Line & Copy Editing for your Manuscript

Sophia Lorraine Cequeña

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About this service

Summary

Do you want your readers not to be distracted by errors in delivery and grammar? Then I am the perfect fit!
It's just that when your readers notice inconsistencies and errors, they will get distracted from the enchanting story that you're writing. We don't want that. We want them to smoothly read through your story, and understand the message that you want to impart.
I also don't focus on correctness. I want to preserve the human aspect of stories. For example, this sentence isn't supposed to be right:
"I tried to heal, all on my own, only to find out he almost died?"
But it works. This is because we, as humans, value the humanity in reading. We want to be able to relate and sympathize. That's how we make an impactful story.
In line edits, I focus on the following:
Word Usage - Is the term “fragrance” or “scent” better in this context? Will the readers be able to imagine it more vividly?
Mood/Tone - Should this paragraph sound “exciting”? Can the reader consistently feel that in this paragraph?
Conciseness - Should we have one more sentence talking about this? Do the readers get the point already?
Flow and Structure - Is this paragraph talking about the same topic? Should we make this the next paragraph?
In copy edits, I focus on the following:
Punctuation - Should there be a comma here? Does the reader need to mentally pause here?
Word Usage - Do we start this sentence with “but”? Didn’t you just do that a sentence ago?
Spelling - Is it actually “acknowledgement”? Is the spelling consistent throughout the manuscript?
Capitalizations - Do we capitalize “the festival of stars”? Is the capitalization consistent throughout the manuscript?
In Copy Editing Style Sheets, I also include the following:
Manuscript Overview
Linguistic Preferences
Punctuation Preferences
Dialogue Preferences
Formatting & Layout Preferences (Outline only for your reference)
Character Descriptions
Setting Descriptions
Capitalization Preferences
References (if needed)
Price:
USD $0.008 per word

Process

I read the manuscript first just to know what I'm dealing with.
I create the Copy Editing Style Sheet so that I'm consistent in dealing with errors.
I do my first round of line and copy edits with track changes on.
I send the file to you for approval.
I do my second round of line and copy edits with track changes on.
I send the file to you for approval again.
I do my last round of line and copy edits with track changes on.
I send the file to you for, again, approval.
I turn off track changes and accept all the changes as approved.
Then I send the final edited manuscript to you.

What's included

  • 1st Round of Line & Copy Editing (Track Changes On)

    I check the consistency of the capitalizations and tenses used in the manuscript. I also do basic grammatical corrections and improvements in word usage.

  • 2nd Round of Line & Copy Editing (Track Changes On)

    I recheck all of the details during the first round, remembering all the previous rules I've set. I realized that most of the time, we need to see the manuscript a second time to see what we've missed.

  • 3rd Round of Line & Copy Editing (Track Changes On)

    This is the final round of when I'll go through the manuscript, rechecking all the nooks and crannies, making sure I didn't forget anything. When it comes back to you, it should be as perfect as it can be!

  • Copy Editing Style Sheet

    I also provide a copy editing style sheet, so you know what rules I've adhered to. It also contains the specifics of your character descriptions and setting descriptions.

  • Final Edited Manuscript (Track Changes Off)

    This is the final and cleanest version of the manuscript after the three rounds of edits are done.

Example projects

[Fiction] Memoirs of an Old Soul - Short Story

[Fiction] Dawnchasers

[Fiction] Gwytherfall: Dawn of Rebellion

Skills and tools

Copy Editor

Proofreader

Editor

Google Docs

Google Docs

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word

More services

Developmental Edits for your Manuscript

Example projects

Contact for pricing