Structural editing
Structural editing should be covered in a good editorial assessment and is the gutsy part of the editing process. This is where solid work and advice on editing the structure of the book is given which is crucial at those early stages. Often the difference between a book with potential and the one that interests the publisher is the book where due care has been taken at the stage of structural assessment and editing. Because this requires the editor to have a close knowledge of how to construct a book then again it is useful to hire a professional editor who has written several published books as this will indicate to you that they might know what they are talking about.
Writers with strong technical editing skills come from an entirely different place from editors who have learned the theory only but never implemented this nor had to struggle with reworking the structure of a book countless times. Those who have actually done the work are capable of showing other authors how to go about it while those with only a theoretical knowledge know the theory but can seldom implement it or explain how to do it clearly and succinctly.
Structural editing gets into the nuts and bolts of the book. It is like taking an engine apart and putting it back together again. Would you rather have a mechanic work on your car or one who has read a book on how to be a mechanic?
Structural editing looks at how the book is constructed, what methodology and changes may be needed to increase the tension of the text or draw out subtleties. This editing concerns itself with every step upon which the text is built in order to ensure the best results are achieved. It covers everything not covered by copy-editing and it is crucial to get it right at an early stage or you may find you have to dismantle the entire book and begin again once it gets to the publisher. You may have a great idea but not have the solid structure to carry that idea and that should be discovered during the process of structural editing at the editorial assessment stage.
One of the most important considerations for a good structural editor is what needs to be left out of the book as well as what needs to be left in the book. Most first books that come into the publishing consultancy are over written. That is, they include huge amounts of information that are dear to the author but not always useful in creating a strong narrative with tension, suspense and the ability to really hook the reader. Knowing what to leave out is easily as important as knowing what to have in. They are opposite sides of the same coin.
A certain amount of this knowledge about structural editing can be learned in the editing profession through training but finally it comes down to a blend of technical knowledge and visionary instinct. Those with only the former miss such pioneering novels as the bone people because they are incapable of visualising and recognising a new editorial and narrative structure that has never been done before. It takes courage to be a good structural editor and assessor just as it takes courage to be a pioneering writer.
When you engage a publishing consultancy to do an editorial assessment report, then make sure that structural editing is included or you will find that there is still substantial work to be done before the text is ready to be presented to publishers. This is far more valuable to you than the more expensive and time-consuming process of copy-editing which will be covered at the expense of your publisher anyway. Make sure the text is always the best it can be but save yourself the cost of copy editing at this stage and concentrate on getting the structural editing and assessment completed so that you can work your novel to its best potential before it is submitted for publication.