Let’s Talk About Line Edits (And Why I Won’t Do Them Without a Dev Edit First)
If you're confused about what kind of edit your book needs, you're not alone.
Before we dive into today’s topic, I want to start by pointing you to this excellent breakdown from Jane Friedman:
[Insert link to Jane Friedman’s article on the different types of editing]
Her blog post does a great job of outlining the stages of editing—from developmental to copy to proofreading—and is often the first place I send authors when they feel overwhelmed by the process.
And lately? A lot of authors have been telling me the same thing: they’re overwhelmed.
More than ever, authors are finding it difficult to search for editors, understand the titles, or even know what kind of support their manuscript needs. The publishing landscape is flooded with offerings—and not all of them are clear (or accurate) about what’s actually being provided.
In fact, nearly every consultation I’ve had lately includes a clarifying conversation about what each stage of editing actually looks like. And I understand.
When I first entered publishing—through my internship in the traditional New York scene—I didn’t even know books were edited beyond grammar and punctuation. I had no idea that someone’s job was to partner with authors on pacing, characterization, structure, or voice. I thought you either wrote a good book or you didn’t.
It wasn’t until I was immersed in the world of submissions, editorial meetings, and revisions at Big Five houses that I began to understand how layered editing really is—and how many roles it takes to bring a book to life.
So if you’re confused by all the different job titles floating around right now, you’re not alone. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) rate chart lists line editing, developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading... sometimes all as separate services with no overlap. If I were a new author reading that list, I’d assume I’d need at least two or three editors just to get to publication.
And then? Some freelance editors confuse things further by offering partial edits, or edits that blend certain stages together in ways that sound helpful—but aren’t always structurally sound.
So let’s take a minute to talk specifically about line editing. What it is. Why I do it. And why I don’t offer line edits on manuscripts I haven’t developmentally edited first.
What Is a Line Edit?
Line editing lives in the space between story and sentence.
It’s about how the words land on the page. The rhythm, the emotional cadence, the clarity, the tension in your phrasing. A line editor is not just checking spelling—they’re helping you refine your voice. They’re making sure each line supports the intent of the scene, the voice of the character, the experience of the reader.
It’s not just about fixing. It’s about finessing.
A strong line edit addresses:
Emotional flow and tone
Word choice and sentence rhythm
Repetition or redundancy
Paragraph structure and scene clarity
The impact of how something is said, not just what is said
And here’s the thing: doing that well requires intimacy with the book.
Why I Don’t Line Edit Books I Haven’t Developmentally Edited
I get this question a lot. And I understand where it comes from. If you’re confident in your book’s structure, you might think you’re ready to go straight to line edits.
But here's why I won't take that on.
When I line edit a book, I’m reading with the full understanding of the world, the characters, the emotional beats, the arc, the context. I'm not just making your sentences prettier. I’m enhancing meaning. For that, I need to know what comes next. I need to see the whole.
If I haven’t already been through your book with a developmental lens, I don’t have that understanding. I’m flying blind. And when that happens, line edits become shallow. They lose the richness they’re meant to bring.
It also means I might polish lines that shouldn’t be there at all—lines that would have been cut if we’d had a deeper revision round first.
Why I Also Don’t Offer Copyedits
Copyediting is another layer entirely. It uses a different side of the brain. Precision. Technicality. Rules. That kind of edit requires stepping back and evaluating with fresh eyes—something I no longer have after working so closely with a manuscript at the dev and line level.
That’s why I don’t offer copyedits on books I’ve already worked on.
And proofreads? Those come after a copyedit. Which means I won’t do those either—unless another qualified professional has already done the copyediting.
It’s not about being picky. It’s about doing the job right.
So What Should You Look for in a Line Editor?
Start with experience. Then look at communication. Ask how they define line editing. Ask whether they separate that stage from dev and copy. Make sure they know the difference. That’s a good sign they’ve done the work and trained the eye.
There are ways to get qualified—especially in copyediting. There are excellent training programs that offer certification in this type of editing. (I’m happy to recommend a few.)
Just make sure you’re choosing a program that’s industry-recognized. Please, please don’t spend money on a random internet course run by someone who hasn’t ever edited a published book. Or worse, the kind of site that’s just trying to sell you something.
If you're investing in this stage of editing, the people you work with should care about the book as much as you do.
Final Thought
Every stage of editing is valuable when it’s done by someone who knows what they’re doing. And line editing? When it’s done well, it’s magic. It’s where your voice sharpens. Where your story deepens. Where good writing becomes great.
But only when it’s built on a solid foundation.
If you’re not sure what kind of edit you need right now—or if you’re wondering what order to hire people in—start by asking. Most good editors (myself included) offer free consultations for exactly this reason.
Let’s figure it out together.
