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Line editing

Line editing is the artistic and stylistic refining of a manuscript. The objective of line editing is to craft the language to bring a piece to life. A skill that relies on the ear as much as the eye, line editing

• concentrates on the sentence and paragraph levels;
• suggests wording and syntax to support mood, flow, and pacing;
• points out or removes extraneous words and unnecessary tangents; and
• elevates language from bland to nuanced.

Line editing occurs after developmental editing and before—or along with—copyediting.

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Copyediting

Copyediting focuses on the mechanical aspects of a manuscript for correctness, consistency, conciseness, coherence, and clarity, usually following the guidelines of a specific style, such as Chicago, APA, or AMA. Copyediting

• corrects spelling, grammar, and punctuation;
• smooths awkward sentence structure and cuts wordiness;
• fixes improper word usage and assures consistency in facts and terms;
• makes style and formatting consistent and proper, such as capitalization, numbers treatment, citations, and references;
• points outs—but does not correct—structural and tonal issues;
• usually includes the creation of a style sheet for guidance during later stages of the publication process.

Copyediting happens after developmental editing and/or line editing. Some authors may opt for “heavy” copyediting, which addresses not only mechanical aspects (such as grammar and punctuation) but also some stylistic aspects (such as tone and flow) that would be addressed by a line edit.

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Educational content reviewing (developmental editing)

Educational content reviewing addresses how well materials—textbooks, teachers’ guides, assessment items, training modules, laboratory activities—lead students to meet learning outcomes under the guidance of educators.

Essentially, it ensures that teaching and learning materials are appropriate in reading and difficulty levels, pedagogically sound, accurate in content, error-free in presentation, complete in coverage of key terms and concepts, concise and clear in language and instruction, and respectful and inclusive.

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Conscious language* reviewing

Conscious language reviewing examines content through a lens of humanity. The reviewer identifies language and framing that dehumanizes, disrespects, or disempowers through insensitive, inaccurate, or exclusionary wording, images, or perspectives. The reviewer also briefly explains these issues, provides resources for informed decision-making, and offers suggestions for remediation, including advising authors of evolving terminology or ongoing debates. This guidance allows authors to consider and choose current, accurate, and respectful language that values people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

* The concept and term conscious language—coined, developed, and championed by Karen Yin—refers to the “flexible approach to language that includes, respects, and empowers” (The Conscious Language Style Guide, 2024).

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What (Not) to Expect

Perfection. No editor is perfect. But expect me to be squarely in your corner, working hard for you and with you to turn out the best written product possible.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. I do not use AI to generate, edit, or review text. Every word, correction, suggestion, and assessment offered is mine.