Substantive or Line Editing

Substantive or line editing improves the readability of the manuscript. During a substantive or line edit, I will examine paragraph and sentence structures and may rewrite transitions; look for places where the line of reasoning meanders; sharpen the prose; adjust the length and structure of sentences and paragraphs; eliminate redundancies, jargon, and clichés; point out inconsistencies or contradictions; and fine-tune introductions and conclusions.

When substantive or line editing should be done

This type of editing follows developmental editing (if needed) and comes before copyediting.

The process

With all of the pieces of the manuscript in hand, I'll edit using Microsoft Word's tracked changes feature, so all of my changes will be visible to you.

I'll send the manuscript to you for review. You'll have the opportunity to review my changes and make additional revisions of your own, including overwriting my revisions or restoring the original where you prefer. At this point the tracking will be "locked," so your revisions will also be tracked when you return the manuscript to me for cleanup.

​You'll return the manuscript to me for one final pass in which I'll complete the process of accepting or rejecting revisions according to your direction, and I'll return to you a clean manuscript. At this point you may proceed with submission to the publisher, or you may decide you want the manuscript copyedited before that final step.

About the cost

  • I use a per-page rate for substantive or line editing based on my review of the manuscript and our discussion of the scope of the work.
  • A deposit of 50 percent of the fee is required at the time of scheduling the work.
  • If you will be using institutional funds to pay for my services, I will likely need to register as a vendor or independent contractor with your institution. I'm happy to do this, but I'll need your help to make that connection as soon as possible.

When to schedule

Substantive or line editing can take four to five weeks for books and ten to fifteen days for journal articles or chapters.

​Plan to schedule substantial or line editing two to three months in advance for books and three to four weeks in advance for journal articles.