Line edits, copy-edits and proofreads

It can be very easy to confuse line edits, copy-edits and proofreads. All are more final-stage edits than a report, but they should not be interchanged – line edits are carried out by developmental editors, and copy-edits and proofreads are carried out by specialist trained professionals (ours are CIEP Advanced Professionals or have equivalent experience/qualifications).

The focus of a line edit is on developmental editing, but largely on the micro-level, so it’s best for manuscripts that are structurally sound at the macro-level. This service is carried out by Industry editors only. Please note that a line edit is:

• not the final stage of the process

• not intended to root out grammatical errors and inconsistencies

Instead, the line edit is a close read of the most polished draft, and the editor will redline and mark-up your pages. Every sentence will be scrutinised, and the editor will, among other things, mark-up any language that doesn’t work, run-on sentences, inconsistencies, weak passages, make cuts to unnecessary scenes or dialogue, etc. They will closely edit every line of the book (if needed). They will also make editorial comments on anything that they feel doesn’t work in a larger sense, and highlight any content, pacing, or narrative problems that the book might still have, including plotting and characterisation. The line edit is typically undertaken via Track Changes on Word, so the author will receive a marked-up manuscript, with changes for them to accept or reject. Then, both author and editor will do a final read-through of the clean and corrected manuscript to ensure that everything is sound. 

If you’re looking to publish traditionally, a line edit should be sufficient to pull your manuscript into a ready state. If, however, you’re looking to self-publish or feel your manuscript is looking a little untidy, you’ll want to think about booking in for some copy-editing and/or proofreading.

A copy-editor will check material for grammar, spelling, style and punctuation issues before it’s prepared for proofreading. They will correct errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, style and usage, overlong sentences and overuse of italic, bold, capitals, exclamation marks and the passive voice. They correct or query doubtful facts, weak arguments, plot holes and gaps in numbering. In fiction, they also check inconsistencies and continuity errors, highlighting any changes that need to be made/addressed.

A proofreader will work with the nearly finished text. They look for any typographical errors or remaining grammatical errors. They do not suggest major changes to the text but look for any errors in spelling, or grammar or style, and make those corrections. The presumption is that once the proofer has done this, and any changes are then approved and made by the writer, the text is ready for publication. 

While these editorial stages are all different, they do follow a similar process, which is outlined below.