Defining Line Editing

Once you’ve nailed down your plot, story arc, characters, and built your manuscript’s setting, it’s time to polish your story on a sentence level to make sure all the little details line up and flow off the page with style, flair, and proper grammar.

In a literal sense, line editing examines your manuscript on a line-by-line basis. A line editor makes sure the green shirt your character was wearing on page 3 is still green on page 5, stops you from suddenly jerking from past tense to present tense in the middle of a sentence, and checks to make sure the specific shopkeeper your character goes to always has the same name. This type of editing aims to smooth out the reading experience for your audience.

Line editing is my most popular service. I help my authors punch up their dialogue, tweak their jokes, adjust pacing, and provide just the right touch of drama to the parts that need it.

Genres

Rates

My rates for line editing vary depending on the state of the manuscript but fall anywhere between $0.019 per word and $0.045 per word. If your manuscript has been self-edited or has already been through another editor, my quote would likely be at my starting rate of $0.019 (1.9 cents) per word. A manuscript that needs a second round of editing would likely be quoted at closer to $0.045 (4 cents) per word. The rate is determined by a sample edit, which I do to gauge the amount of work required and to show you my editing style. 

When quoting for line editing, I may include options for a single pass and for two passes, which will allow you to determine the course that best fits your budget. I may occasionally recommend three full passes. It is always recommended you hire a proofreader to check the manuscript after editing has been completed.

Line Editing Delivery

Should you hire me to line edit your manuscript, I will provide you with the following:

• A Microsoft Word copy of your manuscript with editing suggestions and comments made with Track Changes. Editing will cover grammar, style, pacing, descriptions, dialogue, continuity, and plot flaws.
• A brief editorial letter in the form of an email or PDF.
• A Pikko’s House style sheet outlining the specific details of your manuscript including character names, locations, terms, grammar rules and exceptions, and resource details.
• An optional email discussion of your manuscript. An optional Track Changes review is available with complimentary time based on word count.

I encourage my clients to ask specific questions after the edit to avoid any confusion over any of my suggestions, but please note that these discussions may incur an hourly consultation fee should they go past the norm.

Types of manuscripts accepted for line editing:

• Short stories
• Novellettes
• Novellas
• Novels
• Nonfiction

Please note that while I make every effort to correct any minor errors I find such as misspelled words, missing words, punctuation errors, and formatting issues, this is not the primary focus of line editing. Pikko’s House strives for a high catch rate, but heavily edited manuscripts inevitably shift with the edit and the implementation of the edit, and a second round of line or copy editing is usually recommended.

My proofreading service is handled by my team of proofreaders to ensure a fresh set of eyes. I do not proofread manuscripts that I have edited.