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You’ve already built something real and solid (huge win), but now you’re wondering: Do I need an architect, an interior designer, or someone to fix the squeaky door hinges?

Developmental editing is the big-picture architect stage. This is where we look at story structure, character arcs, pacing, worldbuilding, point of view, and theme. Are there saggy middle chapters? A main character who doesn’t quite earn that big emotional moment? A twist that doesn’t twist hard enough? Developmental editing helps you shape the story itself so it lands the way you want in readers’ hearts and heads. Almost every manuscript needs this first, because there’s no point polishing sentences in a scene that might get cut or completely rewritten.

Substantive editing (sometimes called structural editing) still works at the “macro” level, but it’s a bit more zoomed in. Think of it as rearranging rooms and knocking down a few walls rather than rebuilding the whole house. Here we might tighten or move scenes, deepen certain relationships, clarify character motivations, or adjust the timeline. The bones of the story are mostly there, but we’re still making fairly big choices about what stays, what goes, and what needs to be strengthened.

Line editing is where we slide in closer, down to the level of your actual lines—the way each sentence lives on the page. This isn’t about grammar rules; it’s about artistry, rhythm, and voice. A line edit looks at things like: Are your sentences doing too much or not enough? Is the imagery fresh or cliché? Is the dialogue snappy or stiff? Are we repeating words, beats, or emotions too often? Line editing shapes your prose so it feels intentional, vivid, and uniquely you, while still being clear and readable. It’s the difference between “technically correct” and “can’t-put-it-down.”

Copyediting is where we finally move into sentence-land. At this stage, we’re assuming you’re happy with the story and structure. Now we’re smoothing out clunky phrasing, fixing verb tenses, mending grammar and spelling, checking for consistency, and making sure your voice shines without distractions. This is less about changing the story and more about presenting it clearly and professionally.

Proofreading is the last tiny-but-mighty step before publication. This is the eagle-eye pass for lingering typos, missing words, weird spacing, and stray punctuation. No big edits, no restructuring—just catching the little gremlins that somehow survived every previous round.