In the writing process, what usually comes directly before publishing?

In the writing process, editing typically comes directly before publishing. This stage involves making revisions to improve clarity, coherence, and overall quality of the written piece. During editing, a writer reviews their work for grammatical errors, sentence structure, and the logical flow of ideas. This step is crucial as it helps ensure that the final product is polished and ready for an audience.

While drafting involves creating the initial version of the text and peer review provides valuable feedback from peers, editing is specifically focused on refining the content to ensure that it meets the desired standards before publication. Brainstorming is an earlier phase in the writing process that generates ideas rather than refining them. Thus, editing is a key and final step that prepares the work for public consumption, making it the correct answer in this context.