> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://brookevitale.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # What is Editing in Children's Book Publishing - URL: https://brookevitale.com/blog/what-is-editing/ - Published: 2020-10-05T21:36:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T20:15:48.000Z - Description: Congratulations! You’ve written a book and you’re finally ready to show it to someone. But who? And what kind of help do you need? - Author: Andrew Vitale - Tags: Editing Congratulations! You’ve written a book and you’re finally ready to show it to someone. But who? And what kind of help do you need? As a new author, trying to navigate the world of book editing can be confusing. Editors throw around a lot of terms: assessment, developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading. . . . So let’s talk about what each of those means and when (or if!) you need them. ## What Is an Editorial Assessment? The first step in reviewing a manuscript is the [**Editorial Assessment**](https://brookevitale.com/blog/what-is-an-editorial-assessment/). This is an editor’s chance to find all the flaws in a manuscript and offer suggestions on how to fix them. Do you have a plot hole? Are your characters lacking distinct personalities? Does a scene feel out of place (or is there a scene missing)? Is your language appropriate for your target age range? If your book is a picture book, this is the moment to look at pagination and whether you are building enough suspense between page turns. An Assessment is your chance to fix the problems with your book before the deep dive into the language, so that you know the scenes you are finessing are where they need to be and are *worth* finessing! ## What Is a Developmental Edit? The next step in the editorial process is the [**Developmental Edit**](https://brookevitale.com/blog/developmental-edit/). This stage goes by a lot of names, including the **Line Edit**, **Substantive Edit**, or **Structural Edit**. This is the deep-dive into your manuscript, where the fine details get fixed. Do the words you’ve chosen seem appropriate? Is your character using vocabulary that is right for the age group? Is what you’re trying to say coming across properly? This is the moment where an editor will examine your word choice, style, and the specifics of your plot points—where you’ll see words change and sentences shift from one place to another. If you’re writing a picture book, this is the moment where you’ll focus on what words to cut to get the manuscript to an appropriate word count. A Developmental Edit can take one round to whip the book into shape or it could take several, but by the time you’re done, your manuscript should sing! For more information on why you need an editor and what one does for you, check out my article: [How to Hire a Book Editor](https://brookevitale.com/blog/how-to-hire-a-book-editor/). If you’re looking to send your book to agents, the developmental edit is all about getting your book ready to query . For more information on finding agents, check my blog: [Top 20 Children's Book Literary Agents Accepting Submissions](https://brookevitale.com/blog/how-to-find-a-childrens-book-agent/). For information on querying agents, check my blog: [How to Write a Query Letter in 5 Simple Steps](https://brookevitale.com/blog/query-letter/). ## What Is Copy Editing? Once you’ve finished editing your manuscript, you’re ready to[ **Copy Edit**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copy%5Fediting?ref=brookevitale.com)the book. If you plan to query agents and go the traditional publishing route, this isn’t a step you need to worry about. A publisher will take this on themselves. But if you plan to self-publish, Copy Editing is key. Let's face it. Editors do their best, but many aren't trained in the fine points of grammar. (Or in the ever-changing rules of what is considered grammatically acceptable in book publishing.) That's the job of the Copy Editor. Copy Editors are looking for typos and grammar issues. But they are also looking for consistency. If you wrote on page seven that your character has blue eyes, does it say on page ten that his eyes are green? If a character slammed their door shut at the start of a scene, is the door still closed at the end of the scene, or is it mysteriously open? That’s a Copy Editor’s job to catch. Ideally, a Copy Edit should be done by someone different than your editor, because your editor already thinks the book is perfect! The Copy Editor is a second set of eyes that finds the things your editor missed and makes sure there are no problems with the manuscript. ## What Is Proofreading? The final step in the editorial process is [**Proofreading**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proofreading?ref=brookevitale.com). This occurs once your book has been designed and is almost ready to go to the printer. A Proofreader compares your copy-edited manuscript to the designed pages to make sure no mistakes were introduced. They review your designed pages to make sure there are no bad breaks in your words, no stacks of words appearing that make the design awkward, and no widows or orphans in your layout. They also provide a final read to find any last mistakes. A third person should provide a proofread as a last check that everything has been caught. Once you get through the proofread, your book should be ready to go. You can send it out to the printer, confident that you’re releasing as clean a book as possible!