Get to Know the 3 Levels of Editing — and Why They Matter

Do you prefer to do your own writing but need a second set of eyes to get your blog post, newsletter, or website content clean and shiny? At Oxford & Em, we don't just write net-new copy; we also offer editing services. Since the professionals we work with come from varied writing backgrounds and are in different stages of their projects, we offer three tiers to meet all editing needs. Here's a brief description of each:

1. Light copy edits

This would be word-level proofreading; the "just-make-sure-I-don't-look-stupid" grammar and best practices scrub. If your edits were a car, this would be the equivalent of taking it through the automatic car wash.  

Good For: Experienced writers, or those who’ve already done substantial editing on their piece and are getting ready to publish or send out their work.

 Includes:

·        Spelling, grammar, and punctuation check

·        Fact-checking

·        Consistency in subjective spelling, capitalization, and punctuation styles (oxford commas, hyphenations, etc.)

2.  Medium content edits

Medium-level edits go beyond a basic screening and involve some rewording and minor sentence structure changes. In our car scenario, this would be more like a wash, wax, and quick vacuum of the interior.  

Good For: Proficient writers, or those who've spent some time editing their work but need guidance to polish and make it the best it can be.

Includes: All light copy edits, plus

·        Shifting sentences around to improve readability

·        Adjusting for clarity and concision

·        Rewording/Adding headings

·        Correcting passive voice overuse

·        Offering suggestions to improve

3.  Heavy content/substantive edits

With heavy editing, we're making big-picture changes to your piece. We'll adjust, reword, or add new copy where needed. This would be a thorough detailing inside and out on your car — maybe even replacing your bumper.

 Good For: Professionals just beginning their writing journey, or those who’ve only done a rough first draft and don’t have the time (or inclination) to repeatedly revise.

Includes: All light and medium content edits, plus

·        Writing new copy as needed

·        Changing style

·        Altering voice and tone

·        Smoothing transitions

·        Reorganizing sections of text

Rewrites

While editing is wonderful (and necessary), a piece would benefit more from a complete rewrite. In fact, it often takes us far less time to start over from scratch than do the intricate, precise work of editing — it takes less time to pull all the parts out, clean them up, and rebuild the engine shiny and new. We’ll still use the same components, but we basically turn a semi-truck into Optimus Prime.

Communication is always a top priority in any of these scenarios. If you have light edits in mind and we see issues requiring more substantial work, we'll always run it by you first and ensure you're comfortable with the changes we're thinking of making. We want you to feel in control and that your piece always feels like you — but better.

Have more questions about our copyediting services? Contact us!