswork.

Editorial assessment:

• You receive a letter with strengths, risks, and next steps.
• Focus rests on structure, argument, and market fit.
• No line edits, high value for early drafts.

Sample edit:

• One to two pages with tracked changes and inline notes.
• You see how an editor engages with voice and lines.
• Useful when structure feels stable and prose needs lift.

Pick one based on your biggest unknown. If structure wobbles, choose an assessment. If prose rhythm or tone feels off, ask for a sample edit.

Turn feedback into a plan

Gather raw notes, then sort. Your brain wants to fix everything at once. Order calms chaos.

Build a feedback matrix with four columns:

• Issue, a short label, such as “stakes unclear” or “info-dump.”
• Location, chapter and page range.
• Severity, High, Medium, Low.
• Suggested fix, your idea or a reader suggestion.

Example entries:

• Stakes unclear, Ch. 2, pages 18–26, High, establish cost in scene opening.
• Pacing dip, Ch. 8, pages 143–158, Medium, cut training montage to one beat.
• Term confusion, Ch. 3 and 5, Low, define “throughput” on first use.

Workflow:

• Tackle all High items first.
• Update your reverse outline after every fix.
• Run one more quick read on any chapter with multiple High flags.

A short debrief helps:

• What surprised you?
• What stayed true to your intent?
• What change would thrill your target reader?

Reader data removes guesswork. When patterns show clarity, momentum, and only small taste-level tweaks, your draft stands on solid ground. Hire with confidence, and ask your editor to build on that strength.

Market Fit and Positioning Checks

Market fit answers a simple question. Will a reader pick up your book and know the promise? Positioning places the book in the right aisle and sets the right tone. Run these checks before paying for editing.

Hook and clarity

Write a one-sentence logline and a 150-word blurb. If words refuse to come, the idea still needs shaping.

Two quick templates.

Fiction logline:

• Protagonist + goal + obstacle + stakes.
• Example, romance: A guarded baker must win a city bake-off to save the shop, or lose the lease and the found family within.

Nonfiction logline:

• Audience + problem + approach + outcome.
• Example, leadership: For first-time managers, a practical playbook for one-on-ones, feedback, and trust building in 90 days.

Blurb structure, fiction:

• Paragraph 1, status quo and spark.
• Paragraph 2, rising trouble, higher cost, a choice.
• Final line, a question with risk and hope.

Blurb structure, nonfiction:

• Paragraph 1, define the reader problem.
• Paragraph 2, method, scope, and key features.
• Final line, promise and who benefits.

Mini-exercise:

• Read the logline aloud. Then delete every extra clause. If meaning survives, the core premise stands strong. If not, return to premise work before hiring.

Genre and word-count norms

Pick three to five recent comp titles. Note category, tone, and length. Check your draft against those ranges and core conventions.

Typical ranges, ballpark only:

• Romance, 70 to 90k.
• Thriller, 80 to 100k.
• Epic fantasy, 100 to 130k.
• Mystery, 70 to 90k.
• Memoir, 70 to 90k.
• Business or self-help, 50 to 80k.

Conventions worth honoring:

• Romance needs a central couple and a happy ending or a hopeful one.
• Mystery needs a crime, fair clues, suspects, and a reveal that holds up.
• Thriller needs a threat, a ticking clock, and a chase that tightens.
• Fantasy needs clear rules for magic or tech, plus payoffs for promises.
• Science fiction needs one core speculative element with logical ripple effects.
• Memoir needs a throughline, a change, and a reason for this time frame.
• Practical nonfiction needs repeatable steps, proof, and outcomes readers care about.

If a range mismatch feels huge, consider scope, audience age, or series potential. If a convention is missing, add or rethink before moving forward.

Audience promise

Readers buy outcomes and experiences. Name yours.

• Nonfiction prompt: This book helps [audience] solve [problem] by [approach], so readers gain [payoff] within [time frame or context].
• Fiction prompt: Readers will feel [two to three emotions], face [stakes], and leave with [aftertaste, for example hope, catharsis, curiosity].

Examples:

• Nonfiction, parenting: This book helps burned-out parents set boundaries with kids under ten by using calm scripts and weekly check-ins, so families gain less yelling and more follow-through in one month.
• Fiction, horror: Readers will feel dread, grief, and relief, face a curse tied to family lies, and leave with a shiver and a sense of justice.

Share the promise with a critique partner. If the response sounds like, sign me up, you are closer than you think. If the response sounds puzzled, sharpen the promise, then revise.

Querying vs self-publishing

Different paths, different prep.

For querying:

• Polish the first ten pages until pages beg a read-through.
• Write a one-page synopsis that tracks cause and effect.
• Build a short query letter with hook, a few comps, and bio lines tied to the book.
• Proof names, locations, and timeline.

For self-publishing:

• Lock category, keywords, subtitle, and series data.
• Align cover design with category norms and reader expectation.
• Draft retailer descriptions in two versions, short and long.
• Check audiobook and ePub needs if those formats sit on your plan.

Mini-exercise:

• Put your top three comps on a table. Study covers, subtitles, and retail descriptions. Mark common promises and phrases. Now highlight the same elements in your book package. Any gaps point to work before a spend on editing.

Sanity-check against comps

Before a structural edit, run a final alignment pass.

• Chapter titles. Do titles signal tension or takeaway, not placeholders. Compare the table of contents to comps in tone and scope.
• Back-cover copy. Does the copy mirror promises readers expect in this shelf? Circle verbs and nouns. Do those terms match comp patterns.
• Order. Does the chapter sequence build logic or tension in a way your shelf rewards.
• Repetition. Does every chapter earn space. If two chapters teach one lesson, combine or cut.
• Series signals. If book one starts a series, mark ongoing threads and payoffs, then check how comps flag series info on covers and pages.

Quick test with a friend:

• Ask for three words that describe your book after reading your blurb and chapter list. If those words match your intended promise and your shelf, positioning sits on track. If words drift, rename chapters, tighten the blurb, and review conventions again.

Strong market fit guides editorial focus. With a clear hook, aligned length, honored conventions, and a sharp promise, an editor can aim every note at the reader you want to reach.

Pre-Edit Logistics and Choosing the Right Editor

You want your edit dollars doing real work, not cleaning up preventable mess. A little prep saves time, money, and headaches later. Here is how to get your house in order, then find the editor who fits the job.

Clean file hygiene

Give your editor a neat, stable file.

• Standard manuscript format: 12-point, double-spaced, one-inch margins, black text.
• Use a plain, readable font like Times New Roman or Courier New.
• Number pages. Put your last name and title in the header.
• Mark scene breaks with a clear marker such as three asterisks on its own line.
• One file per book unless you agreed on parts or volumes.
• Use Styles for headings and subheads. Do not fake headings with bold and a larger font.
• No tabs for indents. Use first-line indentation in the paragraph settings.
• One space after a period.
• Turn off weird auto-corrections. Smart quotes on or off, but be consistent.
• Remove images unless you are submitting a design brief. Insert a bracketed note instead, for example [Photo of trail map goes here].

Quick check: print a few pages or view in a clean PDF. If the sample looks tidy and easy on the eyes, you are close.

Version control without tears

You want history, not chaos.

• File names: Title_v01, Title_v02, and so on. No “Final_Final_v9”.
• Backups: one on your machine, one in the cloud, one offsite drive. Set a reminder to update.
• Clear old markup. Accept or reject all lingering tracked changes from previous rounds.
• Remove old comments you no longer need. New round, new notes.
• Include a short change log: three to five bullets on what shifted since the last version.
• Attach your style sheet. Names, places, hyphenation, capitalization choices, numbers, dialogue marks, world rules, recurring terms.

Mini-exercise: run a search for the word “Comment.” If dozens of balloons pop up with ancient notes, do a sweep before sending.

Choose the service you need

Pick the service that matches the state of your book. If you guess wrong, the edit will drift.

• Developmental edit: macro level. Premise, structure, plot or argument, pacing, character or ethos. You get an editorial letter, margin notes, and a plan for revision.
• Line edit: prose level. Voice, rhythm, clarity, flow, tone, transitions. You get sentence-level rewrites and notes on choices.
• Copyedit: mechanics and consistency. Grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, style guide alignment, facts, basic references. You get clean, consistent pages.
• Proofreading: last pass on laid-out pages. Typos, spacing, widows and orphans, page headers, bad breaks.

A quick gate:

• If the ending lives in your head, go back to drafting or development.
• If chapters still move around, hold off on line edits.
• If you plan to add scenes or sections, hold off on copyediting.
• If layout is not final, hold off on proofreading.

Vet the fit

An editor is a partner, not a vending machine. Test the match.

• Request a sample edit or an excerpt of an editorial letter. One to two pages is enough.
• Read the margin notes. Do they respect your voice. Do they focus on reader experience. Do they explain why, not only fix what.
• Ask about genre experience and recent projects close to yours.
• Clarify deliverables in writing: scope, length covered, format of feedback, call time, number of follow-up questions included, and timeline.
• Ask which style guides they use. CMOS, AP, or house style. For fiction, ask about dialogue punctuation habits and treatment of dialect. For nonfiction, ask about citations.
• Check communication style. Short, clear, and kind beats clever.

Email script you can steal:

“Hi [Name], I have a [genre] manuscript at [word count]. I am considering a [service]. Are you available in [month]. Could you share a sample edit on one to two pages or a short letter excerpt. I attached my revision brief and style sheet. Thank you.”

Budget and timeline planning

Good edits take time. Plan for the work after the work.

• Ask about rates by word, hour, or project. Confirm what the fee includes.
• Ask for start date and delivery date. Put both in the agreement.
• Build buffer for revision. Two to four weeks for a light pass, longer for a heavy restructure.
• Set payment terms. Deposit, milestones, and final payment on delivery.
• Agree on follow-up. How many email questions come included. Is a check-in call part of the fee.

Simple schedule example:

• Week 1: handoff and kickoff call.
• Weeks 2 to 5: editor works. You rest, or prep research.
• Week 6: receive notes. Read them twice.
• Weeks 7 to 10: your revision window.
• Week 11: optional check-in and next steps.

Readiness red flags

These signs tell you to pause before hiring.

• No ending on the page.
• TK placeholders or yellow-highlighted holes.
• A timeline with missing days or impossible overlaps.
• Word count far outside norms with no plan for trimming.
• Big swings in tense or point of view.
• A typeset interior with unresolved structure or missing sources. At this stage, only proofing will help.

If any of these ring true, take one more revision lap. Editors love ambition. Editors also love drafts that are ready for the stage you pick.

Final pre-send checklist

Run this list the day before you hit send.

• Ending on the page. No placeholders.
• Stable chapter order. Table of contents updated.
• Consistent POV and tense.
• Facts checked. Quotes verified. Permissions secured for long quotes and images.
• Style sheet attached.
• One file, clean formatting, page numbers in place.
• Tracked changes cleared from old rounds.
• Revision brief attached. Include promise to the reader, audience, genre, comps, word count goal, and your top three concerns.
• File named with version number. Backup complete.

Last step. Read your opening five pages and your back-cover copy aloud. If both sing the same promise, you are ready to bring in an editor who will meet you where you are and lift the work where it needs to go.

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