Line Editing and the Power it Holds
What does line editing focus on?
Line editing takes maximum brain power. It’s a beautiful clash of a creative and logical approach to treating the prose with the expertise it deserves.
Each sentence is raked over with every element listed below, which requires a sharp eye and even sharper focus.
- Enhances structural readability
- Removes redundancy
- Detects filter phrases
- Zaps false simultaneity
- Addresses passive writing
- Intensifies dramatic/cinematic lines
- Unveils telling versus showing
- Corrects large-scale grammatical elements
- Purges repetition/overused words
- Identifies unintentional head-hopping
- Retains authorial/character voice
- Elevates diction
- Replaces weak verbs
- Improves pacing and tone
- Strengthens narrative prose
- Balances paragraph/sentence structure
When should I hire a line editor?
Seeking a line editor should come after your story’s plot and structure has been reviewed by a professional developmental editor and after you’ve finished incorporating your final story revisions.
Can I publish right after a line edit?
Publishing your story immediately after a line edit is not advised. Line editing only focuses on the big-picture elements of your sentences; it does not heavily focus on mechanical issues like punctuation. The next step after line editing is copy editing. However, some editors combine this service, which can be efficient and budget-friendly.