Dear Dr. Rosie.

Dear Dr. Rosie:

I am a fiction writer. I've consulted with a publishing packaging company to assist me with publishing my book. They said that my book is good, but it needs to be story edited and copy edited. Why do I need to pay for two edits? Which is most important?

Yes, it's definitely important to pay the extra cost for two editors. The question you asked is one I hear frequently; so I will explain what each editor does with a manuscript.

The story editor is concerned with things such as: pacing (Does the story move along well? Does the reader have to re-read to make sense of what is happening in the story?); character development (Can the reader connect with or feel the characters? Are the characters believable? Are you introducing too many characters at the same time?); conflict (Is conflict or tension introduced early enough in the story? Does the reader get a sense of tension building and is the reader motivated to keep reading to see the resolution?); verb tense consistency (Is the writer consistent in the use of the present or past tense?); point of view (Is the story told in the first or the third person? Is the story being told by the writer, a narrator or the main character?); and the art of `Show vs. Tell' (Are you telling the reader or are you showing the reader the drama? Can the reader feel what is happening? Is the reader caught up in the story?).

This is only the beginning. There is much more to what a story editor looks for when editing a novel, but the input of such a professional is incalculably valuable to any writer whether it is their first novel or their tenth.

The copy editor is mainly concerned with spelling, grammar and sentence structure. This editor makes certain that all of your words are spelled correctly, and that there is verb agreement throughout the story. A good copy editor checks for sentence fragments, run-on sentences or paragraphs that run on too long as well as making sure that adjectives and adverbs are used sparingly and correctly.

I am inspired by writers who continue to seek knowledge and refine their craft in order to give readers their best work. I must warn you that most people don't know the difference. Therefore, an editor may tell you he/she does both but be wary of such claims. A good story editor does not want to concern herself with copy editing and vice versa. I would suggest that you choose editors through referrals from a prudent person in the industry.

Dr. Rosie Milligan is the author of nine books, owner of Milligan Books Publishing, and the founder of Black Books on Tour. E-mail your questions to her at [e-mail]