The 10 Steps to A High Quality Manuscript: Understanding The Review & Editing Process

"Who should be looking at my manuscript, and when?" This is one of the most common questions author clients have when they work with a professional publisher. This edition of the B3 newsletter will go over the different kinds of manuscript review and editing procedures that take a manuscript from rough first draft to production-ready proof.

A caveat before we begin: Not every type of review or edit listed is always necessary for a manuscript, depending on what the author client wants to focus on and how important first, second, third, and fourth opinions are to them. That said, speaking as an expert in editing and content QA management, the more of these steps you can comply with, the higher quality the finished book will be.

Step 1: Manuscript Evaluation

While professional publishers don't have acquisitions teams that accept or reject submitted manuscripts, many have someone who can conduct a brief evaluation of the author client's manuscript once they have signed on. Manuscript evaluations may be completed by the editor-in-chief, a dedicated evaluating editor, or even the editor who will eventually be working on the manuscript longterm.

The goal of a manuscript evaluation is to get a high-level idea of how complete the manuscript is in its current form, what kind of editing plan makes the most sense, and if there is anything still needed from the author client before work on the manuscript can begin. It shouldn't take more than a few hours to complete this work.

Manuscript evaluations are also often used to screen out manuscripts that conflict with the publisher's internal content guidelines. This could be anything from mismatch in category or genre (e.g. an author client wants to publish YA fiction under a nonfiction imprint) to a potential legal or ethical conflict (e.g. an author client is using plagiarized content). Professional publishers' internal content guidelines are normally pretty open, and should be readily available for author client review upon request. Only egregious mismatches would keep a manuscript from moving forward.

Step 2: Developmental Edit

Most manuscripts start their editing journey with a developmental (or structural) edit. A developmental edit looks at the overarching shape of the content, the structure of the narrative, character and/or idea development, and overall information flow.

A developmental editor is the architect to whom you bring your dream house blueprints. They are experts at building a good story. They know what's trendy right now, what's timeless, and the right amount of each to include to make a lasting, positive impression. They also can identify any big structural issues that will present a problem later. If something is missing, or in the wrong spot, or taking up too much space, they will be able to point it out and suggest alternatives that align with the end goal.

An author client should expect a couple rounds of developmental editing, going back and forth with their editor to structure the manuscript exactly right. The developmental editor may provide a letter explaining their edits, or they may rely on in-text comments and changes to convey their reasoning. While many developmental editors prefer to work asynchronously via email, there are some who will sit down and talk with their author clients for face-to-face conversations about the manuscript.

Step 3: Alpha Reader Review

At this stage in the process, many author clients want to get feedback from external readers whom they trust. These alpha readers are not going to be looking for things like word choice or typos. Instead, alpha readers should be asked to give their feedback on the ideas and structure contained in the manuscript.

Are there things that they'd change, things that they'd like to see added or removed, places they want more or less information? This kind of structural feedback is valuable to get after the manuscript has been developmentally edited but before it goes into the more granular process of line and/or copyediting.

If the author client wants to get feedback from subject matter experts on the accuracy or usefulness of the content, this is when these readers should be called in as well. Depending on the feedback provided, the author client might want to do some restructuring themselves or continue working with their developmental editor to enact the suggested changes.

Step 4: Line Edit

Line editing can sometimes be confused for copyediting, but they are not exactly the same thing. The primary difference is in the balance of creativity vs. technicality. A line editor is going to focus more on artistic feedback, but in a more granular, line-by-line way than a developmental editor (although many developmental editors are likely to provide some line editing suggestions as well).

A line editor will help cultivate a unique, authoritative, and engaging voice and tone, highlight areas where paragraphs could be more effectively written, and make sure each line of the manuscript "sounds" as good as possible, whether it is being read aloud or not. While they will sometimes point out technical errors, much of their feedback is subjective and can be accepted or rejected by the author client.

If the developmental editor is the architect of your dream home, the line editor is the lead contractor. They know the nitty gritty and are able to transform concrete, wood, and metal into a house using the guidelines set out for them by the blueprints.

A full line edit will usually take 1-2 rounds, and should ideally be done by someone who was not the developmental editor. It can be helpful to have a fresh set of eyes identifying new areas of improvement.

Step 5: Manuscript Lock

Usually after a line edit, the author client will be asked to take some time to review the manuscript and then to lock it in, i.e. commit to the creative decisions they've already made and confirm that no big changes will be made moving forward. This is because moving forward, the editing process will become increasingly technical and granular, polishing what is already there rather than adding new content.

This is also usually the time that professional publishers will recommend author clients add in any final front or back matter to their manuscript, so it can benefit from copy editing and proofreading as well. Front and back matter include dedications, forewords, acknowledgements, author biographies, further reading, etc.

Indexes are not included in "back matter" because they require the manuscript to be proofed and formatted so that page numbers can be included. Indexes are also usually generated by experts, so this is not something the author client should expect to have to do on their own.

Step 6: Copy Edit

Now that the manuscript has been locked, copyediting can begin. Like line editing, copyediting also looks at the manuscript on a line-by-line level, but is a lot more focused on the technical elements than the artistic ones (although again, there is some overlap between this and line editing, depending on your editor). A copyeditor is going to highlight word or phrase repetition, unintentional sentence fragments, over-reliance on passive voice, use of incorrect tense, etc.

If the line editor is the lead contractor, the copyeditor is the city inspector. They're going to show up and audit the manuscript, identify areas that are not technically compliant, and highlight all the places where a little more attention to detail is needed. If the architect and the lead contractor were good at their jobs, everything will be pretty easily fixable.

A copy edit may only take a single round, or it may take several rounds, depending on how much work the manuscript needs at this stage. Copyeditors normally also "grade" manuscripts by whether they need a light, medium, or heavy copyedit, which can impact timeline and how many rounds are needed. Working with good developmental and line editors will ensure this part of the process goes as quickly as possible.

Step 7: Beta Reader Review

It is usually at this stage in the process that beta readers will be brought onto a project (if they are requested). Unlike alpha readers, who know they are receiving a semi-edited draft and are encouraged to provide feedback on structure and ideas, beta readers should be encouraged to view the manuscript as an almost-finished book (understanding typos and small grammatical errors are still going to exist at this stage).

Instead of giving feedback on whole chapters, beta readers should be giving feedback on the sentence-level readability and clarity of the text. Does each sentence make sense? Are there any confusing paragraphs? While obvious content errors are always good to point out at any stage, that's not the beta readers' focus. Similarly, any subject matter expert reviews of the manuscript should have been completed by now.

Depending on beta reader feedback, the author client may want to go back for another round of copyediting. Otherwise, any grammatical or spelling errors that get flagged can be pointed out to the proofreader in the next step of the process.

Step 8: Sensitivity Reader Check

Not many professional publishers offer this as an option, but it can be very useful to ensure that author clients are using the most up-to-date and correct terminology when it comes to politically or socially complex topics. The point of a sensitivity reader is not to censor content or change the perspective of a book, but rather to help the author client avoid any unnecessary or unexpected backlash or controversy after publication.

Author clients at professional publishers who did not employ sensitivity readers have lost time, money, and social standing as a result of letting sloppy or outdated language slip through. I've even seen entire launches canceled over issues that a sensitivity reader would have been able to identify and solve immediately.

If a sensitivity reader is invited to review a manuscript, it is best if this happens after all substantial word choice has been locked in, but before it goes into proofreading.

Step 9: Proofread

The penultimate step in the process is proofreading. Although they work on the most granular level, the proofreader is one of the most important pieces in creating a professional-looking, high-quality book. Almost every time a reader is jolted out of their reading rhythm by a typo, grammatical mistake, or inconsistent stylistic convention, it's because the proofreader missed it.

Proofreaders work on a purely technical level. Beyond just ensuring that there are no typos, misspellings, incorrect punctuation, or grammar issues, they will usually enforce the professional publisher's chosen style guide (usually Chicago Manual of Style for trade books or MLA/APA for academic books). These are conventions and guidelines that the average reader might not even know they are looking for, but will notice if they are missing or inconsistent throughout the text.

Think of the proofreader like the clean-up crew that gets your newly built dream home ready for move-in: testing and turning on all the appliances, sweeping up any debris, installing lightbulbs, painting over any scuffs on the trim. They provide all those final touches that makes a new house go from construction zone to dream home. You might not notice they've even been there... unless something is broken, out of place, or untidy.

Proofreading usually only takes 1-2 rounds and does not normally require too much feedback from the author client, although they will be responsible for accepting and rejecting all the final changes.

Step 10: Final Author Readthrough

Finally, it is always recommended that the author client take some time to do a final readthrough of the manuscript once it has been formatted, transformed from a Word or Google doc to a polished proof. There are a few benefits to conducting a final author readthrough at this stage.

First, it is a last chance to check for any typos which may have slipped through proofreading or been introduced during formatting. Second, it is a chance to see how the book will look when printed (or in ebook form) and provide any feedback on the layout design. Finally, this is the version that will be used if an audiobook is recorded in the future, so any final tweaks based on how the content sounds when read aloud should be made now, to ensure fidelity between the print and audio versions of the book.

How To Speed Up The Manuscript Review & Editing Process

This 10-step manuscript review and editing process can be intimidating to author clients who just want to see their book in print as soon as possible. It may also be too expensive for some author clients and their professional publishing collaborators to complete every step on this list, especially when it requires multiple experts conducting multiple rounds of work.

While many experts (myself included) believe that every step in this process is important to the creation of the best book possible, it also depends on individual manuscript quality, project budget, and publication date goals. Here are some mix-and-match options that might be presented to author clients who for whom the 10-step process may not be ideal:

OPTION A: Developmental Edit > Manuscript Lock > Copyedit > Proofread > Final Author Readthrough

This version retains a high level, line-level, and technical level edit, while cutting out most of the external feedback from alpha, beta, and sensitivity readers. This will ensure the existing manuscript content has the attention it needs to be relatively polished, but leaves areas for potential excellence (as well as ongoing reader temperature taking) unexplored.

It also removes the manuscript evaluation phase and line editing, which keeps the manuscript on a tighter circuit but may extend the amount of time spent in developmental editing and copyediting (fewer eyes = more rounds).

When this option might be useful: The author client doesn't need outside feedback and wants to a relatively comprehensive editing process while working with as few experts as possible in order to simplify things and/or conserve costs.

OPTION B: Manuscript Evaluation > Line Edit > Manuscript Lock > Proofread > Final Author Readthrough

This version starts with a manuscript evaluation, but said evaluation is given directly to the author client to enact, rather than to a developmental editor. Once the author client has made their own structural edits, the manuscript is sent into a line edit (which will likely be heavier and take more time since there was no developmental editor).

After manuscript lock, the manuscript skips copyediting, relying on the suggestions of the line editor, and moves directly into proofreading (which will also be heavier and take more time absent a copyeditor).

When this option might be useful: The author client prefers to minimize costs by doing as much of the work themselves as possible, while still getting at least one other creative expert's eyes on the final product.

OPTION C: Manuscript Evaluation > Manuscript Lock > Copyedit > Proofread

This version of the process is as bare bones as possible without straying into the territory of vanity press. If a professional publisher does not at least evaluate the manuscript and provide a copyedit and a proofread, it is reasonable to question their commitment to the quality of books they produce. Which is not always a dealbreaker, but for author clients who want a polished, brand-building finished product, this is the bare minimum.

All developmental and line editing work is done by the author client, with a copyedit and proofread ensuring basic technical and stylistic compliance. There also isn't a final author readthrough at the end of the process, and the manuscript goes straight from proofing into formatting and production.

When this option might be useful: The author client is not concerned with the quality of the finished product, or the manuscript has been thoroughly developmentally and line edited by external experts prior to working with a professional publisher.

Why The Manuscript Review & Editing Process Matters

There's not much I can say to convince someone who isn't worried about manuscript quality to care about the review and editing process. It will always come down to personal values. What do you value in the books you read, write, and publish?

For those professional publishers and author clients to whom quality is a value, here's why checking as many of these boxes as possible matters:

A book is not just a description of the physical form content can take (pages between covers, separated into chapters, downloadable to Kindle, etc.). A key part of what makes a book a book is how that content is created, filtered, distilled, and iterated on by experts to crystalize ideas into their purest and most impactful form. It's a content production process as much as it is a content delivery system.

Or at least the good ones are, the ones that make readers sit up, grab a highlighter, search the author, send an email, and buy the next thing that person produces. Those are the books that are going to pay for themselves in royalties, top bestseller lists on sheer merit, and create brands that last (for the author and for the publisher).

The manuscript review and editing process is how that difference is achieved. The more boxes on this list you can check, the better your book is going to be. It's as close to a replicable science as we can get in the creative world, an equation proven time after time. You have the steps; do with them what you will.