Line Editing/Copyediting
The Sentence-Level Edit
It’s time to take that pickax and break open the awkward sentences and bad grammar. ⛏️
How does a line edit work?
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Using Word’s Track Changes, I go through your manuscript, editing for flow, word choice, sentence structure, and other line-level elements. I also leave comments on the document.
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I write up a 5–10 page editorial letter outlining the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses.
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We have a 60-minute call to discuss feedback and strategize revisions.
This three-step process is called an “editing round.” After the round, the author revises, but I don’t look over those revisions or edit the full manuscript again unless we do a second round. How many rounds are needed depends on the manuscript.
When is a manuscript ready for line editing and copyediting?
Ideally, your manuscript will already have gone through a developmental edit before the line edit and copyedit phase. By now, your story is solid, the theme in place, and the character arcs complete. No large-scale revisions should be needed.
What we’re tackling now is the language—making the dialogue as engaging as possible, the sentences concise and clear, and the descriptions meaningful. We’re focused on paragraphs and sentences rather than chapters as a whole.
Do I need a line edit and copyedit?
At the very, very least, you do not want to skip a copyedit. Professional copyediting ensures your manuscript will be free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors—not only that, but words will be styled correctly according to the Chicago Manual of Style. In short, your book will look professionally published as opposed to something thrown up on Amazon.
Line editing and copyediting are for you IF
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you need practical feedback and honest editing on a paragraph, sentence, and word level
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you’re looking for an editor who will make this a conversation, not a task list
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your book is a genre I work with (you can check those here)
Phillip Wray, Author
Adina did a phenomenal job not only catching the many grammatical mistakes but also pointing out where the story did not flow well or where the dialogue was not believable. . . . In addition to her technical and creative skills, what I might have appreciated most was her professionalism and cheery disposition.
A. Yarden, Author
Your masterful editing truly accomplishes what you claim it does, ‘‘mining for the gold.’’
With tremendous skill (and a ton of patience!), you transformed the manuscript into a polished story, ready to be shared with the world. It is a true privilege to work with you.
Genre Check
I Work With
Nonfiction: memoir only
Fiction: sci-fi/fantasy, historical, mystery, literary, middle-grade
I Do Not Work With
Romance, horror, general nonfiction, heavy Christian content, or anything with excessive cursing or explicit material
Ready to bring out the gold in your story?