Line editing falls between developmental and copyediting. In publishing houses, it is usually lumped into the developmental part of the process, but in the indie world it is able to stand alone and is in growing demand because of the incredible benefits it can provide.
By analyzing each sentence, line editing looks for repetitiveness, awkward phrasing, opportunities for improved arrangement, confusing dialogue, extra exposition or info-dumping, places where more detail could be added, etc. to ultimately help “polish the prose” of your story while also maintaining your unique author voice.
If you are an experienced writer, you may consider bypassing this step of the process. However, if you are striving for your story to be the best it can possibly be when it comes time to publish, it is strongly encouraged to run your story through all the various stages of editing so that the benefits of each can be applied to your work.
Expense can be an issue, we all understand this, yet it is a truth understood by most in the self-publishing sphere that books that have received the proper rounds of editing and review tend to perform better on the market.
Line editing is often confused with copyediting, but it is important to understand that line editing does not focus on correcting grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Having said that, do not believe for a second that I wouldn't fix "it was a bueatiful day" if I came across it in a sentence, it is simply not going to be the focus of my editing.
While a number of editors do merge the two services, my style leans more towards the developmental side. My edits, comments, and suggestions focus first and foremost on the flow of the content, small unanswered questions, things to consider, and the overall readability of the work. It is my opinion that, if I am to produce amazing results, I need to be focused on only one aspect of editing at a time.
Yes, incredibly so! And that is what you want. While the level of nitpickiness can vary on preference or need, it is the job of a good editor to point out any areas that may cause your readers to pause or be pulled from the story altogether. When line editing, even the smallest details matter.
$0.02 – $0.04 per word
Estimated rate will depend on complexity of the manuscript and predicted time to complete.
Free sample review of first 1,000 words of your manuscript to determine cost for a full edit.
Up to 20% surcharge for rush requests
All rates subject to tax and transactions fees
$0.007 – $0.02 per word
Estimated rate will depend on complexity of the manuscript and predicted time to complete.
Free sample review of first 1,000 words of your manuscript to determine cost for a full edit.
Up to 20% surcharge for rush requests
All rates subject to tax and transaction fees
Contact@JordanAshleyEditing.com