Copyediting adjusts grammar and punctuation to the required editorial style and is best for a manuscript near final submission. In the The Copyeditor’s Handbook, Amy Einsohn describes the copyediting task as, “imposing mechanical consistency [and] correcting infelicities of grammar, usage, and diction.” Copyediting ranges from light (cleaning up a few commas) to heavy (reworking most punctuation, spelling, and grammar).

This service addresses the manuscript at the level of the sentence and paragraph. Line editing seeks to improve unity in the writer’s tone and voice, to make passages more readable, and to increase desired effect by reordering sentences within a paragraph. Line editing ranges from light (the changing of a few choice words) to heavy (the changing of whole passages, or retooling the tone of a MS).

Scott Norton defines the practice as “significant structuring or restructuring of a manuscript’s discourse.” This approach, also called substantive editing, can be contracted before or after the manuscript has been written. For fiction manuscripts, developmental editing advises the writer on improving character arc, refining the plot, conjuring the setting, and more. For non-fiction manuscripts, “dev editing” clarifies the argument and improves its presentation, and makes the research distinct from what’s out there.

Many writers desire to work through articles, stories, or books in stages with a professional reader. Writing coaching allows the writer to engage the editor in an extended back-and-forth, often involving the exchange of several versions of one manuscript. The editor in this situation functions as teacher, fellow writer, researcher, critic, and comrade. After an initial interview, the editor reads a client’s manuscript, takes detailed notes, and then meets with the writer for a goal-oriented conversation. Coaching in this form may be contracted by the hour or on a story-by-story basis.

Lost for words? As experienced writers in our own right, we are happy to develop copy for projects ranging from white papers to novels to grants to research proposals. This service involves a lot of back and forth. After discussing the intended tone, word count, and ideas for messaging and structuring, the writer produces copy and submits it to the client. Following the submission of this copy, the writer may meet with the client to discuss any desired revisions, the number of revisions being agreed upon before hand.