Welcome back! I’m thrilled to have this website up and running, and I can’t wait to continue our series on the differences between the various editing styles. I’m hoping these articles will be helpful to all you authors out there or those of you who have always wanted to write. Don’t let fear hold you back—the time is now!
Each editing style is unique and serves its own purpose when it comes to bringing your book to its highest potential. Today, we’ll be discussing the benefits of line editing. In a sense, this style can be viewed as a step up from copy editing—it’s a tiny bit more extensive. As you’ll remember, the copy edit is all about grammar. Line editing, on the other hand, focuses on sentence structure, which includes analyzing the flow and organization of each individual sentence. Of course, sentences will be edited if they’re written incorrectly; but line editing also includes enhancing sentences even if they’re not technically incorrect.
Why?
- First, the sentence may be written awkwardly—this is the most common reason. As editors line edit, they may give suggestions for how to make a sentence’s meaning clearer by rewording or reorganizing. This will not only give your sentences more clarity—it’ll make them more engaging as well!
- Second, rewording or restructuring a sentence can give it more of an impact. Perhaps a sentence can be reworded to give us more insight into your character’s personality. Or we can build tension, reorganizing your sentence to draw your readers further into a certain moment. There are many times when simply switching out a word here and there can change what a sentence contributes to the piece as a whole!
While copy editing ensures your manuscript is grammatically correct, line editing focuses on making it dynamic. Through this editing style, an editor can concentrate on making your book even more colorful by including sentences that will make your story pop. This style involves a lot of sentence rewrite suggestions, even going so far as restructuring the flow of sentences and paragraphs to bring a moment more clarity and impact.
This style is pretty cut and dry, so there isn’t too much else to say about it. Basically, it takes your book from correct to engaging, colorful, and appealing—transforming your work into something your readers will both understand and enjoy! It works excellently with a copy edit, which is why it’s one of the pairings I offer. You can find more about the different editing packages I have available here.
Next time, we’ll dive into my absolute favorite type of edit: developmental. This one is all about elements like the plot, characters, and setting, cultivating your book into the best world it can be for your readers.
As always, you can reach out to me through the contact button below, and my social media accounts are at the bottom of the page. Please shout if you have any questions about line editing or if you’d like to talk about the different editing possibilities for your book! And keep an eye out for the next article in our series, “So… What Are the Editing Styles?”
Write on!
Madison K. Darby 
Loved the article…
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Thank you!
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