What is a line-edit?

A line-edit is a comprehensive review of your manuscript’s grammar, spelling, punctuation and formatting. Novel Possibilities’ Editorial Lead will polish your manuscript to a typo-free shine.

Please note Novel Possibilities offers a free line-edit of the first page of your manuscript if you would like a sample.

Why do I need a line-edit?

After months – maybe even years – of staring at the same set of words, it’s easy to miss things. Agents and publishers are quick to disqualify submissions with sloppy prose. Even if you self-publish, readers can be turned off by bad grammar. Regardless of your path to publication, you always need to put your most professional foot forward.

How do I know if I’m ready for a line-edit?

Have you revised, revised, and revised again? Are you ready to show your work to the world? Then you’re ready. The best time to get your line-edit is right before you plan to send it out, not while you still have a lot of writing left.

How will I get the corrections?

Corrections and comments will be made through track changes in Microsoft Word. This way, if your proofreader suggests a change you don’t agree with, you have the option to reject it. As our editor works, you will receive edits made up to the 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% marks of your novel. This ensures you are involved in the process, and should you have any questions or concerns, you will be able to ask right away.

Is this the only way to get corrections?

Microsoft Word is Novel Possibilities’ preferred method, but we’re open to discussion if you have another idea.

How long does it take?

For a 50-page excerpt, expect to have it back within 7-10 days. A full manuscript will require a maximum of 30 days, depending on the length and quality of your manuscript and our existing work load. We are willing to provide rush turn-around to meet writer-imposed deadlines, but bear in mind this will add to the total service cost.

Can’t one of my friends proofread my manuscript instead?

Feedback in any form is good, but a professional editor is better able to highlight and correct any issues.

How is a line-edit different from a critique?

A critique is an examination and review of your book’s themes, plot, pacing, characters, and the like. Your reader will look at the story you told, not how it was written. The line-edit is focused on the technical side of the process.

Our line-editor is available through e-mail to discuss the novel, but is also willing to provide a one-hour phone call for $50 after the edit is complete.

Will my manuscript be perfect after line-editing?

No manuscript is ever truly perfect.  Even today the greatest novels released through big publishing houses after many different editorial reviews still come out with some errors (the grammatical mistakes that can still be found in the Harry Potter series provide a great example).

English is a living language with constantly changing rules and modes of expression. Changes happen so quickly that reference books are typically updated once per year! So while we can’t promise perfection, we can promise a clean and polished document that is ready to make its way to an agent, publisher, or self-publication resource.

What if I want your editor to look through my novel again after it has been line-edited?

Novel Possibilities offers a follow-up edit for $250. This service allows you time to review the recommended changes made to your work. Once you are done, you may send it back and our Editorial Lead will review your novel and address any concerns you may have.

What if my manuscript needs something deeper than a line-edit?

Novel Possibilities also offers a deep editing service for an hourly rate of $35. Our editor will run your manuscript through the program agents use to identify repeated words and phrases, then examine your novel page by page, replacing over used words and rearranging weak sentences, for a finalized polish. This takes a bit longer than line-editing, but is very worth it—your manuscript will be crisp and compact without losing voice.