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Have you ever read a story that midway you got confused on the direction it was going? Or, you struggled to understand what an article was trying to say and so read it over and over again, but still couldn’t understand it? What did you do? Me? I gave up trying to read it because whatever was missing was big enough my brain couldn’t fill it in. It’s an empty feeling when that happens and sometimes frustrating or disappointing.

You know those fun sentences where you find yourself reading over and over to understand because of how it’s worded? This happens often and it’s not always a bad thing but too much of it can turn someone off from reading a piece of literature. Enter: line/stylistic editing. Line editing sits between developmental editing and copyediting and even though it shares some similarities, it has its own main focus: preserving and elevating your style of writing. It’s editing content for tone, flow, clarity and language.

It deals with specific issues at the sentence and paragraph level. The edit involves going line by line to ensure that each sentence or paragraph is clear. Adjustments are made to the words and the language used so the tone and message connect with your intended audience.

Any unclear and unnecessarily excessive writing is corrected to be clear, easy to understand and suitable for your audience. The aim is to elevate and strengthen the writing so your story or message is engaging. It also involves some rewriting what’s necessary but only what needs to be changed while preserving your voice and style.

You stumbled on an article that grabs your attention. It looks interesting and you dive into reading it. It starts off good when you find the first grammatical error - say, it’s the wrong use of “there/their/they’re. No big deal, it happens to the best of us. You keep reading and a sentence pops out at you that doesn’t look right and you’re sure it isn’t. So you quickly open up another window and do a quick search. Sure enough, you were right. You keep reading because well, you started and might as well see where it’s going. You find a spelling error and then another. In the finale of the article you find a line that’s contradictory to what the article is about leaving you confused and irritated.

Okay, I hope I was exaggerating in this synopsis and that you’ve not had the distaste of reading something published off putting. But it is worthy of being an unedited first draft. And yes, I cringed making that all up although, I have read some bad pieces published and hid my face in embarrassment for the writers. Nonetheless, that’s why copyediting is essential to a good piece of writing.

Copyediting is the process of checking for mistakes, inconsistencies and factual errors. It improves readability by changing wording to correct syntax of any copy (your written work) and prepares it for publishing. Copyediting also follows a style guide, maintains one or one is created if necessary for consistency. Queries are also made during the process to address any issues or concerns.

You were after a book set that you thought had gone out of print. One was, but you were lucky to find a used copy online to purchase and it arrived in great condition. The second of the set was actually being reprinted on demand. When you got that second book and opened it up, you were elated to have it. As you placed it on the shelf, you noticed the spines. The new one didn’t look quite right. You focused on it and noticed the spelling error.

You’re reading a site absorbing some information they had to offer. You got there via an ad which was compelling enough for you to click. You scrolled down and hovered over every point on the site to see what was there and then, you stumbled on a redundancy – a whole sentence repeated. You pause, then read the lines again just to be certain and surely it was.

Proofreading is the last step before publishing. It’s the last chance to catch any errors before clicking publish or push to print. It’s a surface check that corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, typography and formatting. Obvious facts are checked for accuracy, a style guide (if there’s one available) is followed and consistency is maintained.

Have you ever found a recipe online that just looked so delicious that you had to try it? When you pull up the recipe, its measurements are not uniform to one form of measure causing you to have to look up additional information to sort out your measurements. I’m all too familiar with this scenario. It’s happened to me more often than I want to admit in both print and online.

Tasks involved in content editing pertain to non-fiction, businesses, start-ups, brands, content creators and entrepreneurs. They can include various editing skills from developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and proofreading.

Manuscript Evaluations and Partial Manuscript Evaluations

Manuscript evaluations are a reading of your manuscript and written feedback on it is sent back to you. It’s not a full developmental edit but will provide you with information to help you with your writing.

A partial manuscript evaluation is a reading of a short selection of your manuscript and again written feedback on it is sent back to you.

These evaluations are a great way to get the heads up before you finish writing your draft, so you have an idea of what you need to look at prior to heading into the editing process.

A few years ago, before I started editing, we were struggling with our son at school. He was really struggling with the structure of the system. It was challenging for us. I entered a cognitive behavioral therapy practitioner course which put me through the ringer. It was cathartic and eye opening. I was able to help myself first, my kids and use it in all of my relationships. After getting into writing again, meeting fellow writers in different stages of their craft, I started to see some patterns when it comes to certain situations pertaining to their writing. I recognized those aspects clearly and found that I had tools to help and I wanted to! I furthered my education to better serve and became a certified life coach so that I could incorporate more skills into coaching writers and I haven’t stopped there. I’m still evolving.

As a book coach, I’m your concept nurturer, your developmental editor, your sounding board, your accountability partner, the instrument that helps you find your voice in your writing.

We go deep when you get stuck (because that happens) and we get you moving forward again. We take your idea and turn it into a marketable manuscript. It’s not a one-sided journey and you’re not left fumbling in the dark without a torch light. When you have questions along the way, or concerns, I'm here to support you and facilitate those answers. You get to dive into something you’ve always wanted to do, with someone who knows the way, right by your side. Ready?