A line edit takes an in-depth look at sentence-level concerns. This edit is a good idea when all the big pieces have been locked into place, and you want to check the style of your prose. In a fiction line edit, not only are we concerned with sentences that communicate clearly, but how language informs tone, pacing, character development, and other storytelling techniques.
A line edit examines if the way you’re telling your story is effective. While I will not suggest major reconstruction (that is a developmental edit), I may suggest that a summarization (tell) be transformed into a scene (show). Or perhaps the scene you’re describing is tense and action-packed, but your sentences are long and complex and difficult to wind through. The pace of the whole section drags as the reader tries to decipher what you’re saying. I may suggest that you break up some of those long sentences into short bursts, so the pace of the reading matches the tone of the scene. My main priority is not changing your authorial voice—instead, I help your voice come through clearly and successfully.
A line edit will do everything included in a copyedit, plus the following:
- make sure word choice hits the right note
- analyze dialogue tags and formatting
- ensure character voice is unique and consistent
- examine interior monologue formatting and effectiveness
- check for consistent POV techniques
- ensure consistency in descriptive character and world details
- streamline repetitive or wordy sections
- check for effective transitions
- look for clichés, mixed metaphors, stereotypes, and purple prose
- suggest improvements to pace and flow of sentence structure
*Fact-checking: I will perform light fact-checking for a line edit, but ultimately the author is responsible for factual accuracy.
All edits bring the text in line with the latest editions of The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, the two references preferred by most publishers.
How It Works:
- I perform sample edits for free for prospective clients, up to 1,000 words. Samples for a line edit must come from the middle portion of your manuscript if you would like one.
- I will request to review your manuscript as a whole to quote an exact project rate. All submissions of your work are strictly confidential.
In a line edit:
- I will use Track Changes to make my corrections and comments within the text. I will return to you one copy of your manuscript showing all markup. Though this edit goes beyond simple grammatical corrections to include stylistic suggestions, I will also provide you with a clean copy (all changes accepted), in case it is easier for you to revise with.
- I will also provide you with a style sheet that includes character details for tracking consistency.
Have questions once you’ve reviewed your manuscript? No problem. I am available for questions for up to a month after your manuscript has been returned to you. I’m more than happy to hear from you!
Rate: $0.03-0.04 per word
A line edit makes sure that your prose is as amazing as your story line. The only time your readers should pause and re-read is because they want to savor your writing!
Contact me to sign up for a line edit.
Is this the right service for me?
- Have you already gone over your prose many, many times, and you’re confident all you need to check for is grammar and spelling? You want a copyedit instead.
- Are you unsure if your story is starting in the right place? Wonder if you have too many side characters? You may want to sign up for a developmental edit or manuscript critique first.