Line editing vs copyediting: What’s the difference?

Ah, the endless line editing vs copyediting debate! Amongst editors, this is something that’s often discussed – because the truth is, editors running their own freelance business will often define their services in different ways. For authors, this can be confusing. Copyediting has a more solid and accepted definition, but for line editing, things start to get a bit blurry.

The different stages of editing

Before giving you an idea of the differences between line editing and copyediting, it’ll be helpful for me to explain the editorial stages in general. When you have a completed manuscript – whether it’s an epic fantasy novel, a light space opera, or a young adult book – you’ll eventually move on to getting that book edited.

Whether you’re working with a publishing house or with an independent editor before you self-publish, the stages usually go like this:

1. Developmental editing: Developmental editing is where you work on the foundations of the story, turning a rough draft into something more solid. You’ll rework and revise big-picture elements that could be improved, such as the story’s structure, characters, world-building elements, pacing, plot, etc. This can take the form of an intensive developmental edit, or a manuscript assessment or critique. An author might do multiple rounds of developmental editing.
2. Copy and line editing: Here we get to the “sentence-level” stuff, where an editor combs over the manuscript line-by-line. More on this type of editing in a moment…
3. Proofreading: Proofreading is the final stage before a book goes to print. The work is checked for any lingering errors (although it’s a bit more detailed than that). You can read more about what’s involved in proofreading here.

Line editing vs copyediting

So, when you get to stage two (sentence-level editing), you’ll probably be wondering why you keep seeing two different services everywhere – line editing and copyediting. They can sound similar and there is some crossover, making things even more confusing, but the approach is, generally speaking, different.

Not all editors separate these two terms – some use “copyediting” to mean both styles of editing!

Copyediting explained

• Fixes things at a technical level, from errors in punctuation and grammar to applying consistent spellings (toward/towards or cafe/café for example).
• Changes are made to improve the accuracy, consistency, and flow of the text, such as applying appropriate scene breaks, making sure characters have the same colour eyes, etc.
• A comprehensive style sheet is created for the book to track editorial decisions and make sure these are kept in place – even across a series.
• An industry style guide is applied. This keeps track of changes and ensures consistency.
• Copyediting may also include some formatting and tidying up, such as adding page breaks/scene breaks, and correcting or inserting indents.

Line editing explained

Line editing is where things become murky, because unlike copyediting, there’s no one accepted definition. But people who offer line editing services usually define it in some of these ways:

• Has more of a stylistic angle. It looks at flow, sense, word choice, passages that could read better, and so on.
• Addresses redundancy, confusing or unclear sections, unnatural changes in tone, and awkward pacing.
• Focuses on improving your writing stylistically, helping you to become a better writer (think of it like having a writing craft coach in the sidebar of your manuscript).
• Not overly focused on correcting errors, and more so on language and craft.

Some editors refer to line editing as “heavy copyediting”.

The key way of understanding the differences is that copyediting is technical and line editing is stylistic. This is something of a generalisation, though, and some editors would probably argue that copyediting can be stylistic too, because copyediting can and does address some things covered by line editing, such as awkward, clunky or confusing sentences and word choices. But for the sake of simplicity, this is a good way of boiling it down.

So which one do I need?

Line editing vs copyediting… which one should you go for? This really depends on your circumstances and goals as an author, and how your editor works.

If you plan to self-publish and you’re a new/inexperienced writer or don’t feel confident in your abilities, having both a line and copyedit is a good idea. It can teach you a lot about writing craft as well as prepping your book for publication. Some editors offer a combined copy and line editing service, or you can opt to have them done separately. More experienced indie authors with a better handle on their craft might feel comfortable with just having a light copyedit.

If you’re aiming for traditional publishing, it will depend on how your publisher chooses to do things. They may have someone heavily line edit your work before bringing in a copyeditor. The key thing to remember is that if you plan to query agents and get a publisher, you don’t have to pay an independent copy or line editor, because those services would be provided if you signed a book deal. But it can sometimes be useful to have a line edit before you submit to agents, especially if you’re concerned about the stylistic elements of your writing.

Clear communication is key

Remember, the main thing is that you have a good dialogue with your editor so you understand exactly what type of service they offer and what they’ll be doing with your manuscript. The names of the services are less important – so long as you’re on the same page about what you want and need, and what the editor can do for you, you can’t go wrong.

Are you looking for a professional editor to copy or line edit your manuscript? Check out my editorial services.