Line Editing Vs Copy Editing: Understanding The Overlap

Gary Smailes | 5 November 2025

What Each Edit Covers (and What It Doesn’t)

Two edits, two different jobs. Here is how to tell them apart without squinting at jargon.

Line editing: the sentence and paragraph polish

A line edit shapes how your pages read. It tightens meaning, cleans rhythm, and tunes voice without changing your plot or argument.

What it targets:

• Clarity. Replace fog with sense.
  • Before: There was a kind of smell in the room that was sort of sweet.
  • After: A sweet chemical smell hung in the room.
• Concision. Cut padding, keep power.
  • Before: She began to start walking toward the door.
  • After: She walked to the door.
• Rhythm. Vary length, smooth stumbles.
  • Before: I packed my bag. I checked the map. I left the house.
  • After: I checked the map, packed my bag, then left.
• Tone and diction. Match genre and audience.
  • Academic: The results suggest a meaningful difference.
  • Thriller: The numbers point to a leak.
• Show vs tell at the line level.
  • Tell: He was angry.
  • Show: He set the cup down hard. Coffee sloshed.
• POV intimacy. Reduce filter words to pull the reader closer.
  • Filtered: She felt the floor tilt.
  • Immersive: The floor tilted.
• Transitions. Link ideas so the reader glides, not trips.
  • Before: We landed at noon. The meeting started late.
  • After: We landed at noon, so the meeting started late.

What you get:

• Tracked changes on your manuscript.
• Margin comments with reasons, options, and patterns to watch.
  • Example: You use suddenly six times in this scene. I suggest cutting to two. The surprise holds without the word.
  • Example: Two short sentences in a row here. Try combining for flow.

Copyediting: the correctness and consistency pass

A copyedit makes the text correct and consistent. It applies rules, checks usage, and standardizes choices against a style guide such as Chicago.

What it targets:

• Grammar and usage. Subject verb agreement, pronoun case, misplaced modifiers, parallel structure.
  • Before: Each of the boys have their coats.
  • After: Each of the boys has his coat.
• Punctuation. Commas, quotation marks, dialogue punctuation.
  • Before: “I’m in” she said.
  • After: “I’m in,” she said.
• Spelling and variants. Color or colour. Toward or towards. OK or okay. Email or e-mail. Pick one and apply it.
• Capitalization and hyphenation. Black as a racial identity. High-stakes or high stakes. Decision-making or decision making.
• Numbers and numerals. Spell out one through nine, use numerals for 10 and up, unless your guide says otherwise.
• Light fact checking. Dates, names, common claims.
  • Before: Einstein won the Nobel Prize in 1922.
  • After: Einstein won in 1921.
• References to the style guide. Chicago 17, house style, or the guide your publisher requests.

What you get:

• A marked file with corrections.
• A detailed style sheet that records your choices.
  • Sample entries:
    • Spelling: toward, email, judgment
    • Numbers: one through nine spelled out, 10+ as numerals
    • Hyphenation: high-stakes before nouns, no hyphen after
    • Characters: Anaïs, accent retained
    • Places: São Paulo, accent retained
    • Terms: AI, no periods
• Queries for decisions.
  • Example: You use both Web site and website. Prefer website, yes.
  • Example: Chapter 3 says May 12. Chapter 4 says May 10 for the same event. Which date stands.

What neither stage includes

• Developmental editing. That is the big-picture work. Structure, plot turns, argument order, pacing, character arcs. If your editor suggests moving a chapter or adding a scene, you are in dev land.
• Proofreading. That is the last pass after layout. Typos, punctuation typos, bad breaks, widows and orphans, wrong headers, page number slips. Proofreading comes after the book is designed, not before.

If you need help with stakes, theme, or chapter order, ask for developmental support. If your PDF has stray spaces and a missing period on page 247, ask for a proofread.

Fiction vs nonfiction emphasis

Fiction, line edit:

• Goal: deepen voice and emotion, sharpen interiority, keep the narrative current clear.
• Example before: She felt scared as the door creaked.
• Example after: The door creaked. Her mouth went dry.

Fiction, copyedit:

• Goal: standardize dialogue punctuation, track timelines and ages, catch continuity slips.
• Example: Chapter 2 says the baby is six months old. Chapter 9 is two months later and the baby is still six months old. Copyeditor flags and queries.

Nonfiction, line edit:

• Goal: sharpen authority, smooth logic from sentence to sentence, keep tone aligned with brand or field.
• Example before: There are many reasons why remote work is good for productivity.
• Example after: Remote work raises productivity for three reasons. Then list them.

Nonfiction, copyedit:

• Goal: align headings, citations, tables and figures, and terminology.
• Example: Ensure H2 capitalization matches house style, convert footnotes to Chicago Notes and Bibliography, confirm figure numbers match references in the text.

Quick diagnostic

Pick a page and read it aloud.

• If you hear flat rhythm, vague wording, or the narrator sounds unlike the book you want to write, you need a line edit first.
• If the sentences read fine but commas wander, hyphens change their mind, and dates fight each other, you need a copyedit.

Or try this two-minute test. Write two short lists.

• Style pain points: clunky prose, weak voice, choppy flow, too many filter words, not enough image.
• Accuracy pain points: comma chaos, inconsistent spelling, slippery numbers, citation mess, timeline drift.

The longer list points to the edit you need now. You can do the other stage next.

Where They Overlap and Why It’s Confusing

Both editors touch your sentences. That is where the blur begins.

A line editor tunes meaning and flow. A copyeditor enforces rules and patterns. On the page, those jobs meet in the middle.

• Both will flag an ambiguous line.
  • Original: She fed her dog wearing pajamas.
  • Query: Who wore pajamas, the narrator or the dog.
• Both will trim fluff.
  • Original: Due to the fact that the storm was approaching, we made plans.
  • Edit: Because the storm was approaching, we made plans.
• Both will fix obvious slips.
  • Original: Its a quiet night.
  • Edit: It’s a quiet night.

Neither should change intent without a question. If the sentence says, He lied to protect her, no one should flip that to He lied to protect himself without asking you. The right move is a margin note. Something like, Motive unclear here. Confirm protect her.

The gray zone, in practice

This is where rhythm meets rules.

• Line editor move, punctuation for cadence:
  • Original: He ran, and he fell, and he rolled to the curb.
  • Edit: He ran. He fell. He rolled to the curb.

  The meaning holds. The beat tightens.

• Copyeditor move, light rephrase for clarity:
  • Original: Turning the corner, the cathedral appeared.
  • Edit: As I turned the corner, the cathedral appeared.

  The “dangling” opener gets fixed. No voice lost.

A line editor might add a comma to give a breath before a reveal. A copyeditor might shift a few words to repair a pronoun. Same sentence level. Different reasons. This overlap is why you hear terms like stylistic edit or substantive copyedit. Labels vary by freelancer and by press.

Small presses and tight budgets often combine passes. One editor wears two hats. You get a hybrid, with rhythm and rules in one go. It works for short work and steady manuscripts. For messy drafts, a combo pass tends to miss something.

What you risk by skipping one

• Only copyediting
  • The book reads clean. No typos. Commas behave. The voice feels thin, the images repeat, the pace drags. Readers finish, then forget.
• Only line editing
  • The book sings. Then a reader trips on en dash vs hyphen, inconsistent spelling, and a date that shifts by a week. Trust leaks away.

Set boundaries early

A little clarity up front protects your voice and your wallet.

• Pick a style guide. Chicago 17 is standard for books. If your publisher has a house style, name it.
• Note voice non negotiables. Examples:
  • No serial comma in dialogue interior monologue.
  • Keep sentence fragments in action scenes.
  • Preserve region dialiect for Aunt Mae’s lines. Spelling reflects sound.
• Define stet rules. Stet means leave my words as set. Decide where stet applies.
  • Author will stet slang even if nonstandard.
  • Author will stet dash style in first person essays. Em dash preferred, no spaces.
• Decide what fixes happen without a query.
  • Silent fixes: typos, doubled words, straight quotes to curly, space before punctuation, style guide hyphenation.
  • Always query: word choice shifts, a cut that affects tone, any change to a joke, any edit that alters legal or scientific meaning.
• Choose regional settings.
  • en US: color, organize, Mr., double quotation marks, month day year.
  • en GB: colour, organise, Mr, single quotation marks, day month year.

Document these choices on the style sheet before the copyedit starts. Ask the line editor to add notes during their pass, so the copyeditor knows which voice quirks are intentional.

A quick overlap test

Take this line: I kind of started to begin to run for the door, which was like, real far.

• Line edit:
  • I ran for the door. It was far.
• Copyedit:
  • I started to run for the door, which was very far.

Now blend the strengths.

• I ran for the door. The exit felt far.

Different hands, same goal. Clearer reading.

Action to lock scope and avoid surprises

Ask each editor for two short lists. Then paste them into your agreement.

• Ten tasks they will do
  • Trim redundancy at the line level
  • Smooth transitions between paragraphs
  • Flag point of view slips
  • Standardize dialogue punctuation
  • Fix subject verb agreement
  • Normalize spelling choices across the book
  • Track timeline details and query conflicts
  • Build and maintain a style sheet
  • Query factual oddities and source basic dates
  • Provide a summary of recurring issues for you to watch
• Five tasks they will not do
  • Restructure chapters
  • Rewrite scenes or arguments wholesale
  • Change terminology without approval
  • Fact check sources beyond surface items
  • Proofread laid out pages after design

Two final tips. Ask how they handle stetting. Ask how they mark queries you must answer before they proceed. Clear signals, fewer surprises, stronger pages.

Choosing the Right Stage for Your Manuscript

Editing out of order drains money and momentum. Lock the big blocks first, then polish the sentences, then standardize every comma and capital, then proof the laid-out pages. The usual chain looks like this: developmental edit, line edit, copyedit, proofreading. Shuffle that order only with intention.

Ready for a line edit

A line edit serves the voice on the page. Rhythm. Clarity. Cadence. If readers say clunky, flat, or hard to follow, the draft sits in this zone.

Quick tests:

• Read three pages aloud. Stumble more than once per paragraph. Line edit next.
• Highlight every “was” and “were” on one page. If half those sentences feel flabby, line work will help.
• Mark filter words like felt, noticed, saw, thought. Heavy clusters signal distance from the point of view. A line pass will tighten proximity.
• Check a scene break. Does the handoff feel smooth. If not, transitions need attention.

Fiction signs:

• Scenes exist in the right order, yet the pulse drops inside paragraphs.
• Dialogue needs tension and subtext, not new plot. Beats repeat. Descriptions blur.
• You want deeper interiority without a rewrite.

Nonfiction signs:

• Arguments stand, yet topic sentences wander.
• Paragraphs pile clauses. Active voice would sharpen authority.
• Jargon swells. Examples need pruning or sharper verbs.

A quick before and after to gauge fit:

• Before: Due to the fact the storm was approaching, we made the decision to leave at a later time.
• After a strong line pass: Because the storm neared, we left later.

Structure did not change. Voice and flow rose.

Ready for a copyedit

A copyedit serves correctness and consistency. Grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling variants, capitalization, hyphenation, numerals, and light fact checks against Chicago or a house guide.

You are ready when:

• No scene or chapter rewrites remain on the to-do list.
• Character ages, timelines, and world rules feel settled.
• Front and back matter are in place.
• Citations and notes exist in full. Not “TK.” Complete.

Quick tests:

• Pick one chapter at random. Could the chapter go to layout today. If yes for three in a row, copyedit stands next.
• Run a name pass. Is the villain’s surname spelled one way across the draft. If you still change names on the fly, pause before copyediting.
• For nonfiction, pick five citations. Match each to a source. All present. No broken links. Good.

A copyeditor will standardize dialogue punctuation, italics rules, number treatment, and variants like judgement or judgment. The work may include light trims for clarity, yet meaning will not shift without a query.

Edge cases and smart workarounds

Short stories and essays often benefit from a hybrid. Brief structural notes paired with line and copy polish in one pass. One hat, two roles. Useful for pieces under 5,000 words or a small chapbook.

Tight budgets require triage. Start with a manuscript evaluation for big-picture notes. Apply those changes. Follow with a focused line edit on trouble chapters. Close with a full copyedit across the manuscript. Money flows to the weakest link first.

Academic or heavily sourced nonfiction sometimes needs a citation pass before copyediting. Decide on Chicago Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date before any global changes. Conform footnote style early, then move into consistency at the sentence level.

A timing story

An author once hired a copyedit before locking scenes. Midway through revisions, two chapters moved. The move created fresh continuity errors, plus half the style decisions needed updates. Extra fees, extra weeks, extra stress. The same book, in the right order, would have sailed through with fewer queries and a cleaner proof.

Preflight checklist

Run this before booking the next stage.

• Scene list locked. No planned cuts or adds.
• Argument map final. Headings reflect the final outline.
• Style decisions chosen. Serial comma, number treatment, ellipses, italics, capitalization.
• Regional settings chosen. American English or British English across the board.
• Character and place names finalized. Timeline stable.
• Citations complete. Notes, bibliography, tables, figures, and captions present.
• Front matter and back matter in place. Acknowledgments, dedication, epigraph, index plan if needed.
• Voice targets clear. Three comp titles noted. Audience described in one sentence.
• Query log tidy. No unresolved meaning questions from beta readers.
• Files organized. Clear version names. One master document ready for handoff.

A simple exercise to confirm stage:

• Print the scene list or heading list.
• Circle any item you still want to move or cut.
• If more than two items get circles, stay with structural work or a focused line pass.
• If no circles, book the copyedit.

One more test for peace of mind:

• Open to page one.
• Read the first page aloud, then the last page aloud.
• Hear the same voice and level of polish. If yes, the draft belongs with a copyeditor. If not, schedule a line edit.

Choose the stage that solves today’s problems, not tomorrow’s. Right order, right work, stronger pages.

Workflow, Handoffs, and Style Sheets

Editing works best in a clean relay. The line editor protects and refines voice. The copyeditor applies rules and consistency. Both add to a living style sheet. The proofreader follows it and keeps faith with earlier choices.

From line edit to copyedit

Here is a simple flow that avoids crossed wires.

1. Line edit
   • Tracked changes and margin notes arrive first.
   • The editor highlights patterns to keep, not only problems to trim.
   • A starter style sheet joins the file. Voice notes sit at the top.
2. Author revision
   • Resolve meaning questions now. Do not roll them into the copyedit.
   • Accept or reject changes with intention. No mass Accept All.
   • Update the style sheet to reflect final choices.
3. Copyedit
   • Grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling variants, capitalization, hyphenation, numerals, and light fact checks.
   • The copyeditor honors voice notes and uses stet where needed. Example: “Stet this comma for cadence.”
   • Any change with risk of shifting intent triggers a query.
4. Proofreading after layout
   • Typos, widows and orphans, bad breaks, stray italics.
   • No rewrites. Proof respects the style sheet and earlier decisions.

What belongs on the style sheet

Think of the sheet as a user manual for your book. Short. Specific. Updated at each stage.

Core sections and sample entries:

• Voice and tone
  • Sparse interiority. No italics for thoughts.
  • Sentence fragments allowed for tension.
• Spelling and variants
  • American English.
  • judgment, not judgement.
  • adviser, not advisor.
  • toward, not towards.
  • OK, not okay.
• Hyphenation and compounds
  • email, not e-mail.
  • health care, open.
  • set up as verb. setup as noun.
  • high-stakes as modifier. high stakes otherwise.
• Capitalization
  • Black capitalized for identity.
  • internet lowercase.
  • Chapter 3 capitalized in references.
• Numbers and numerals
  • Spell out one through nine. Use numerals for 10 and up.
  • Ages in numerals. a 7-year-old. hyphenated as modifier.
  • Time style 3 p.m., not 3:00 pm.
  • Percent as word in running text. 7 percent.
• Punctuation
  • Serial comma yes.
  • Ellipses spaced, like this … within text.
  • Emphasis via italics, not bold.
• Dialogue and thoughts
  • American quotation marks. Double outside, single inside.
  • Dialogue tags lowercase. she said.
  • No italics for interior monologue in deep POV.
• Foreign terms and italics
  • Italicize on first use, roman on repeat. café italic first mention, roman thereafter.
  • Provide gloss in text if meaning matters.
• Names and places
  • Spellings for every character and location.
  • Preferred nicknames listed.
• Timeline and continuity
  • Grid for dates, days of week, ages, holidays, moon phases if relevant.
• Formatting quirks
  • Scene breaks with three asterisks centered.
  • No space around em dashes if used. If not, choose commas or periods.

A good sheet removes guesswork. It saves rounds of undoing in production.

Query management without drama

Early queries save time later. Aim to resolve meaning before the copyedit.

• Invite big questions during the line edit. Clarity, intention, tone.
• Tag decisions on the style sheet. Example: “Swearing stays mild. Hell and damn only.”
• During the copyedit, use stet for rhythm and voice. Add a brief note. “Stet opening fragment for force.”
• For every unresolved item, add a query log at the end of the document. Short entries. Page, issue, proposed fix, author decision.

Sample query from a copyeditor:

• p. 142. “three hundred soldiers” earlier, “three thousand” here. Which holds.

Your reply goes on the log and the sheet:

• Keep three hundred throughout.

Version control that keeps you sane

Messy files breed phantom errors. Set a system and stick to it.

• Lock chapters after the line edit. No new scenes once the copyedit starts.
• Name files clearly.
  • Title_LE_v1 for first line edit file.
  • Title_AuthorRev_v1 for your revision.
  • Title_CE_v1 for the copyedit file.
• Keep two copies after each round. One with tracked changes. One clean with all changes accepted.
• Never paste old text into a newer file. Update within the live version or log the change for the editor.

Mini exercise:

• Open your latest chapter.
• Save as Title_Chapter07_AuthorRev_v2.
• Write the date in the header. Now you know where you stand.

Special considerations

Fiction

• Build a continuity grid. Ages, birthdays, school years, prop locations, pet names, injuries, scars, car models, weather notes.
• Dialect and idiolect live on the sheet. Dropped g, regional slang, honorifics, swearing level.
• Magic or tech rules listed in plain language. What breaks them, what never does.

Nonfiction

• Choose a citation model before copyedit. Chicago Notes and Bibliography or Author-Date. Write examples on the sheet.
  • Notes and Bibliography sample: 1. Ada Palmer, Reading Lucretius in the Renaissance, Harvard University Press, 2014, 87.
  • Author-Date sample: Palmer 2014, 87.
• Table and figure numbering. Figure 2, not Fig. 2, or choose the opposite and note it.
• Cross-references style. See chapter 4, lowercase c. Or Chapter 4, capital C. Pick one.
• Permissions log. Quotes over fair use, images, lyrics, epigraphs. Owner, status, due date.

Action

Ask each editor for a sample style sheet. Merge it with your project needs. Fill in the top ten decisions today:

• English variant.
• Serial comma choice.
• Numbers rule.
• Dialogue punctuation.
• Thoughts style.
• Spelling preferences for tricky words.
• Hyphenation list for frequent terms.
• Capitalization choices for key concepts.
• Citation model with samples.
• Scene break marker.

Keep the sheet open while you revise. Update after every decision. Bring it to copyedit and to proof. Your future self, and your proofreader, will thank you.

Pricing, Timelines, and Hiring Smart

Budgets love clarity. So do schedules. A clean plan keeps your edits moving and your wallet calm.

What the work costs

Typical ranges, by word:

• Line editing: $0.01 to $0.04 per word. Heavier stylistic work sits near the top.
• Copyediting: $0.012 to $0.035 per word. Technical nonfiction and citation wrangling often cost more.

Quick math helps. For a 90,000-word novel:

• Line edit at $0.02 per word comes to $1,800.
• Copyedit at $0.018 per word comes to $1,620.
• Total before proofreading: $3,420.

Shorter pieces often use a flat fee. Editors quote after a sample, since density varies.

What shifts the price

Editors price by time and effort. These factors move the needle:

• Word count and file condition. Clean prose reads faster.
• Genre demands. SFF worldbuilding, legal or medical topics, academic notes.
• Stylistic density. Heavy recasts, many queries, frequent line-level choices.
• Turnaround speed. Rush schedules raise rates.
• Number of passes. Line edit only, or line plus a second look. Copyedit only, or copyedit plus style sheet build from scratch.
• Meetings and follow-up. One call included, or two. Query support after delivery.

If a quote feels high, ask for a lighter scope. Example, a focused line edit on three tough chapters, then a full copyedit later.

How long it takes

For 80 to 100k words, plan:

• Line edit: 2 to 4 weeks.
• Copyedit: 2 to 3 weeks.

You need revision time between stages. Two to three weeks gives you room to respond to margin notes and update the style sheet. Proofreading comes after layout, often one week for that same range, plus time for corrections.

Expect calendar bumps during holidays and award seasons. Lock dates early.

How to vet an editor

You want a partner, not a mystery. Do three things before you sign.

1. Request a 5 to 10 page sample edit
   • Use representative pages. One smooth chapter, one thorny chapter.
   • Ask for tracked changes and margin notes.
   • Review how edits match your voice. Look for respect and precision, not fuss.
2. Check expertise
   • Confirm Chicago Manual of Style comfort. If you work in AP or APA, confirm those instead.
   • Ask about genre history. For nonfiction, ask about citations, tables, and figures.
   • Request before and after examples with permission, or testimonials with detail.
3. Lock scope in writing
   • What will be edited, what will not.
   • Deliverables. Marked file, style sheet, query log, follow-up window.
   • Schedule. Start date, milestones, final delivery.
   • Price and payment terms. Deposit percent, balance on delivery or acceptance. Rush or weekend fees if needed.
   • Second look policy. One pass on your revisions within two weeks, or a fixed hour cap.

Clear scope protects both sides. Future you will thank present you.

Indie vs traditional paths

Indie authors hire directly. You choose your editors, set timelines, and own the style sheet end to end.

Traditionally published authors work with house editors. A line edit or copyedit will arrive on the publisher’s schedule. You still benefit from a freelance line edit before submission, especially for debut work. Cleaner pages invite stronger reads. If you hire pre-submission, share the house style once you sign, so your freelancer aligns settings where possible.

Red flags and green lights

Green lights:

• A thoughtful sample edit with notes on patterns.
• A style sheet template offered before work begins.
• Clear boundaries on voice. Frequent use of stet for rhythm.
• A timeline with buffers for your review.

Red flags:

• No sample, no references, pressure to prepay in full.
• Vague scope. Phrases like “full polish” with no list behind it.
• Edits that flatten voice or rewrite meaning without a query.
• Promises of one-week turnarounds for a full-length book with heavy work.

An email script you can send

Subject: Line edit and copyedit inquiry for 90k novel

Hello [Name],

I have a 90,000-word [genre] manuscript. I am seeking a line edit in March and a copyedit in April.

• Audience and comps: [two comps].
• Tone targets: [two adjectives], strong interiority, concise dialogue.
• Pain points: repetition in action beats, uneven rhythm in long scenes.
• Style guide: Chicago. American English. Serial comma yes.

Would you share:

• A 7-page sample edit on the attached chapter.
• A quote for line edit and copyedit, with timelines.
• A list of tasks included and not included.
• Your style sheet template.
• Policy on calls and a second look on revisions.

Thanks,
[You]

Short, specific, useful.

Mini calculator for your budget

• Word count x mid-range rate for each pass.
• Add 10 percent for scope creep.
• Add proofreading and layout costs if you plan to publish indie.
• Hold a small reserve for permissions or fact-checking help.

Example for a 75,000-word nonfiction book:

• Line edit at $0.025 per word: $1,875.
• Copyedit at $0.02 per word: $1,500.
• Proofreading at $0.01 per word: $750.
• Total with 10 percent buffer: about $4,675.

Action

Send a brief to two or three editors today. Include audience, comps, tone targets, pain points, two sample chapters, and your desired window for each pass. Ask for a sample edit, a quote, a schedule, and a style sheet template. Pick the editor who improves your pages while sounding like you. Then book dates, sign scope, and set reminders for your review windows.

DIY Techniques to Cover the Gap (and Save Money)

You want your editor working on the hard problems, not sweeping crumbs. Give them a clean table. You keep your budget. Your book reads better today.

Before the line edit

• Read aloud or use text to speech
  • Ten minutes per session is enough. Mark any spot where you pause, breathe in the wrong place, or stumble.
  • If your tongue trips, your reader will too. Smooth or cut.
• Upgrade weak verb plus adverb
  • Swap “ran quickly” for “sprinted.” Swap “said softly” for “whispered.”
  • Quick test. Highlight every word that ends in ly. Replace half with a stronger verb or a concrete detail.
  • Before: “He looked angrily at the door and then slowly walked away.”
  • After: “He glared at the door, then drifted away.”
• Trim expletive openings
  • “There is, there are, it was” often hide the subject.
  • Before: “There are many reasons we left the city.”
  • After: “We left the city for many reasons.”
  • Before: “It was the sound of sirens that woke her.”
  • After: “Sirens woke her.”
• Cut filter words to deepen POV
  • Words like saw, felt, noticed, realized create distance.
  • Before: “She felt the cold wind on her face.”
  • After: “Cold wind burned her cheeks.”
  • Before: “I saw a hawk circle above the barn.”
  • After: “A hawk circled above the barn.”
• Vary sentence length for rhythm
  • Line up three pages. Circle every sentence with 18 to 22 words. If most match, break a few.
  • Before: “The hallway was empty and I listened for a moment to be sure, then I opened the door and stepped inside.”
  • After: “The hallway was empty. I listened. Then I opened the door and stepped inside.”

Mini exercise, 15 minutes:

• Take one page.
• Replace three verb plus adverb pairs.
• Cut three expletive openings.
• Remove five filter words.
• Break one long sentence and join two short ones.

Before the copyedit

• Build a simple style sheet
  • Open a fresh document with these headers:
    • Spelling: toward or towards. Judgment or judgement.
    • Capitalization: Black or black. Internet or internet.
    • Hyphenation: high stakes or high-stakes. Decision making or decision-making.
    • Numbers: spell one through nine, numerals from 10. Or your chosen rule.
    • Dialogue thoughts: italics for interior monologue, or not.
    • Names and places: exact forms, accents, titles.
    • Terms: your jargon, abbreviations, and preferred variants.
  • Fill it as you write. Your copyeditor will bless you.
• Run consistency passes
  • Names. Search for Jon and John. Katherine and Catherine. Fix all hits.
  • Terms. Decide email or e-mail. Health care or healthcare. Pick one.
  • Numbers. Pick a rule for dates, times, decades. Then scan for outliers.
  • Timeline. Make a quick grid. Day, date, time stamp, character ages. Check travel times and seasons.
• Verify facts and proper nouns
  • Look up every quoted title, place name, and public figure. Confirm spellings and accents.
  • Check quotations against a source. If memory supplied the line, assume it is off.
• Use tools as assistants
  • PerfectIt flags style and consistency. Run it near the end of your pass.
  • Word’s Editor or ProWritingAid or Grammarly can spot double spaces, missing words, and echoes.
  • Accept with judgment. If a suggestion flattens your voice, stet and move on.
  • Work in one tool at a time. Save a new version before each run.

Quick checklist for this phase:

• One clean style sheet.
• Search and replace for names and terms.
• Verify five facts per session.
• One tool pass with a review of each change.

Final checks before proofreading

• Accept tracked changes with intention
  • Save a copy. Accept or reject every change. Do not leave mixed states. They corrupt later files.
• Resolve queries
  • Answer every comment. If you defer, tag it on your style sheet so the copyeditor has the decision.
• Update the style sheet
  • Add any new spellings, hyphenation choices, and numeral rules you applied in revisions.
• Generate a clean file for layout
  • Remove extra spaces. Standardize tabs and paragraph styles. Insert page breaks at chapter starts.
  • Create a fresh file name. Example: Title_Clean_v5. Export a PDF if your designer needs it.

Five-minute sweep before you send:

• Search for double spaces.
• Search for space before punctuation.
• Search for “TK” or “xx” placeholders.
• Search for “Chapter” to confirm numbering.
• Run spellcheck one final time.

Two-pass plan that saves money

Pass 1, stylistic:

• Read aloud.
• Fix verbs and adverbs.
• Cut filters and expletive openings.
• Smooth rhythm.

Pass 2, consistency:

• Build or update the style sheet.
• Search for names, terms, and numbers.
• Verify facts.
• Run one tool and review.

Book time on your calendar. Example, 45 minutes per weekday for two weeks. Small, steady work beats a tired weekend slog.

A quick before and after

Before:

“There are many things that I noticed about the meeting, and it was clear that the team was very upset, which made me feel kind of nervous.”

After:

“I noticed three things about the meeting. The team was upset. My hands shook.”

Cleaner. Faster. Stronger voice.

Action

Do two focused self-edit passes before you hire. One stylistic. One consistency. Send your editor a tidy file and a starter style sheet. They will go deeper, faster. You will spend less.

Frequently Asked Questions

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