Line edit
A line edit is a sentence-by-sentence pass through the prose itself (rhythm, word choice, clarity, voice and the shape of paragraphs) aimed at how the writing reads rather than whether it is correct.
A line editor cuts filter words, breaks up sentences trying to do three jobs at once, flags the metaphor that fights the one before it, kills the construction you have used four times on this page, tightens dialogue to what the character would actually bother saying, and marks the paragraph where the voice stops sounding like the narrator and starts sounding like you.
What a line edit looks like
Before: She felt a wave of fear wash over her as she slowly turned around and saw that the door, which she was sure she had locked, was now standing open.
After: She turned. The door she had locked stood open.
Why it works: the filter words (felt, saw) are gone, so the reader sees the door instead of watching her see it. The fear is carried by the short sentences rather than named, and the most important word, open, lands last.
Before: "I just really don't think that is a good idea, to be honest with you," Mark said, shaking his head.
After: "Bad idea." Mark shook his head.
Why it works: if Mark is a man of few words, his dialogue should sound like it. The dialogue tag becomes an action beat, which does two jobs at once.
Neither "before" sentence contains an error. That is the point of a line edit.
What a line edit covers
- Rhythm. Sentence length and shape, so the prose speeds up and slows down where the story does.
- Word choice. Hidden verbs turned back into verbs, vague words made specific, mirror words (the same word twice in close range) caught.
- Clarity. Who is doing what, in what order. Dangling modifiers and pronouns with two possible owners.
- Excess. Repetition, over-explanation, and purple prose where the description stops the scene.
- Voice. Whether the narrator sounds like the same person on page 30 and page 300.
Line edit vs copy edit
A copy edit asks is this correct? A line edit asks is this good? A line editor will rewrite a sentence that contains no errors at all, because it is flabby, or flat, or puts its most important word in the weakest position. A copy editor will leave that sentence alone and fix the comma.
The two are often sold together as a "line and copy edit". That can be reasonable value on a manuscript that is already clean, but it is two jobs, and you should know which one you are buying.
Where it sits in the editing order
- Developmental edit: the story.
- Line edit: the sentences.
- Copy edit: correctness and consistency.
- Proofread: the finished pages.
Line editing a chapter that may be cut is wasted money, so the line edit waits until the structure is settled. It comes before the copy edit because rewriting sentences creates new errors, and the copy edit is there to catch them.
Line edits at Final Boss Editing
A private line edit here comes as a video plus a line-by-line markup of your work, for novels, screenplays and other forms. For scripts, the same pass covers formatting such as sluglines alongside the action lines and dialogue.
Frequently asked questions
What is line editing?
Line editing is editing the prose line by line to make it read better: cutting what does not earn its place, fixing rhythm and clarity, and keeping the voice consistent. It assumes the story itself is settled.
What is the difference between line editing and copy editing?
A copy edit asks whether the writing is correct: grammar, spelling, punctuation and consistency. A line edit asks whether it is good. A sentence can be perfectly correct and still be flat, and only the line edit will say so.
Should I get a line edit or a developmental edit first?
The developmental edit. If the structure changes after a line edit, the polished scenes that get cut or rewritten were paid for twice. Get the story right, then the sentences.
Will a line editor change my voice?
A good one works to make you sound more like yourself, not like the editor. You should still reject some suggestions; a line edit accepted wholesale has usually overwritten a little of your voice.