Line Editing
Base rate: 5¢/word*
- Turnaround is generally 4-6 weeks, depending on manuscript length and availability
- Includes margin notes, changes in suggest mode in a fresh copy, and a one-hour follow-up meeting
Also known as stylistic or substantive editing, a line edit is the beautification process and the artful elevation of your words.
I like to think of it as the Botox of the editing process . . . a word lift, if you will.
Not gonna lie—this is my favorite type of edit to do. I’m convinced at least part of the reason why I was put on this earth was to make words more beautiful.
Line editing tends to be the most labor-intensive type of edit because it combs through your manuscript sentence-by-sentence, chapter-by-chapter, from beginning to end, focusing on:
- The meaning and clarity of your words
- The style and flow of those words, removing “clunkiness” so they read smoothly
- Tone, and how it is conveyed through each passage
- Voice (active or passive, as an example)
- Spotting weak verbs supported by adverbs, when a strong verb is better
- Consistency
- Removing redundancies
- Finding (and suggesting removal of) unnecessary words or information
- Pointing out clichés (unless they are intentional for humor or used in dialogue)
This type of edit is separate from (and comes before) copy editing, which focuses on the mechanics of the writing on a technical level only.
Learn more about copy editing here.
The project fee for line editing is set based on the quality of your manuscript (which should be relatively polished at this point) and on a $0.05 (5 cents) per word median EFA rate.
Based on a novel’s word count, the cost for a line edit is roughly:
100,000 words = $5,000
80,000 words = $4,000
60,000 words = $3,000
*Rate may be higher if the manuscript is not polished or is in poor shape, and likewise may be lower if refined.
Schedule A Free Consultation On A Line Edit With Dark Star Lit
