Line and Copy Editing services for finished manuscripts
Our line editing services tighten every sentence for rhythm, clarity and voice, and our copy editing makes the whole manuscript correct and consistent, so your book reads like it came from a careful publisher.
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Sentence-level editing that keeps your voice and fixes the rest
Once the story or argument is in place, the work moves down to the sentence. That is where readers decide whether a book feels professional. A line edit asks whether each sentence is doing its job. A copy edit asks whether each sentence is correct and matches every other sentence in the book.
We offer the two as one service because most manuscripts need some of both, and the right mix depends on the draft in front of us. A clean, confident draft might need a light line pass and a full copy edit. A first-time author's book might need a heavy line edit before copy editing makes sense. Our book editing team reads a sample before recommending either.
If your manuscript still has structural problems, such as a sagging middle, a missing chapter or a muddled argument, start with developmental editing instead. Polishing sentences that may be cut later wastes your money. After the line and copy edit, a separate proofreading pass catches what slips in during formatting.
Every edit comes back in Microsoft Word with tracked changes, margin queries and a style sheet you keep. You accept or reject each change. Nothing is decided for you, and you keep 100% of the rights to your words.
Pricing works the same way as everything else we do: a free sample edit, then a fixed quote after a short consultation. No per-hour surprises and no upsell halfway through.
Line editing vs copy editing: what each does and when you need it
Editors use these terms loosely, and authors often pay for the wrong one. Here is how we define each pass, what it changes on the page and how to decide what your manuscript needs.
What a line edit changes
A line edit works paragraph by paragraph. The editor reads for flow and asks why a sentence feels flat, why a paragraph drags or why a scene loses tension halfway down the page. The fixes are about craft: tighter phrasing, stronger verbs, varied sentence length, cleaner transitions.
Typical changes include cutting filler words, breaking up a run of sentences that all start the same way and trimming a paragraph that says the same thing twice. In fiction, a line editor watches dialogue tags, point of view slips and over-explained emotion. In nonfiction, the focus shifts to clear explanations and paragraphs that build toward a point.
A good line edit should sound like you on a sharp day. The editor suggests rewrites, but the goal is to remove what stands between your voice and the reader, not to replace that voice with the editor's own. The Editorial Freelancers Association describes line editing in similar terms: improving wording and style at the sentence and paragraph level.
What a copy edit catches
Copy editing is about correctness and consistency. The copy editor fixes grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage and capitalization, and checks that the same thing is handled the same way on page 12 and page 312.
That consistency work is bigger than most authors expect. Is it OK or okay? Do numbers under 100 get spelled out? Does the sheriff's truck stay a Ford, and does Thursday stay a Thursday? Is a term hyphenated in chapter two and closed up in chapter nine? A copy editor tracks hundreds of these choices and settles each one.
In nonfiction, the copy editor also checks cross-references, headings, lists, figure callouts and the format of notes and bibliography entries. They flag facts that look wrong, such as a date that clashes with an earlier chapter, though detailed fact-checking is a separate task you may want for a history or technical book. The general history of the craft is covered well in the copy editing entry on Wikipedia.
Do you need one, the other or both?
Book editing runs from the big picture down: developmental editing first, then line editing, then copy editing, then proofreading after layout. Skipping ahead rarely saves money, because changes at one level undo work at the next. Our guide to the types of editing walks through each stage.
You probably need a line edit if beta readers say the book is slow but cannot point to why, if your sentences feel wordy when you read them aloud, or if this is your first book. You probably need only a copy edit if a previous editor already worked on style, or if you write clean, plain prose and mainly want errors and inconsistencies fixed.
Many of our clients choose a combined pass, where one editor handles style and correctness in the same read. It costs less than two separate rounds and works well for drafts that are already in decent shape. For heavier drafts, we recommend two passes, so the copy editor works on sentences that will not change again.
Not sure where your draft stands? A manuscript critique or our free manuscript review will tell you honestly whether you are ready for sentence-level work.
The style sheet: your book's rulebook
Every copy edit we do produces a style sheet. It is a short document listing the decisions made for your book: spellings, hyphenation, capitalization, number style, treatment of foreign words, invented names and any departures from standard rules that you chose on purpose.
For fiction, the style sheet also lists characters, their ages and eye colors, places, timeline anchors and recurring terms. For a series, it becomes the reference that keeps book three consistent with book one.
The style sheet goes to your proofreader and your formatter, and it stays with you. If you later produce an audiobook, a translation or a second edition, everyone works from the same rulebook.
Chicago, Merriam-Webster and house rules
Most American trade books follow The Chicago Manual of Style, now in its 18th edition, published in 2024. Chicago covers punctuation, numbers, capitalization, quotations, notes and hundreds of other details. Unless you tell us otherwise, our copy editors use the 18th edition.
Chicago points to Merriam-Webster as its dictionary, so that is where we settle spelling questions, such as whether a compound word is open, closed or hyphenated. When Merriam-Webster offers two spellings, we usually take the first and record the choice.
Rules can bend for good reasons. A thriller writer may want looser punctuation in dialogue. A field manual may need numerals everywhere for quick reading. We note those exceptions on the style sheet so they read as deliberate rather than careless. Academic and technical authors who must follow APA, MLA or a publisher's house guide can request that instead.
How we work in tracked changes
You receive two files: a marked-up manuscript with every change visible in Word's Track Changes, and a clean copy with all changes accepted so you can read the book the way a reader will.
Small, obvious fixes like a missing comma or a typo are simply made. Anything that touches meaning, voice or fact gets a margin comment instead. Our comments explain the reason, for example noting that a character was introduced under a different name in chapter four, so you can decide quickly.
You can reject any change. If you push back on a suggestion, that is part of the process, not a problem. After you review, we answer follow-up questions and check any passages you rewrote. Google Docs users can work with us too, though Word handles long manuscripts and complex comments more reliably.
Before sending your file, run it through our word count checker so your quote matches the real length.
Fiction versus nonfiction
Fiction editing leans on rhythm, dialogue and continuity. The line editor works on scene pacing and character voice, while the copy editor tracks names, timelines, the weather on a given day and which hand a character used to draw a weapon. A thriller with three timelines needs a different kind of attention than a quiet literary novel.
Nonfiction editing leans on clarity, structure inside the chapter and accuracy of the details. A line editor makes explanations easier to follow and keeps a memoir from slipping into summary when a scene would serve better. The copy editor checks headings, lists, quotes, citations and terminology.
Instructional and technical guides need extra care. Steps must appear in order, warnings must be consistent, and a term defined on page 20 has to mean the same thing on page 200. We match each project with an editor who knows the conventions of its category.
Getting your manuscript ready for editing
A little preparation makes the edit faster and your quote more accurate. Finish the draft first. Editing a book while you are still writing the last third means the ending will not match the style decisions made earlier.
Do one read of your own, out loud if you can stand it, and fix what you already know is wrong. Remove notes to yourself, highlighted placeholders and alternate versions of scenes. Use one font, one heading style for chapters and no manual page breaks made with dozens of returns.
Then write us a short note: who the book is for, any deliberate quirks of style, words you always want spelled a certain way, and anything a previous reader flagged. If beta readers have already given feedback, tell us what you changed. That context lets the editor spend time on your prose instead of guessing at your intent.
What line and copy editing will not do
Sentence-level editing makes a book read cleanly. It cannot fix a plot that does not hold together or an argument that never lands, and no edit can promise sales, awards or a book deal.
It also will not catch every last error. Even a careful copy edit leaves a few slips, and more creep in during layout. That is why we treat proofreading as its own pass rather than a bonus step. What you can expect is a manuscript that reads the way you meant it to, with consistent style and far fewer distractions for your readers.
Sample edit, fixed quote and timing
Before you commit, we edit a short sample from your manuscript, usually a few pages from the middle where the writing is most typical. You see exactly what the edit looks like and whether the editor's ear suits yours.
Your fixed quote depends on word count, the condition of the draft and whether you choose a line edit, a copy edit or a combined pass. The quote states the price, the scope and the delivery date. It does not change unless you add material or change the scope.
After editing, your manuscript is ready for interior formatting and a final proofread. When you are ready, request your quote and send us a sample.
Line editing vs copy editing
Both passes work at the sentence level, but they ask different questions of your prose.
Why authors choose our line and copy editing
What you receive
How it works
Tell us about your book, your goals and where the draft stands.
We edit a few pages so you can judge the approach.
You get one price, a clear scope and a firm delivery date.
Your editor works through the manuscript line by line in Word.
You accept or reject changes, and we answer every question.
Your edited file and style sheet go on to formatting and proofreading.
Line and Copy Editing FAQ
Line editing improves how your sentences read: flow, rhythm, word choice, clarity and tone. Copy editing makes them correct and consistent: grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, number style and repeated terms across the whole book. A line editor asks whether a sentence works. A copy editor asks whether it follows the rules and matches every other page. Most books benefit from both, either as two passes or one combined edit.
Not always. If your prose already reads well, or an earlier editor worked on style, a copy edit may be enough. If this is your first book or readers find it slow, a line edit usually pays off. Many authors choose a combined pass where one editor handles both in the same read. Our free sample edit shows which option fits your manuscript before you spend anything.
It depends on length and the condition of the draft. As a rough guide, a single pass on a full-length novel or nonfiction book takes a few weeks, and two separate passes take longer. Short books move faster. Your fixed quote includes a firm delivery date, so you can plan your formatting, cover and launch schedule around it.
We do not publish rates because two manuscripts of the same length can need very different amounts of work. Your price depends on word count, how polished the draft is and whether you choose a line edit, a copy edit or a combined pass. After a free sample edit and short consultation, you receive a fixed quote that does not change unless the scope does.
We follow the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, which is the standard for most American trade books, and Merriam-Webster for spelling. If your publisher, university or field requires APA, MLA or a house guide, tell us and we will use it. Any intentional departures from the rules, such as dialect in dialogue, are recorded on your style sheet.
A good line edit should make you sound more like yourself, not like the editor. We suggest rewrites where a sentence is unclear, wordy or flat, and we explain larger changes in margin comments. Every change appears in tracked changes, so you can reject anything that does not sound right. Your sample edit is the best way to judge whether our ear suits yours.
Agents read for story and voice first, so a clean, readable manuscript matters more than perfect hyphenation. A line edit or a light combined pass is often the better investment before querying. If you sign with a traditional publisher, the house will usually copy edit the book again during production. Self-publishing authors need a full copy edit before formatting.
No. Copy editing happens on the manuscript before layout and covers grammar, consistency and style decisions in depth. Proofreading is a final check after formatting, catching typos, missing words, bad line breaks and layout errors that slipped in. Skipping the copy edit and relying on a proofreader leaves too much for that last pass to catch.
Microsoft Word is best, because tracked changes and comments work reliably on long manuscripts. We can also work in Google Docs if you prefer. Send the full manuscript as one file, with chapter headings marked consistently. If you have an existing style sheet or notes from a previous editor, include them so we build on decisions already made.
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