sentence-level polish

Copyediting and line editing

which one do i need?

Copy and line editing explained

Copyediting:

  • Fixes things at a technical level (such as errors in punctuation and grammar). Changes are made to improve the accuracy, consistency, and flow of the text.
  • An industry style guide is applied (such as Chicago for US English, and New Hart’s Rules for UK English). This keeps track of changes and ensures consistency.
  • 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.
  • A copyedit may also include some formatting and tidying up if required, such as chapter headings, page breaks, scene breaks, and indents.

For more information on copyediting, visit this page.

Line editing

  • More stylistic and in-depth. It looks at flow, sense, word choice, passages that could read better, and so on.
  • Focuses on improving your writing stylistically, helping you to become a better writer and to brush up on areas of craft that you struggle with.
  • Addresses things such as: redundancy, confusing or unclear sections, unnatural changes in tone, pacing, and so on.
  • It’s sometimes known as heavy copyediting, as it has crossover, but line editing goes deeper. Think of it like a sentence-level writing coach.

You can also read my blog post on line editing.

how i edit

My approach

For self-publishing authors, I usually recommend a combined edit, including both copyediting and line editing tasks. This means a more well-rounded edit, covering all bases, both technical and stylistic. It ensures you get the most polished version of your manuscript from one edit, and you get the benefit of some line-level coaching to help you improve your writing in the future. That being said, I’ll always work with your needs as an author, and your writing and experience level, in mind. These services can be separated if you don’t want both – or if your writing doesn’t require a more in-depth approach. We can establish the scale of editing you need after I take a look at a sample of your work, or do a sample edit for you.

If you’re seeking traditional publication, copyediting would be provided by your publisher. You won’t need to pay for that service independently. If you’re concerned about sentence-level issues before you submit to agents, a line edit on its own may be beneficial to smooth out your work before submission.

what you get

Service includes…

You will receive a fully edited manuscript, marked up in Microsoft Word using the Track Changes feature. This is the easiest way for you to see and understand my edits and comments, as everything is tracked in red. It’s not as scary as it sounds, promise!

You’ll also receive a set of editing notes in a separate document (around 5–12 pages), explaining areas of the edit in more detail, and a comprehensive style sheet. And I’ll send you some customised resources to help you further develop your writing craft.

For copyedits and lighter editing, a review of minor changes based on my comments is included within four weeks of the completed edit. For more intensive edits, reviews of changes are charged separately.

If you aim to pursue traditional publishing and would like a line edit, the style sheet will be left out, as a publisher would create one for you.

still unsure?

What other writers are saying

Rewarding

I’ve found working with Rachel really helpful and rewarding. It was my first time working with a copyedit but the process was straightforward and the amends and suggestions to my book were incredibly thorough. It’s been a very positive process!
Claire Linney
Middle grade author
Website

In capable hands

You are amazingly thorough. I love your process and your level of detail. And your enthusiasm for the story means everything. THANK YOU so, so much for levelling this manuscript up. I knew it was in capable hands. I don’t feel any anxiety around looking at these edits, and trust me that is an enormous feat.
K.T. Anglehart
Author of the Scottish Scrolls series
Website

Top-quality

I can’t praise Rachel enough. From the first conversation we had, I could see how professional she was, but, more importantly, how much she genuinely wanted to help bring my projects to life. Her editing skills are top-quality, not only catching and highlighting issues for me to address but giving me detailed feedback and critiques to help me improve as a writer. As an added bonus, every deadline was met and work was delivered promptly, which helped me keep to my own schedules. I look forward to working with her on future projects!
dave mccreery
Sci-fi and fantasy author
Website

Amazing

If you ever need an editor, Rachel is AMAZING. She’s so nice, professional, and understanding. Working with her has been great!
Kristen hynes
YA author

Impressed

The thing that convinced me to keep going was the quality of your editing and the dedication you put into it – you didn’t just point to the issues, you came to me with real, constructive ideas and suggestions. These are very helpful to a non-native English speaker, since showing me what you mean can make up for thousands of words of advice. What’s more, you did all this while truly respecting my voice and authorial style. I am impressed.
catherine stowe
Sci-fi/thriller author

Incredibly high standard

The editing and feedback Rachel has provided have proven invaluable to the structure of my work, and my progress as a fledgling writer. She not only patiently explained each change she made to my manuscript, but she also gave me advice about the grammatical mistakes I was repeatedly making. Her obvious love of reading and enthusiasm for writing make her a great editor, but her kindness makes her an excellent one. Rachel’s editing was carried out quickly, to an incredibly high standard, and I cannot recommend her highly enough, except to say that I hope to be coming to her with my manuscripts for many years to come.
ashlie m.
YA author

Would not hesitate to recommend

I’ve been lucky enough to count Rachel among Black Library’s pool of freelance editors and proofreaders since 2018, and since then she has lent her talents to a variety of products across our range, including work on our fantasy, science-fiction and horror genres. Rachel is a professional and conscientious editor, taking the time to provide in-depth queries where necessary. She is extremely thorough in her work, always hits deadlines, and is seemingly never phased by the amount of unusual terms to be found in our fiction! She has worked on both short and long-form stories, and seems eager to tackle any task. I would not hesitate to recommend her services.
Karen miksza, desk editor
Black Library (Games Workshop)
Website

A better manuscript

I admire your editing skills. You know how to look through the reader’s eyes and have surprised me with several comments which will make the manuscript so much better. Thanks again for your help.
S.T. HILLS
Crime author

Forensic

Rachel line and copy-edited my forthcoming book, The Last Secret of The Soul. Her attention to point of view, spelling, grammar, and continuity is forensic. She is also very friendly, helpful and flexible. I highly recommend her.
Stephen p. smith
Historical fiction author
Website

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