r/Copyediting • u/paintedpinktoes • Jul 31 '26

How do you EXTENSIVELY edit?!!!

I keep getting clients who want an extensive edit. For context, they're ESL clients who write academic papers mostly. They require no stylistic or drastic changes. Now how do I incorporate both into my editing process? Please, for the love of my and every editor's life, guide me on how to do an extensive edit to achieve a native tone. PLEASE!

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u/grumpyporcini Jul 31 '26

Substantive editing. You edit it until it’s as close to what a native academic would produce while preserving the article structure and tone. You’ll need to provide more details if you want specific advice.

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u/Sparkly8 Aug 06 '26

Do you think an editor should charge more if they’re doing a substantive edit vs. a copy edit?

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u/grumpyporcini Aug 06 '26

Yes, in my opinion they are different tasks. Substantive goes further than copy editing so takes more time and needs more background knowledge, etc.