Can the Same Editor Copyedit and Proofread My Novel?

Are you wondering whether it’s okay—or even preferable—to hire the same editor for multiple types of editing? Conflicting information abounds, leaving many aspiring authors confused and worried about wasting their hard-earned cash. So what’s the deal, and why might you have heard conflicting advice?

The Traditional Gold Standard: One Editor Per Round

An acknowledgements page from a book I copyedited.

In the publishing industry, it’s considered best practice for each round of editing to be performed by a different editor. Most of the traditionally published books I’ve worked on have gone through at least three or four rounds of editing, each with a different editor. One person might do a developmental and/or line edit, one will copyedit, a third will proofread, and a fourth might do a final cold read to check for any remaining errors. 

This approach has a number of advantages. For one thing, each editor has a different knowledge base and skill set. I can’t count the number of books I’ve proofread in which I’ve caught some odd little error that an excellent copyeditor missed, simply due to differences in our life experiences. As someone with a background in the arts, I might catch that Method ought to be capitalized when it refers to the acting technique or that Artaserse and Artaxerxes refer to different operas based on the same text—and that’s only counting the tiniest types of errors. Larger issues, such as plot holes related to immigration or visa laws, are frequent catches (hopefully at or before the copyedit stage!), thanks to my personal experience with these issues.

And of course it goes both ways: an editor who’s a baseball fan might catch issues I missed in a sports novel, or someone from the Deep South might notice that a southern character’s vocabulary isn’t quite right. (In my role as a senior editor, I sometimes have the dubious pleasure of reviewing proofreads of books I copyedited. There’s nothing quite like seeing every single thing you missed! On the bright side, I learn from this, and it makes me a better editor.)

Editors also have different strengths when it comes to standard editorial skills. Some editors I know are especially brilliant at catching continuity errors, some have a particularly strong ear for enhancing an author’s style, and some have a truly encyclopedic knowledge of grammar and style rules. When we all work on the same book, we each bring our strengths to it, and the final product is just that little extra bit polished.

So Why Do You Offer Editing Packages, Then?

You may be wondering, then, why I (like many freelance editors) usually offer to combine services when I work directly with authors. Copyediting plus proofreading is one of my most popular packages; a line editing, copyediting, and proofreading package, often performed in two rounds, is another client favorite.

In truth, when I’m working with indie authors, I often feel that retaining me for multiple services is the best choice the author can make—though this depends on their manuscript, their budget, their deadline, and the overall scope of work.

Why would that be? Well, there are a few reasons. 

• As an indie author, finding an editor you love can be hard. Some authors are lucky right off the bat, while others spend weeks—or months—searching for editors, getting quotes, and acquiring and reviewing sample edits. Others have it worse: without experience in the industry, some authors do get scammed, and they may not realize their editor wasn’t competent (or honest) until bad book reviews start rolling in. Once they’ve found an editor they love, they often want to stick with that person as much as possible.

• From a financial perspective, it’s usually cheaper to hire the same editor for multiple rounds. If I’ve copyedited or line edited a book, I know the state of the manuscript, and I know exactly what style decisions were made. This means I can usually complete a proofread much more efficiently than if the project were new to me, and I pass that savings down to the author.

• Hiring the same editor for multiple editing rounds can make meeting deadlines easier, as long as all the services are booked in advance. If I know an author has a hard deadline—maybe they have preorders set up on KDP, or they have to get the manuscript to a book designer by a certain date—I’ll design my schedule to prioritize that deadline. Because transitioning from one round of editing to the next is seamless, no time is lost in handing the book off from one editor to another; I can go straight from copyedit or line edit to proofread.

• If an author hires a highly experienced editor for one round but ends up with a less experienced editor for an ensuing round—perhaps due to bad luck, perhaps because they hired a cheaper editor for budgetary reasons—the less experienced editor may undo the previous editor’s hard work, introducing errors and consistency issues instead of fixing them. (This is one of my biggest concerns as an editor, and it’s why I refer clients, whenever possible, to editors whose work I personally know and can vouch for. If I’m unable to directly connect a client with an editor who’s a great fit, I offer to review sample edits and advise them on whether I’d feel comfortable hiring that editor if I were the client.)

On top of that, a copyedit is never simply about grammar, spelling, and consistency; it always involves higher-level issues, such as continuity, plot holes, style, and so on. When I work with indie authors, they might ask me to fine-tune their overall style in light of my understanding of their genre, to weigh in on whether a prologue ought to be cut or more information should be added in certain places, or to review a particular issue, such as clarity or pacing.

If I work with these authors through multiple types of editing, I can continue refining my approach to these requests as I get a better sense of their writing and their preferences. If I know they loved a certain type of edit I made during one round of editing, I might push that a little further in the next round, now that I know I have their complete buy-in. For many authors, this is another type of added value, and one they couldn’t get from a new editor.

But Why Don’t You Always Offer an Editing Package?

There are times when I’ll work with an author from start to finish, through every round of editing on their book: developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, proofreading. But occasionally an author I’ve worked with will ask to hire me for the next round, and I’ll strongly suggest they look elsewhere—or even firmly decline the job.

Why is that?

If I decline to work on a book for additional rounds of editing, it generally has nothing to do with whether I like that book—or that client. After all, if the client wants to hire me again, it’s usually a sign that we’ve gotten along well and found our collaboration satisfying.

Most of the time, I can work with what a client wants and complete any additional types of editing they want. But sometimes, a project is long and complex enough or has undergone enough changes that I simply don’t feel I can edit it to my highest standards. Usually, this happens after I’ve worked with the author on a developmental edit that involves a complex timeline, large cast of characters, or intricate world-building (or all three).

The developmental process often introduces continuity errors and plot holes, and it’s crucial to catch these as early as possible in the editing process—otherwise, errors of all types are much more likely to appear in the published book. If I have multiple versions of a book sharing space in my memory, especially if the book is complex, I may feel that I’m simply not capable of catching enough continuity issues during a copyedit or line edit.

On top of that, in these cases, the author won’t save that much money by hiring me for additional editing types, since combining a developmental edit with a copyedit or line edit isn’t anywhere near as efficient as combining a copyedit or line edit with a proofread. This means I can’t pass savings down in the same way, so the author would effectively be getting a lower-quality product for a similar price.

Copyedits and line edits are also significantly more time consuming than proofreads, so if the book is lengthy and the edit wasn’t booked in advance, wait times may be long.

With this combination of factors, the author is likely better off hiring someone else. And often I can help them find an excellent editor, so they know they’re in trustworthy hands.

Well, Should I Hire Multiple Editors, Then?

Ultimately, whether you prefer sticking with the same editor for multiple rounds or hiring a different editor for each service is a personal choice. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer; the best approach for you will differ based on factors such as budget, goals, timeline, scope of work, comfort level, and so on.

If you’re unsure what you and your manuscript need and you’re considering hiring me for one or more editing services, just reach out at my contact page! I’d be happy to have a chat about your project. I’ll always be honest with you about the options you have and their various advantages and drawbacks. And if you decide you want to hire multiple editors, I can help you put together a team tailored to your unique goals and circumstances. That way, you can feel confident you’re getting the best results possible.

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