Line Editing from SRD Editing Services
What is Line Editing?
Line editing is what many people mean when they simply say “editing.” It is sometimes also called “copy editing,” although some professionals consider line editing and copy editing to be separate steps in the manuscript editing process.
A line edit is completed after all content is finalized. Once you have no more changes to make to your story, materials, and wording, it’s time to have a professional complete a thorough, line-by-line edit. You deserve someone who reads every word of what you’ve written and makes corrections to improve, polish, and perfect any remaining errors. It’s more than a simple “spelling and grammar” check.
We couldn’t agree more with the popular adage: Software doesn’t edit; people do.
The SRD Editing Services editors recommend that before you send your manuscript for our professional line editing process, you complete all revisions and a full round of self-edits. Your line-edit-ready manuscript should be your “final version” — with no more changes to integrate.
Commercial Fiction and Nonfiction Book Editing
SRD Editing Services performs line editing services for commercial fiction and nonfiction according to best standards and practices, using the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for spelling and word usage references.
An Experienced Academic APA Editor
Need academic line editing for your graduate thesis, dissertation, or professional publication submission? SRD Editing Services offers academic line editing, using the standards of the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual.
Discounts for University of Central Florida and Florida State Students and Alums
We offer discounts to current students and alumni of editor Cortni Merritt’s alma maters – Florida State University, the University of Central Florida, and even, Colorado State University. Whether you’re located nearby in Orlando or anywhere in the world, Cortni would love to work with you on your academic publishing journey.
SRD Editing Services offers a 10% discount to current students and alumni at the University of Central Florida and Florida State University. Ask your editor for details.
Will My Manuscript Be “Publish-Ready” After a Line Edit?
A thorough line edit is one of the most crucial steps in making your manuscript ready for readers. Although the line edit from SRD Editing Services will be as thorough as possible, even the best manuscript editing services may miss some errors. We recommend that writers consider additional rounds of line editing when the manuscript averages more than 40 errors per 1,000 words. In longer or denser manuscripts, additional rounds of editing is the best way to ensure that all errors are corrected before publication.
Traditionally published books typically undergo a minimum of four rounds of edits before publishing. Copy editing of books is often performed by multiple editors throughout this process, and the collaborative effort makes for a more professional and polished product.
Once your manuscript is reduced to having fewer than 40 errors per 1,000 words, we always recommend having a professional perform a final proofread before publication.
Professional Editing Association Memberships
Cortni and SRD Editing Services joined the Editorial Freelancers Association in 2022, a pioneering organization founded in 1970 to advance excellence among the community of freelance editorial professionals by supporting business development and professional training.
Cortni and SRD Editing Services became members of the International Association of Professional Writers & Editors in 2023. The association supports professionals through skills development and networking opportunities.
Other Professional Line Editing & Copy Editing Training
Cortni and SRD Editing Services editors have also completed the following advanced education in line editing and copy editing:
- Certificate in Publishing and Editing from the Graduate School at Florida State University (2013)
- Elite Editing line editor and copy editor training (2022)
- “Check Please!” fact-checking course from Notion (2022)
SRD Line Edit process for MS Word documents
SRD Editing Services provides Tracked Changes edits in MS Word documents. If you’re not familiar with how to use Tracked Changes, take a look at this YouTube video from LinkedIn Learning for a brief tutorial.
Step 1: Step 1: Send your “final draft” manuscript to the SRD line editor.
Step 2: The editor performs a preliminary review. All documents are standardized for simplified editing. All manuscripts are formatted to Times New Roman font, size 12, with .5-in paragraph indents, and 1.5 line spacing.
The editor adds formatted headings and sub-headings, creates a Table of Contents, and inserts page breaks for easy final formatting for your ebook.
Step 3: The editor conducts a detailed reading of every word in your manuscript. As questions arise, the editor will include margin comments in the document asking the writer to confirm the details, or to highlight major areas of concern. An editor may include comments on the first occurrence of a stylistic edit or repeated concern, but will not comment on every instance throughout the manuscript.
Step 4: After a complete first read, the editor may set aside a line-edited manuscript for a few days and work on another project. This refresh period helps the editor re-approach your manuscript with a clear and fresh mind for a second review.
Step 5: The editor completes a second review, finalizing comments and suggestions as necessary, and making final corrections. The SRD Editing Services editor will return the manuscript with a customized Editorial Letter that includes a full accounting of the statistics of the document, including the beginning number of words, ending number of words, and number of tracked changes.
What is addressed in a line edit?
In the line edit, the editor will analyze your manuscript and focus feedback on the line-by-line fundamentals that take readers out of your story if not corrected.
Line edits focus on common areas of concern in both fiction and nonfiction:
- grammar
- punctuation
- spelling
- typos
- capitalization
- tense and tone consistency
- fact-checking
- anachronisms
- consistency errors
- repetitive language and phrasing
- structure of chapters and paragraph breaks
- citations and references
- other areas of attention as needed
Line edits from SRD Editing Services do not address issues of storytelling, plot and narrative, character arcs, or other content concerns, which may be better addressed by developmental editing.
Average timeline for line editing:
🗸 2 weeks per 50K words.
Genres Available for Line Edits
Fiction
Nonfiction
- Short Stories (any)
- Romance & Erotica
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- Contemporary Fiction
- Women’s Literature
- Literary Fiction
- African American Literature
- Horror & Thriller
- Mystery
- Young Adult (YA)
- Children’s Literature
- Memoir & Biography
- Self-help & Psychology
- Business & Entrepreneurship
- Spirituality (non-Christian)
- Philosophy & Political Commentary
- Children’s Nonfiction
What to Expect in SRD Line Editing Services
What to Expect in a Fiction Line Edit
A fiction editor must be intimately aware of the details in your worldbuilding, as well as have a sensitive ear for genuine dialogue and tone when editing your novel. SRD Editing Services provides novel editing services in a range of genres, and we have extensive experience in fantasy, romance, and literary fiction.
The SRD Editing Services novel editor will focus on the specifics of consistency, word choice, repetition, and sensory imagery, leaving comments to help you enhance your descriptions, keep your dialogue engaging, and break your story into chapters or sections that create tension and enhance the storytelling experience.
The SRD Editing Services freelance fiction editor team uses the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, and Merriam-Webster Dictionary for questions of style and spelling for all commercial fiction line editing projects.
What to Expect in a Nonfiction Line Edit
A nonfiction line editor must have a keen eye for fact-checking and chronology, as well as a sensitivity to tone and a mindfulness of audience. SRD Editing Services provides line editing to a variety of nonfiction genres, and Cortni has extensive experience in self-help and psychology manuscripts, business-building and professional topics, and as a memoir editor.
SRD Editing Services offers semi-academic and researched commercial nonfiction line editing according to the citation style options laid out in the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition.
What to Expect in Academic Line Editing
An APA style editor should not only be familiar with all the basics and technicalities of good grammar in an academic context, but should also be able to correctly incorporate your in-text citations, rephrase sentences for bias-free language considerations, finalize your formatting and layout elements, and correct any errors in your References section.
As a thorough APA editor, Cortni keeps a copy of the APA Publication Manual, 7th edition, on her desk. An academic line edit from SRD Editing Services includes corrections to:
- Table and Figure layouts and text
- Heading levels, paragraph spacing, and indentation
- In-text citations and coordinating References
- Legal references and citations
Academic line editing does not include cross-referencing data or content relevant to the topic of your writing or research. While we do provide dissertation editing services, SRD Editing Services editors are not subject matter experts in all academic topics and cannot necessarily provide feedback on the application of theories, the validity of research techniques, or other specialty content in your essay or dissertation.
Whether you’re currently in a graduate program, want a final line edit before you submit your thesis or dissertation, or are an academic professional preparing an article for publication, your ideas and writing deserve the attention of an experienced APA style line editor.
Line Editing Pricing
How Do We Set Our Rates?
SRD Editing Services offers competitive rates and services that are above industry standard.
Line editing costs from freelance or independent editors can vary greatly depending on the experience and specialty of the editor and the thoroughness of the edit. SRD Editing Services maintains the highest level of professionalism and offers a thorough service that combines line editing and copy editing in one combination.
Check out this list from the EFA, which details the median editorial rates for U.S. editors in 2020.
Discounts for Alumni from U. of Central Florida & Florida State U.
SRD Editing Services extends a 10% discount to current students and alumni of the universities that Cortni attended – the University of Central Florida and Florida State University! Ask about how to receive your discount.
Discounts for Repeat Clients
SRD Editing Services welcomes repeat clients and extends a 15% discount to writers we’ve worked with in the past! If you are returning for additional services on the same manuscript or with a whole new project, we’re glad to have you back.
Contracts & Legal Questions, Our Refund Policy
All editors with SRD Editing Services sign a standard Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) and freelance editing contract with every client. To learn more about our line editing contract terms, privacy policy, and refund policy, please visit this page.
Steps After Line Edits
After your manuscript has gone through our line editing services, SRD Editing Services always recommends you receive a final proofread from a professional. While our line edits will be as thorough as possible, a fresh set of eyes is best for one final review.
SRD Editing Services does not offer proofreading to the same manuscripts immediately after we complete the line edit. SRD Editing Services does offer proofreading services to manuscripts that have gone through professional line editing elsewhere.
Helping dreams become books. SRD Editing Services in Orlando, Florida