The answer to that question, surprisingly, depends on where you are in terms of your manuscript. Both line editing and copy editing serve two different purposes:
Line editing improves the style, tone, clarity, and flow of your manuscript, it goes word by word, character by character, to make sure your writing is as professional and polished as it can be.
Copy editing makes sure that your writing is technically correct in terms of consistency, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Choosing the type of editing that’s right for your book means knowing where you are in the process and knowing what you need help with the most. In this guide, we’ll go through the differences between the two, explain what’s included, and explain how to decide which one will serve you best.
What exactly is copy editing?
Copy editing looks at your manuscript word by word to address issues in terms of grammar, word usage, and consistency. In short, it looks at the mechanics of your writing, namely:
- Is the writing full of typos, syntax issues, or grammar errors?
- Is the punctuation correct and consistent?
- Are names, facts, and formatting consistent?
- Are there plot or continuity errors?
Copy editing generally follows a “house style,” meaning a specific set of editorial rules that publishers follow to make sure every book they publish is consistent. Think of it as a rulebook. For instance many editors follow the Chicago Manual of Style, which includes many guidelines. These types of editorial guidelines cover a wide range of rules, such as:
- Spelling preferences (e-mail vs. email)
- Punctuation choices (like the Oxford comma)
- How numbers are formatted (spelled out like “ten” or just numerals “10”)
- How to handle titles — should they be in italics or in quotation marks?
- How to cite sources
- How to work with contractions, capitalizations, or abbreviations
What this means for you is that your editor won’t just fix grammar or spelling issues, but they’ll do it according to a chosen editorial guide for easier and more consistent readability.
Why the Chicago Manual of Style?
Think of the Chicago Manual of Style or CMOS as the gold standard of book editors. It goes deep, and includes not just grammar and punctuation, but how to properly lay out a book as well. It also covers both fiction and nonfiction, and many traditional book publishers rely on it exclusively.
This means you’ll enjoy clean, professional editing that aligns your book with publishing norms, and your book will look exactly the way that agents, publishers, and even readers expect it to. If you need your book to follow a different format like MLA or APA, you can let our editing team know, but if you don’t have a preference, you should know that Chicago is the top choice.
What copy editing with BookBaby includes
BookBaby offers a complete and detailed copy editing service that includes word-by-word polish, such as fixing typos and making sure that things like hyphens, fonts, and capital letters are all used consistently. This also includes highlighting any plot issues or vague statements that might confuse readers. Copy editing checks for flow as well as grammar and spelling issues that could affect your credibility as an author.
Copy editing might feel technical, but a good copy editor will keep your voice while making sure that every word is written and flows smoothly. For instance, a copy editor won’t say “this paragraph feels emotionally rushed,” but they will say “Missing comma here. The character's name is spelled inconsistently. Pronouns are unclear as to who they’re referencing.”
What exactly is line editing?
You can think of line editing as a deeper dive than copy editing. At BookBaby, we consider line editing to be an intensive structural edit that focuses on the finer aspects of language, sch as the flow of ideas, transition elements, tone, and style. That means everything from changing awkward phrasing and redundant sentences to improving the language choice and helping to shape characters, transitions, and sentences.
What line editing with BookBaby includes
Line editing with BookBaby also includes detailed notes on tone, structure, and characterization, so you’ll know precisely why a certain change was suggested. It’s also important to note that line editing includes everything that you get with copy editing, with the addition of the editor's commentary. It’s more like a collaborative edit — not exactly a rewrite, but one last step before your book is fully and finally polished and ready for publication. It costs more per page, but you also get much more for your money.
Compared to copy editing, line editing is more emotional. You might get notes like “This scene could be stronger if you cut some repetition,” or “This dialogue feels unnatural given the character’s age.” It’s collaborative, where the editor is deeply engaging and involving themselves in your writing.
If you’re still not sure which to choose, below we’ve outlined a few suggestions on when our team would recommend choosing each style of editing.
When to choose copy editing
Copy editing is wholly focused on grammar, punctuation, typos, and consistency. It only goes as deep as the technicalities of the language. The goal is to have a clean, professional manuscript, but keep in mind that copy editing doesn’t typically include commentary or any type of narrative or stylistic changes.
For example, you might want to choose copy editing if your manuscript flows well and has a clear, well-defined plot and flow, but you need an extra set of eyes to spot any lingering technical issues before your book moves on to publication.
At the same time, you might also choose copy editing if you’re on a tight budget and you need solid editing work done quickly. If you’ve already handled many of your own edits and need a final cleanup, copy editing is the next logical step. Think of it as one last “safety net” to make your book as readable as possible before it hits the presses.
If you decide to skip copy editing, be aware that you run the risk of publishing a book that may be full of typos and other errors. This can in turn ripple out to cause negative reviews, even if the story itself is great. It may also give your book the unfortunate label of being amateurish, especially in a competitive market.
When to choose line editing
Line editing is very commonly chosen by first-time authors. They don’t want someone to just check for spelling and grammar mistakes; they want someone to help make them a better writer. You welcome an editor’s feedback beyond just punctuation fixes. You want notes on things like style, pacing, and flow or you need someone to help give your work a stronger voice or better readability.
If your writing feels uneven or awkward in places, line editing gives you the best of both worlds. Not only does it correct surface errors that can ding your credibility as a first-time author, but it also helps you become better at the craft by looking at your work through fresh eyes and with a wholly unbiased perspective that’s all about professionalism and readability.
Should you decide to skip line editing, your writing may read as overly wordy, clunky, or awkward in some places. Readers might feel like something is off, even if they can’t exactly say what that something is. Even readers that have received ARCs (advanced reader copies) might not be able to really engage with your story.
Do you need both?
Editing of your manuscript will go through various stages as it moves from draft to final version. Authors often choose both simply because they want a fresh perspective on the style and flow, as well as a finished manuscript that’s ready for publication. Generally, most manuscript editing goes through all three stages:
- Line edits, for flow, clarity and style
- Copy edits, for correcting technical errors and maintaining consistency
- Proofreading as a final check for any overlooked typos before the manuscript goes to layout
BookBaby’s editing services are customizable to meet the needs of your project. You can pick and choose only what you need based on how ready your manuscript is. This gives you much more flexibility in terms of paying only for what you need, and knowing you’ll get the highest-quality service every step of the way.
How much does it cost to edit a book with BookBaby?
A professional copy editing service with BookBaby costs $0.025/word or around $7 per page. Line editing costs around $10/page and proofreading, around $3 per page. To put this into perspective, a 45,000 word manuscript of around 300 pages would cost:
- $1,125 for copy editing
- $3,000 for line editing
- $900 for proofreading
These are competitive rates that are in line with what other editing companies estimate as well. Plus, with BookBaby, you have a one-stop shop that’s for not just editing, but also cover design, interior formatting, eBook conversion, distribution to retailers and sites like Amazon and Apple Books, and much more — all in one place.
Because BookBaby lets you make your selections a-la-carte to fit your needs and budget, you can choose, for instance, copy editing if you need quick edits, or a line edit + copy edit if you’d prefer a deeper dive. Want the full package? Choose line editing, copy editing, and proofreading to make sure not a single error or awkward phrase makes it to your readers’ hands.
Understanding what your book needs
Knowing precisely what type of editing your book needs is one of the most challenging choices an author can make. If you skipped earlier editing like typos and grammar issues, start with line editing, then let our editing team give your book a final polish with copy editing.
If your prose is already strong, you can skip line editing and go directly to copy editing for one last polish. If you’re still not sure, try a sample! That’s right, BookBaby will let you sample our editing services by editing 1,250 words of your book for free. This way, you can see for yourself the kind of attentive, dedicated service we provide. If you’re on a tight budget, prioritize what your manuscript needs first, either style or technical clean-up, and move forward from there.
Do I need an editor at all?
Wondering if you really need an editor at all, or what exactly they do? The editing team at BookBaby has top-tier credentials that they put to work on every line and every word of your manuscript.
For example, copy editors are well-versed in grammar, punctuation, and style guides, like the Chicago Manual of Style. Many of them are certified or have experienced working with various publishing houses, so they know what publishers expect from a shelf-ready book. Copy editors naturally pay strong attention to detail and consistency. Nothing escapes their watchful eyes!
Copy editors typically use Microsoft Word with Track Changes enabled so you can see precisely where they’ve made edits. They may also use style sheets to log character names and formatting. For consistency reasons (and to adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style), they may also use tools like Grammarly or PerfectIt.
Meanwhile, our team of line editors has literary and creative writing backgrounds. They’re professionals when it comes to voice, pacing and style. They’re also excellent at giving feedback without rewriting, which means the tone and structure stays in your voice. All of our editors are hand-picked professionals with backgrounds in traditional publishing or literary editing.
Line editors also use Microsoft Word with Track Changes and comments enabled. They’ll leave custom feedback and suggestions for alternatives as margin notes. They may also make side-by-side comparisons or show you rewritten sentence options — something that’s rarely done with copy editing.
Knowing how to work with these files streamlines the entire editing process and makes sure that both you and your editor can collaborate quickly and easily. When the editing is done, we’ll deliver the fully edited manuscript to you with Track Changes enabled to show you every change that was made.
If you’re interested in testing the waters, you can request a sample edit to see the style of our editing remarks or changes before you decide to move forward. It’s a great way to get a taste of what editing your book will be like, and even on a sample, the feedback can be invaluable!
Top editing misconceptions that hold writers back
There’s a lot of misinformation out there about editing, so when you compare line editing and copy editing, some of the same statements are bound to crop up, like these:
“Line editing and copy editing are basically the same thing.”
Line editing shapes how clearly and uniquely you phrase things — your expression and style. Meanwhile, copy editing polishes the precision in how you write, so that everything is correct and consistent. Although both types of editing might sound like the same thing, they serve very different purposes.
“If I use spellcheck or Grammarly, I don’t need a copy editor.”
Grammarly, spellcheck, and other tools do help improve your writing, but they can’t replace a human editor. For example, Grammarly might highlight a comma splice, but it won’t notice that your character’s eye color changed halfway through the story. It also won’t catch inconsistent timelines where the events just don’t match up. Even with its AI training, it also fails to catch context, tone, or nuance.
Professional editors combine software and experience. The editing team at BookBaby not only uses style sheets and the Chicago Manual of Style, but their years of experience and training has made them the best at what they do when it comes to making sure your manuscript follows industry standards.
“Editing will change my voice.”
There’s nothing more disheartening than having a cheap or inexperienced editor stampede through your work and change it all to suit their whims and preferences. At BookBaby, our editors have years of experience and deep inside knowledge in the art and craft of editing. As a result, they know how to preserve your voice and make your writing even stronger.
In particular, iine editing is a collaboration, not a rewrite. Our editors make suggestions, but you are free to accept them, meaning you’re still in full control of the manuscript the entire time. Our editors will return your manuscript to you with Track Changes enabled so you can accept or reject each edit — nothing is ever changed without your permission.
“Editing is too expensive.”
Editing is surprisingly affordable and customizable. Because our options are priced per word or per page, you can choose exactly what you need on our editing services page. Think of editing as an investment in the professionalism of your work as well as your credibility as an author. Catching problems at this stage can save you money in terms of rewrites, negative reviews, or disastrous launches.
“Only first-time authors need editing help.”
Even professional authors with decades of experience have editors. In fact, the more experience you have, the more you value feedback from your editorial team. Even Stephen King has a team of editors! Every traditionally published book goes through layers of edits before it ever appears on store shelves. So if you’re publishing independently, editing is an investment in giving your book the professional treatment it deserves.
How to work with an editor at BookBaby
Working with an editor at BookBaby is an easy, stress-free experience. First, you’ll want to choose the editing service you want. Then, simply upload your manuscript in Microsoft Word .doc or .docx format. Our editing team will then edit your book with Track Changes enabled and comments in the margins (depending on the variety of editing you’ve chosen).
From there, you’ll receive your edited manuscript in the designated timeframe, for example, in 8–10 business days for copy editing. At that point, you can then review the edits and accept or reject changes, making your own edits as you need to. Last but not least, you can have your book go through an optional proofreading stage.
Our editing team will apply industry-standard formats to your manuscript. Currently, we accept manuscripts in both English and Spanish (aceptamos manuscritos en español).
Your next steps with editing at BookBaby
Ready to get started or request a sample edit for your book? You can find everything you need right on our website, including details on line editing and copy editing. You can get a free quote just by filling out our simple form, or you can call and speak to an expert Publishing Specialist if you have questions.
Our editing services pages also walk you through the process and lets you know what each type of editing includes. Over 200,000 self-published authors have trusted BookBaby for complete, comprehensive editing, as well as publishing, printing, eBook conversion, and more. We also have a number of free resources designed to help you handle every step along the way if you’re looking to self-publish.
Get started now with a free quote or download our free resources or templates. We’re here for you every step of the way!