Not every author needs every level of editing, and not every editor offers every service. I offer these services: line editing, copyediting, and proofreading. For a macro-level review of your manuscript, I offer professional beta reading.
If you aren’t sure which service is right for your manuscript, learn more about the different levels of editing or reach out and we can discuss what your work needs.
(Looking for document clean-up of Microsoft Word document or interior layout design for your manuscript instead? Explore my formatting and design services.)
Line Editing and Copyediting
What Is Included With Line Editing and Copyediting?
A line edit focuses on flow and strengthening readability, while a copyedit focuses on the technical details that make your writing clear, correct, and consistent. Some editors, like me, combine line editing and copyediting into one when performing a heavier edit.
Line Editing
When I line edit, I look for the following:
- Flow and readability
- Repetition
- Clarity and ambiguity
- Word choice
- Wordiness and awkward phrasing
- Consistent voice
I also keep an eye out for issues specific to fiction and creative nonfiction:
- Consistent POV and minor head-hopping
- Consistent/applicable tense
- Minor plot inconsistencies
- Telling versus showing
- Dialogue tags and action beats
Copyediting
As part of the copyedit, I focus on more technical aspects of writing while maintaining author voice:
- Consistency in style (for example: Chicago, AP, house style)
- Hyphenation
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Capitalization
- Syntax
- Number formatting
- Run-on sentences
- Comma splices
- Incomplete sentences missing subjects or predicates
What Are the Deliverables?
I strive to maintain the author’s voice. In order to maintain the author’s complete control of their work, I note all changes using the Track Changes function in Word (or the equivalent in Google Docs). If you have any questions, you can always feel free to reach out.
With a line edit and copyedit combo, you get three deliverables, where applicable:
- Your thoroughly edited file with easy-to-follow changes
- A separate clean file with all edits accepted
- A comprehensive style sheet (when applicable)
Who and What Is This Good For?
This service will be applicable for many authors, writers, and businesses but especially for those who work with the following:
- Fiction manuscripts
- Creative nonfiction manuscripts
- Business/marketing materials
- Blogs
- Articles
- Websites
Proofreading
What Is Included With Proofreading?
Proofreading is the final safety net before publication. Once your work has been copyedited, I review the text to catch lingering typos, formatting glitches, and minor errors missed in earlier rounds.
What Are the Deliverables?
Word
If you’re looking for a proofread in a Word document, you will get three documents back, as applicable:
- Your document with easy-to-follow changes
- A separate clean file with all changes accepted
- An updated style sheet (when applicable)
PDF
For printed material proofread via PDF, I look for the same issues as above but also look for issues in the layout:
- Page breaks
- Headers and footers
- Page numbers
- Widows and orphans
- Bad line breaks and hyphenation issues
You will receive a marked-up PDF with clear, standard comments using annotations in Adobe Acrobat.
Who and What Is This Good For?
This service will be applicable for nearly everybody and almost all organizations, but especially for those who work with the following:
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Business/marketing material
- Blogs
- Articles
- Websites
- Theses and dissertations (as permitted by the academic institution)
Additional Services
Beta Reading for Fiction
If your manuscript isn’t ready for sentence-level editing yet and you want broad feedback on story pacing, plot holes, or character arcs, I offer professional beta reading. You’ll receive a high-level reader’s report with actionable feedback to help you revise your draft before moving on to line editing or copyediting.
Have a Manuscript and Not Sure What You Need?
Editing terminology can be confusing, and not every manuscript needs every level of editing. If you’re still unsure about what your project needs, feel free to reach out for a complimentary sample edit.
Sample edits for manuscripts are crucial to helping determine if you and an editor are a good match for each other. As a writer, you can also get a feel for how the editor works.
If you’re considering line editing or copyediting, I offer a free sample edit of up to 1,000 words for manuscripts so you can see what my editing looks like before committing to the full project. I’ll edit a sample from the middle of your manuscript and return it to you with Track Changes. This gives you a chance to see how I approach your writing and how I can strengthen it while maintaining your voice.
Free sample edits are available for line editing and copyediting. I do not offer sample edits for beta reading or proofreading.
Ready for a sample edit or want a quick project estimate?
Have a Different Project That Needs Editing?
If you’re looking to edit a website, blog, article, business or marketing collateral, or another custom project, please reach out. I’d be happy to discuss your needs and help you determine what makes the most sense for your work.
Manuscript Formatting & Book Design
Editing is just one part of bringing a book to life. If you’re preparing your manuscript for publication and need professional interior layout (print or EPUB) or Microsoft Word document clean-up, I can help with that too.