Line Editing from SRD Editing Services
Who Is Cortni Merritt, MA, Line Editor at SRD Editing Services?
Hi! I’m Cortni Merritt, MA, book editor extraordinnaire at SRD Editing Services in Orlando, Florida. You can find out more about me on the About Me page of the site.
As a longtime freelancer, I’m honored to have been a line editor or copyeditor for both self-published and traditionally published writers. Over the years, I’ve developed a process that aims to make editing your book simple and straightforward. I focus on polishing your writing, so you can focus on everything else involved with publishing.
If you’ve landed here, it’s because your book needs a little help to get it ready for life on the bookshelf, and I would be glad to help you turn your dream into your book.
What is Line Editing?
Line editing is what many people mean when they simply say “editing.” It is sometimes also called “copy editing,” although traditional publishers consider line editing and copy editing to be separate steps in the manuscript editing process, independent publishers sometimes do not.
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.
Cortni couldn’t agree more with the popular adage: Software doesn’t edit; people do.
SRD Editing Services editor Cortni recommends that before you send your manuscript for 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” — fully developed, with no more content or structural 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 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for spelling and word usage references.
Discounts for University of Central Florida and Florida State Students and Alums
SRD Editing Services offers 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 the 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. Based on industry standards, Cortni recommends 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, multiple 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, Cortni always recommends 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 Editing 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 Style Sheet that includes a full accounting of the style exceptions maintained, timeline and character details, and other items important to continuity, consistency, and readability. Cortni will also provide 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 Editing
Fiction
Nonfiction
- Short Stories (any)
- Romance (sweet or spicy)
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- Contemporary Fiction
- Women’s Literature
- Literary Fiction
- African American Literature
- Mystery & Thriller
- Historical (drama, mystery, romance)
- Young Adult (YA)
- Children’s Literature
- Memoir, Biography, & History
- Self-help & Psychology
- Business & Entrepreneurship
- Spirituality & Religion
- 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 world-building, as well as have a sensitive ear for genuine dialogue and tone when editing your novel. SRD Editing Services editor Cortni provides novel editing services in a range of genres and has extensive experience in mystery and thriller, romance, and literary fiction.
As a novel editor, Cortni focuses 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 establish and maintain the right pace, create tension, and enhance the storytelling and reading experience.
For consistency throughout all her work as a freelance fiction editor, Cortni defers to the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, and Merriam-Webster Dictionary for questions of style and spelling for all commercial fiction line editing projects. For each project, Cortni creates or helps you maintain a custom Style Sheet that details exceptions from the standards and any preferences unique to your manuscript or its world.
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. Through SRD Editing Services, Cortni provides line editing to a variety of nonfiction genres, with extensive experience in self-help and psychology manuscripts, health and wellness topics, business-building and professional topics, and as a memoir editor.
SRD Editing Services offers professional commercial nonfiction line editing for academic and heavily researched manuscripts, according to the citation style options laid out in the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition.
Line Editing Pricing
How Does Cortni Set Rates for Line Editing?
SRD Editing Services offers competitive rates and services that strive to exceed industry standards for freelance editors.
Line editing costs from freelance or independent editors can vary greatly depending on the experience and specialty of the editor and the scope of the edit. SRD Editing Services aims for the highest level of professionalism and offers a thorough service that combines line editing and copy editing in one combination.
Check out the rates list from the EFA, which details the median editorial rates for US editors in 2026.
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 Cortni has worked with in the past! If you are returning for additional services on the same manuscript or with a whole new project, I’m glad to have you back.
Discounts for US Military Service Members
SRD Editing Services is proud to extend a 10% discount to active duty and veterans of service in any branch of the US armed forces. Ask for more details if you are serving or have served in the US military.
Contracts & Legal Questions, Our Refund Policy
Editor and proofreader Cortni Merritt at SRD Editing Services signs a standard Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) and freelance editing contract with every client. To find out more about the proofreading contract terms, privacy policy, and refund policy, please visit this page.
Commitment to Human-Only Editing (No AI Use, Ever)
As a professional line editor and copyeditor with hundreds of hours of training, including an MA in English and two undergraduate degrees, Cortni believes in the power and importance of human-written words, including throughout all stages of the editing process.
If you have used AI in the creation of your text, no problem. During editing and proofreading, Cortni is committed to human-only editing in every step of her process. No AI use at SRD Editing Services, and it’s in the contract.
Steps After Line Editing
After your manuscript has gone through line editing services, SRD Editing Services always recommends you receive a final proofread from a professional. While Cortni’s 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 in MS Word to the same manuscripts immediately after the line edit. SRD Editing Services offer proofreading services in PDF format to manuscripts Cortni has line edited in MS Word, once a designer has formatted the text for print.
Helping dreams become books. SRD Editing Services in Orlando, Florida