The 4 Stages of Editing: Fix the Right Things at the Right Time

Stop editing everything at once. Start editing smarter.

If you've ever stared at your manuscript and felt completely overwhelmed—not sure where to start, convinced you're doing it wrong, or secretly hoping Grammarly will get you through—this workshop is for you.

In The 4 Stages of Editing, developmental editor and author career mentor Angela James takes you through the publishing-industry-standard editing process she's used to edit more than a thousand books. The focus is here is on a strategic editing approach that supports your author voice, and maximizes your readers' enjoyment.

What's included

• Full workshop recording (2 hours) — rewatch as many times as you need
• Workshop handout — to help you know what you're looking for in each stage, and how to approach edits
• Guide to building an editing checklist with the Five-Pass Editing Method — a layered, self-directed approach to building your own editing process

What you'll learn

Editing isn't one pass, it's four sequential stages — and skipping ahead (or trying to do everything at once) is one of the most common reasons authors get stuck, burnt out, or never quite satisfied with their revisions during edits.

Stage 1 — Developmental Editing This is where you zoom out and assess the big picture: plot, pacing, character arcs, structure, world-building, conflict, and reader connection. 

Stage 2 — Line Editing Line editing is about the craft of your sentences—clarity, word choice, sentence rhythm, deep point of view, emotional and sensory detail, and consistency in characterization.

Stage 3 — Copy Editing Copy editing is where grammar, style consistency, punctuation, and language conventions come in, but only after the story is solid and the voice is strong.

Stage 4 — Proofreading The final stage focuses on typos, formatting issues, and anything that's slipped through.

What makes this workshop different

Editing isn't about just polishing every word you wrote in your draft. It's about making sure your author voice comes through, and that you're delivering the best possible reading experience.

This workshop is especially valuable if you:

• Feel overwhelmed every time you open your manuscript to start editing
• Don't know where to start edits—or keep starting in the wrong place
• Have been doing "one big pass" and wondering why it never feels done
• Want a repeatable, strategic process you can use on every book you write
• Have ADHD and want to know how an editor with ADHD edits, or if structure and clear next steps make a positive difference to your energy levels

About Angela

Angela James has more than 20 years of experience as an editor, author coach and mentor, and author career expert. She served as Editorial Director at Carina Press (a Harlequin imprint), has edited more than a thousand titles including multiple fiction genres and non-fiction, and has mentored numerous authors and editors throughout her career. She is the author of Edit Your Way (Plot Twist: Forget the Writing "Rules").