Line Editing: What It Is and Why You Need It

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No matter how skilled you are as a writer, there’s always room for growth and improvement. But after spending so much time on your manuscript and probably re-working it several times, it’s often hard to spot areas that could be made stronger.

That’s where the work of a line editor comes in: a good line editor can turn a manuscript from just ho-hum to a compelling read! 

In this article, we will show you what line editing is, and what sets it apart from its cousins, developmental editing and copyediting. We hope it will also help you understand why it’s important to get a good line editor for your book. 

What Is Line Editing? 

Line editing is the process of refining a piece of writing to make it as effective as possible. A line editor pays attention to the writer’s unique style, and takes on the role of a scrutinizing reader. It is also sometimes called stylistic editing. 

A line editor, by definition, works on a line-by-line basis to tighten up the structure of sentences and ensure that the resulting lines are clear and sharp. They take a close look a the writer’s choice of words and how these result in a certain mood or tone. Lastly, a line editor also looks at the pacing and logical flow of a written piece.

3 Stages of the Editing Process

You will be able to understand the nuances of line editing as we go through the nitty gritty of each stage of the editing process: 

Developmental editing

Developmental editing is normally the first part of the editing process. This process takes a look at the big picture of any writing project. During this stage, the editor may help the nonfiction writer look at the way the entire book is outlined, such as suggest changes to chapter themes and even the order that they occur. 

In fiction, this is the process of clarifying relationships between different characters, as well as evaluating the flow of the story. 

Line editing

Line editing comes next in the process. After the developmental editor has confirmed the overall flow of the book or manuscript, the line editor looks at the writer’s use of language. They work at the paragraph and sentence level, making sure the syntax effectively delivers the writer’s message. 

The line editor also ensures that with the current writing style, the writer is able to get their message across in the most effective way.

Copy editing

Whereas the line editor focuses on style, a copy editor is more of the mechanical person in the process. He makes sure that the manuscript is free from grammatical or spelling errors and adheres to a house style.

Line Editing vs. Copy Editing

Line editing is commonly confused with copy editing because they both look at a manuscript at the sentence level. 

One way of distinguishing between them is to understand that a line editor is concerned with whether the writer has expressed their thoughts in the most effective way. Meanwhile, a copy editor evaluates whether the sentences are written in a grammatically correct way. 

Take a look at this sample sentence to understand the main differences: 

Samuel shielded his eyes as he looked out at the piercing sunset and took a deep breathe. The brightly burning orb slowly sank beneath th pine-trees. 

A line editor would consider whether “piercing” is an appropriate way to describe a sunset. He may also wonder if the “slowly sank” is the most effective way of describing the descent of the sun behind the trees. 

On the other hand, the copy editor will be concerned at the wrong spelling of the word “breath,” and at removing the hyphen in “pine trees.” They would also correct the preposition ”beneath” and change it to “behind,” and correct the typo on the last “the.” 

How a Line Editor Works

Line editing is a meticulous but rewarding job. Whether you’re practicing line editing for your own work or hiring an editor, here are some questions that line editors typically ask when looking through a written piece so you can better understand the process:

  1. What is the tone of the given passage? Does the writer’s choice of words match that tone? 
  2. What words are unnecessary and may be removed? 
  3. How is the flow of the sentences? Do they fit together seamlessly? 
  4. Are the sentences clear and precise, and not bogged down by clichés?
  5. Is the point of view consistent? Or if it features a shift in POV, is it in a logical and consistent way? 
  6. Are the writer’s intentions clear in the way he expresses himself? If not, you may have to clarify any questions you may have so that the writer can make his sentences clearer. 

The relationship between a line editor and writer may come in two forms: 

  • One way is for the line editor to comb through the material and make the necessary changes; 
  • The other option involves a back-and-forth communication between the editor and writer, as the editor asks for clarification or for the writer to make adjustments on their own. 

Different Methods of Line Editing 

Now that we know what line editing entails, here are some of the ways that a line editor can improve a piece of writing: 

Refining the Prose

One of the main roles of a line editor is to make sure that your word choice is strong and precise. Take this example below: 

Michael was homeschooled; his older sister Leticia went to public school. They fought like cats and dogs: Leticia was always berating Michael for being a nerd, while Michael always taunted Leticia for being dumb. 

  • “fighting like cats and dogs” is a cliché, which may describe the siblings’ relationship, but it does not give us a clear picture of what that looks like in their case. 
  • Is “berating” an effective word in this case? Maybe “mocking” fits the tone better? 
  • Could there be a more appropriate word than “taunted” to show the siblings’ strained relationship? 

Refining this passage through line editing could look like this: 

Michael was homeschooled; his older sister Leticia went to public school. Although they used to be best friends when they were younger, over the years, this difference caused a serious strain in their relationship: Leticia was always bullying Michael for being a nerd, while Michael always rolled his eyes at Leticia for being dumb. It stung Leticia’s pride that her younger brother thought he was smarter than she was. 

Cutting the Extras 

Another important role that line editors play is eliminating unnecessary words, and leave us with a concise and clean prose. This includes cutting out words, or sometimes even sentences and entire passages. 

Michael was on his way to the grocery store when he was roughly accosted by a bunch of mean-looking bullies. He recognized the biggest one as one of his former classmates back when he was still in school. He tried to avoid running into them by crossing the street, but they had already seen him, and he felt someone grabbing him by the shoulder while he was looking down at his feet, and he had no way out. 

  • “Mean-looking” may be unnecessary in this case, because bullies are, obviously, mean-looking; 
  • “back when he was still in school” may be unnecessary if we already have the qualifier “former”; 
  • The last sentence is a little too long; it may be better to break it up into two sentences. 

A posssible line edit can be: 

Michael was on his way to the grocery store when he was roughly accosted by a bunch of bullies. He recognized the biggest one as one of his former classmates. He tried to avoid running into them by crossing the street, but they had already seen him. While he was looking down at his feet, he felt someone grab him by the shoulder. He had no way out. 

Filling in the gaps

Another way that a line editor’s work can be indispensable is when they help fill in the holes, such as in the case of inconsistencies. Let’s take this example from a nonfiction passage: 

Homeschooling is a great way of training children. They can grow up more responsible and know how to take initiative. 

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the paragraph, a line editor might notice that “training children” does not automatically translate into their becoming more responsible and learning how to take initiative, and may request the writer to elaborate more on the idea. 

A possible line edit might yield: 

Homeschooling is a great way of training children. Because they are expected to follow a set schedule every day, they can learn the value of responsibility from a young age. Soon, they may also be given more responsibility over how to structure their days, which leads to young people who know how to take initiative. 

Aligning Tone and Mood

A line editor also helps make sure the tone or mood of a piece is consistent with what it should be. For example, if a nonfiction book is intended as a conversational piece, the following passage may need some correction: 

The marriage is considered a vital foundation for the success of any society. If the relationship between husband and wife is under fire, it will be no surprise that the children suffer as well. This is the reason why we want to help you improve the state of your marriage, beginning with strengthening communication skills and assisting you with conflict resolution. 

Although the above passage is well-written, a line editor may recommend making it sound more conversational, like in the option below: 

We believe strong marriages make strong societies. When the marriage is on the rocks, the children suffer. We want to help you strengthen your marriage, improve communication, and help you resolve conflict in a healthy way. 

The Importance of Line Editing

We hope these examples have helped you understand the importance of working with a line editor for your book. It’s easy for writers to get too close to their work to be an objective and thorough reviewer, which is why we recommend getting a professional editor. 

A professional editor will have fresh eyes to go over your material, and an experienced line editor will help you transform dull and dreary prose to something that pops and grabs your reader’s attention—and hopefully keeps it until the end of your book! Check out our tips for finding a great editor.

Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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