Line Editing Services: Sharper Sentences, Same Voice

Line editing is a close, sentence-level read of your manuscript, usually done slowly and more than once. The editor asks of every line: is it clear, is it doing work, and does it sound the way you want it to sound? Where the answer is no, the editor offers a tighter, stronger version and marks the change so you can see it.

Here is how that looks in practice. Before: "He was walking down the street and he was feeling really tired because he had been up all night." After: "He trudged down the street, tired after a night without sleep." Same facts, half the words, and you can feel the fatigue.

A good line edit does this hundreds of times without flattening your style. It trims clutter, replaces weak verbs, untangles long sentences, smooths transitions between paragraphs and cuts the repeated words and pet phrases every writer develops without noticing. The result reads as the best version of what you already wrote.

It also catches the habits that creep in over a long project: three "suddenly" moments in one scene, the same sentence opening five paragraphs running, a favorite adverb used forty times. You stop noticing these by your third draft. A fresh editor spots them in minutes, and your reader will feel the difference even without knowing why.

These three get confused constantly, so here is the short version. Developmental editing asks whether the book works: structure, plot, argument and pacing. Line editing asks whether the writing works: style, flow and clarity. Copyediting asks whether the text is correct and consistent: grammar, usage, spelling and style rules.

Because each pass catches different problems, the usual order is developmental editing, then line editing, then copyediting, then proofreading. Line editing overlaps with copyediting, since an editor fixing a clumsy sentence will usually fix a stray comma too. But a copyedit stops at correctness, while a line edit goes further and improves the prose itself. If your structure is solid and your sentences feel heavy, line editing is the right next step. If you are not sure where your draft stands, the free sample edit includes a recommendation on which type of edit you need.

1. Consultation and sample. Tell us about the book and the voice you want. First-time clients can request a free edit of the first 1,000 words, with a recommendation on which type of edit the manuscript needs.
2. Fixed quote. You approve a written, itemized quote with milestones before any work begins.
3. Voice check. Your editor reads a portion first to learn your habits, so the changes follow your style and not a generic template.
4. The edit. The full manuscript is edited sentence by sentence in tracked changes.
5. Your review. You accept, reject or discuss each change, and your project manager keeps the schedule moving.
6. Final pass. Your editor applies the decisions you made, checks the result reads cleanly and returns the finished manuscript, ready for copyediting if that is your next step.

Line editing does not have a separate published price. It is included in the complete edit (line edit, copyedit and proofread) from $0.045 per word, and your project manager can quote a line edit alone if that is all you need. Your final fixed quote depends on word count, genre, how much polish the draft needs, the number of revision rounds and your deadline.

For turnaround, a 60,000 to 90,000 word manuscript typically takes 2 to 3 weeks for copyediting and line editing. Other lengths are confirmed in your written quote and assume you return feedback within the agreed review windows. Timelines for shorter and longer books are not fixed numbers here because they depend on length and on how much polish the draft needs. A rush schedule is available for an additional fee, quoted up front. For the full picture, see our pricing page, and if you want the whole polish in one pass, read about manuscript editing services.

The point of line editing is to protect your voice, not replace it. If a change feels wrong, reject it and tell us why, and your editor adjusts. Over a few chapters the edits start to fit your style more closely, which is exactly what a good voice check should produce. The Chicago Manual of Style is the usual reference for US book prose, and the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading publishes helpful material on editing practice.

Your pages stay private and are seen only by your editor and project team, and you own 100 percent of your book. We keep no copyright, royalty or credit claim. For contract questions, the Authors Guild is a good resource.

The fastest way to judge line editing is to see it on your own pages, because a before and after on your own writing tells you more than any description. Get a free consultation and request a free edit of your first 1,000 words, or submit your manuscript directly. When the writing is where you want it, our book formatting services prepare the pages for print and ebook.