Line &
Copy-editing
I’ll tidy up grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and make sure your story and characters stay consistent. Not only that, I’ll also help you refine your prose to strengthen your unique voice, while keeping flow and clarity for your readers in mind.
A line and copy-edit is about making your writing as strong as your story. Once the bigger structural work is in place, this is where we turn our attention to the words themselves – refining your prose, strengthening your voice, improving clarity and flow, and making sure every sentence is doing its job.
With romance, that means paying particular attention to the language of emotion and intimacy. I’ll help make sure your dialogue feels natural, your characters’ voices feel distinct, and your prose captures the chemistry, tension, and emotion of your story.
I’ll also fact-check where appropriate and create a style sheet to keep track of the decisions and conventions we settle on throughout your manuscript. This process is collaborative, and you’ll always have the final say on everything.
I’m familiar with both the Chicago Manual of Style and New Hart’s Rules.
My aim is not to flatten your voice. I’ll refine what’s already there, helping your prose become cleaner, stronger, and more engaging while preserving the qualities that make it uniquely yours.
Alongside the edited manuscript, you’ll receive an in-depth editorial report, including an analysis of your prose, explanations of my suggestions, and advice to help you continue strengthening your line craft.
My edit covers:
Prose & Style:
Clarity, flow, syntax, word choice, pacing, clichés, metaphors, and the balance between showing and telling.
Grammar & Repetition:
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalisation, hyphenation, missing or repeated words, overused words and phrases, and standard manuscript formatting using Word Styles.
Consistency:
Character speech and expression, dialogue tags and action beats, point of view, chapter sequencing, scene transitions, and consistency throughout the manuscript.
Representation & Sensitive content:
Stereotypes, misrepresentation, marginalisation, and potentially sensitive material. Where relevant, I’ll also flag potential copyright or libel concerns.
Hooks & Highlights:
I’ll identify strong hooks and memorable lines that you can use for social media marketing.
At the end of the edit, you’ll receive three versions of your manuscript:
Tracked: all changes shown, with comments enabled so you can see and consider my suggestions.
Accepted with comments: all changes accepted, while the comments remain visible for you to review.
Clean: all changes accepted, with comments removed and the manuscript ready for you to work from.
This gives you both a transparent record of the editorial process and a polished version to use moving forward.
Pricing
£0.014 per word
For smaller projects, a minimum charge of £90 applies. Projects under £300 are payable in full upfront.
If you’re writing short stories, you’re welcome to bundle them together as one project.
Flexible payment plans available.
£140
£280
£560
£840
£1,120
£1,400
10,000 words
20,000 words
40,000 words
60,000 words
80,000 words
100,000 words
Ready to refine your manuscript?
Let’s strengthen your prose together.
Leave a message and I’ll get back to you!
Any Questions?
Maybe I’ve already answered them in my FAQ!
You can also take a look at the side-by-side comparison of my sentence-level services below.
(Desktop only)