When Is Your Manuscript Ready for Line Editing?
- Iris Marsh
- 23 mei
- 13 minuten om te lezen
Bijgewerkt op: 6 dagen geleden
Table of Contents
You’ve done your homework. You know the editing phases. You’ve plugged plot holes, reshaped character arcs, and reordered scenes. But is your manuscript truly ready for line editing—or are you just sick of staring at it?
You’re not alone. As both a writer and editor, I’ve seen this crossroads from both sides: knowing that something needs work, but unsure if it’s the words or the bones.
Here’s the truth: line editing won’t fix your story. It can only elevate your storytelling after the foundation is solid—whether you’re self-editing or hiring an editor.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the key milestones to check off before diving into line edits. You’ll get practical self-editing tips, tools I recommend, and clear signs your manuscript is ready (or not).
By the end, you’ll know exactly where you stand and how to move forward with confidence into the fun part: improving your prose!
Before You Line Edit: What “Ready” Looks Like
If you can say “yes” to most of the following, you’re ready to move into line editing:
You’ve completed your big-picture edits (plot, structure, arc, scene beats).
You’ve addressed major feedback from beta readers or an editor.
Your scenes flow logically and fulfill genre expectations.
You’ve done a final read through for consistency.
You feel confident the story works, you’re now focused on how it’s told.
You’re not still rearranging chapters or rewriting characters.
Let’s have a look at everything a bit more closely.
Step 1: Nail the Foundation—Plot, Structure, and Arcs
You typed The End (or maybe you skipped that part—I know I do), popped the proverbial champagne, and now… it’s time to turn that draft into a real story.
This is where the heavy lifting happens. Before you start revising your sentences, make sure the structure beneath them is sound. Think big first, then small: genre, POV, plot structure, character arc, and so on.
Start with the elements that would require the biggest rewrites if they’re off, like POV. Switching from first to third person or changing narrators will affect every single scene.
I’ve had authors come to me for line editing before hitting this stage—and I had to turn them away. Not because the story wasn’t good, but because the foundation wasn’t ready.
Line editing at this stage is like painting a house with a cracked foundation. It’s not just a waste of time, it’s a waste of money and energy.
So let’s make sure you’re building on solid ground.
Helpful tools and resources:
Fictionary: a web app designed for structural editing. It’s a paid tool (monthly subscription available), but it’s worth exploring. I give you a peek inside in this YouTube video.
Developmental editing workbook: this $6 PDF guide walks you through the steps to get from a rough draft to a solid one.
From First Draft to Finished: my YouTube series that breaks down each stage of editing and pairs with the workbook.
Next step assessment: stuck on what to tackle next? This quick editorial service helps pinpoint what’s working and what’s not, so you can revise with clarity.
Step 2: Get Feedback That Matters
Once you’ve revised the story structure as best you can on your own, it’s time to bring in fresh eyes. Feedback is essential at this stage.
If your budget allows, consider professional feedback, especially if you’re a newer writer. A full developmental edit or manuscript critique can give you deep insights into your plot, pacing, and character arcs.
If that feels like a stretch, here’s a budget-friendly tip: book a plot critique. You’ll get high-level feedback on story structure and major plot elements, without the full cost of a line-by-line review.
If you’re not working with an editor, don’t skip reader feedback. Alpha and beta readers can be incredibly helpful. I’m not too fussed about the terminology—what matters is that they know what kind of feedback you’re looking for.
At this stage, focus on story-level questions, not prose. For example:
Were there any scenes where you felt bored or confused?
Which characters did you connect with—or not?
Where did you feel most drawn into the story?
Was the ending satisfying?
Where to find alpha and beta readers:
Facebook groups
Discord communities
Writing groups
Fellow writers you trust
Your email list!
Once you’ve gathered feedback, take a breath. It can be overwhelming—especially if it’s mixed or contradictory. Here’s what I do to sort through it:
If it’s just one person’s opinion and feels like a taste issue? You can probably let it go.
If the same issue is mentioned by two or more readers? That’s a pattern and worth looking into.
And always ask yourself: Does this feedback help me tell the story I want to tell?
Keep your vision, but stay open to insight.
Step 3: Your Final Read—Prepping for the Line Edit
Once you’ve incorporated feedback and your story feels whole, it’s time for one last pass.
This final read through isn’t about revising sentences just yet—it’s about catching anything structural or continuity-related that might’ve slipped through the cracks.
Before diving in, I like to prep with a simple style sheet. It keeps everything organized and helps me spot small issues I might otherwise miss.
Here’s what to include:
Scene list: note all major events to track flow and pacing.
Character list: include names, roles, and where they appear (chapter or scene number).
Worldbuilding details: definitely needed when you write fantasy or sci-fi to keep your made-up facts straight.
Story details: jot down worldbuilding facts, character backstory elements, or key clues—especially useful if you’re writing a mystery or something with a twist.
Doing this will often highlight little red flags. Like that side character who shows up in five scenes but never actually does anything. Or a clue that mysteriously vanishes halfway through the plot.
At this point, you should feel confident in your:
plot and structure
character arcs
worldbuilding details
scene pacing.
Important reminder here: it doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to feel structurally solid and emotionally complete to you.
Get Ready to Line Edit: Tools and Mindset
You’ve made it through the heavy lifting—your story structure is solid, your characters are compelling, and your scenes make sense.
Now it’s time to dig into the prose itself. But before you jump in, let’s make sure you’re prepped and equipped for success.
Ask yourself:
Do I understand what line editing actually involves?
What tools or resources will I use?
Do I want software to assist me?
What kind of workflow will I follow?
Having a plan in place will make the process a lot smoother and way less overwhelming.
What Line Editing Actually Involves
Line editing isn’t about fixing typos or grammar. It’s about refining how your story is told—sentence by sentence. You’ll be looking at things like:
removing filter words and tightening prose
reworking info-dumps into immersive detail
strengthening emotional beats
showing character traits and decisions instead of explaining them.
Yes, that’s a lot! But here’s my advice: don’t try to tackle everything at once.
Pick one technique, learn how it works, and apply it to a few paragraphs. Then move on to the next.
Editing is a skill, and like any skill, it builds over time.
My favorite resources to learn for line editing techniques:
Understanding Show, Don’t Tell by Janice Hardy—great for revising info-dumps and removing filter words.
Editing Fiction at Sentence Level by Louise Harnby—a solid overview of core line editing techniques.
The Emotion Thesaurus by Becca Puglisi and Angela Ackerman—packed with ideas to show emotion on the page.
Louise Harnby’s online workshops—especially her narrative distance and line editing for suspense courses.
My YouTube channel—I’ve got videos on filter words, show don’t tell, building style sheets, strong verbs, and more.
Line Writing Assessment—if you want some personal guidance, this done-with-you service shows you exactly what to focus on and how to apply line editing to your manuscript.
Choose the Right Tools
Everyone edits differently. Some writers swear by red pens and printed pages. Others are all-in on Word or Google Docs.
There’s no one “right” way—only what works best for you.
And if you’re not sure yet? Experiment! Try a few options and see what helps you focus and stay consistent.
Here are some common tools to kick things off.
Word or Pages
The go-to for most writers. I personally use Word—especially for editing—because Track Changes makes it easy to revise without losing anything. Even when I’m editing my own work, I like being able to see what I changed (and sometimes change it back).
Google Docs
Not my favorite (their version of Track Changes makes me twitch), but many writers use it because it’s free and easy to share. If it works for you, great!
ProWritingAid or Grammarly
These tools are more useful for copyediting than line editing, but they can help highlight pacing issues, repetition, and sentence length. I wouldn’t recommend subscribing just for line edits, but they’re handy if you already use them.
AutoCrit
I haven’t tested it myself (yet), but many authors like it for analyzing their prose. It focuses on fiction-specific metrics like pacing and dialogue tags. If you’re curious, try the monthly plan and see if it fits your workflow. (Heads-up: you’ll need to edit within their platform.)
ChatGPT
Yep—ChatGPT can help with line editing. You can feed it passages to suggest improvements, help tighten language, or highlight filter words. The trick? Don’t just copy suggestions blindly.
Use it as a tool, not a replacement for your voice.
If you train a custom GPT on your own style, the results can be surprisingly good. Just make sure you still understand the why behind each edit.
Read aloud functions
This is one of the most underrated tools in your editing kit. Whether it’s Word’s read aloud feature, a dedicated app, or your own voice—hearing your work helps you catch awkward phrasing, clunky rhythm, and unnatural dialogue.
If something sounds off when read aloud, it probably needs fixing.
Ultimately, the best tools are the ones that support your process—not distract from it. So pick what feels intuitive, helps you stay focused, and makes editing (a little) less painful.
Create a Workflow You’ll Actually Use
Line editing can feel like an overwhelming mountain, but having a clear, repeatable workflow can turn it into a manageable step-by-step path.
Editors naturally develop their own workflows over time, but even as a writer, it helps a lot to know what you’re focusing on during each editing pass. It sets your mindset and narrows your attention to specific types of issues, instead of trying to fix everything at once.
Here are three approaches you can try—choose the one that best fits how your brain works:
By function
Edit based on the type of content:
Setting and description.
Dialogue and character interactions.
Action and pacing.
From broad to specific
This method takes you from big-picture clarity to nitty-gritty polish:
Show vs. Tell.
Point of view and narrative distance.
Dialogue flow and realism.
Sentence structure and rhythm.
Filter words, filler words, and micro-edits.
By technique
Great for beginners or anyone who wants to build their editing skills:
Filter words.
Verb strength and variety.
Tackle info-dumps and stage direction.
Trim filler and redundant phrases.
Refine sensations, emotions, and internal thoughts.
Polish dialogue.
Do a final pass for punctuation and sentence length.
This technique-focused approach is my personal favorite for newer writers—it helps you fully learn one skill at a time. And eventually, you’ll find yourself applying these instinctively while you draft.
There’s no perfect workflow. The right one is the one you’ll actually use. Start with one method, tweak it as you go, and trust that it’ll get easier—and more intuitive—the more you practice.
Bonus Tip: Build a Style Sheet
Technically a copyediting tool, but I highly recommend using a style sheet during line editing too. It keeps your story world and character voice consistent, which makes your prose feel more cohesive and professional.
Use your style sheet to track:
Setting continuity: Does the layout of a room make sense across chapters? Did the sun set twice in the same scene?
Character voice: Note how each main character talks—tone, vocabulary, sentence length, formality, sarcasm, etc. Do they speak differently depending on who they’re talking to?
World rules: Are certain rules necessary to understand the scene? Or can we do without it? And if needed, can you show the rule?
Information: Keep track of the information you share with readers. This will help you determine whether the info is needed and if it’s something the characters would already know (so you won’t use “As you know, Bob” dialogue).
This extra step will make your dialogue sharper and your character voices more distinct—plus it’ll save you from painful backtracking when something feels “off.”
You can add anything else to it that you think might be useful to track as you edit.
Start Your Line Edits Without Overwhelm
If your manuscript is structurally solid and you’ve done the prep work—congrats! You’re officially ready to dive into line editing.
Now, I won’t sugarcoat it: when you first start, line editing can feel slow and clunky.
That’s completely normal. You’re building a new skill. But as with anything, the more you practice, the faster and more intuitive it becomes.
Here, you’ll do line-by-line editing—zooming in to the sentence and paragraph level to refine how your story is told.
Let me give you a peek behind the scenes with an example from my own messy first draft. This is absolutely not ready for full line edits yet, but that’s what makes it a great teaching moment.
Original
Yet Vincent had always thought Warrior Dragons were a gentle lot. Tarvin certainly thought so; he was often here, playing with the younger ones. But that was before the… incidents.
If you could call missing limbs and charred skin an incident.
Edit using tracked changes
Result
Yet Vincent found Warrior dragons a gentle lot. So did Tarvin; he often played with the younglings. But that was before the… incidents.
If a missing leg and multiple third-degree burns count as incidents.
In this quick revision, I:
removed filter words like “had always thought” to strengthen the prose
tightened sentence structure to match the tone and pace
added more vivid detail to that final line, helping the imagery land harder.
These are common issues I see in first drafts: too many filter words, vague phrasing, and weak verbs. And just focusing on fixing those can drastically improve your writing.
Remember—you’re the writer. You know what you meant. That gives you an edge over even the best editor: you can rephrase, expand, or trim with intention.
To help you start, I created a full step-by-step process to show you how to line edit your manuscript.
How to Know You’re Ready for a Professional Line Edit
You’ve done the work. You’ve revised your story’s foundation, tackled your line edits, and polished the prose until your eyes crossed. So… is it finally time to hire a professional line editor?
Maybe! But let’s double-check a few final steps first.
A professional line editor brings fresh eyes and objectivity to your work.
They’re not emotionally attached to the words like you are (we all get a little precious with our darlings), which means they can more easily spot what’s not working—whether that’s a clunky sentence, a tonal mismatch, or a diluted emotional moment.
But to get the most out of a line edit, your manuscript needs to be as strong as you can make it on your own.
Before You Hit “Send” to an Editor
Get a second round of feedback
After you’ve finished your self-edits, bring in beta readers. Try to avoid close friends and family—ideally, choose readers who understand your genre and will give honest, constructive feedback.
Ask questions like:
Were you pulled into the story?
Did the characters feel real and distinct?
Were the emotional moments effective?
Could you visualize what was happening?
Incorporate that feedback
Even small tweaks after beta reading can level up your manuscript. And if you’re not sure how to implement certain feedback? That’s a great reason to bring in a professional.
Let your editor know about the issue—they’ll be able to spot it in the manuscript and guide you through solutions.
Still unsure? Request a sample edit
If you’re on the fence, a sample edit is a great low-risk way to test the waters. You’ll get a feel for the editor’s style, and they can help you assess whether your manuscript is truly ready for this next stage—or if another revision pass might be more helpful first.
Learn more about finding an editor who fits your style here.
Bottom line? Your manuscript doesn’t need to be perfect. But it does need to be the best version you can create on your own.
That’s when a line editor can do their best work—refining your voice, enhancing emotional impact, and helping your writing truly stand out.
What Comes Next in Your Editing Journey?
Line editing is where your manuscript transforms—from something functional into something fluid and engaging. But that transformation only works if the foundation underneath is solid.
Now you know how to tell if your story is ready for line editing and how to prep for it like a pro.
But before you dive in, make sure you’ve got a clear plan:
How will you approach your edit?
What tools and resources will support you?
What workflow fits best with your editing brain?
Once you’re deep into the line edits, remember: you are the storyteller. And that gives you a unique advantage. A line editor can strengthen your prose, but only you know the heart of your story.
Keep these questions in mind as you revise:
What did I want this moment to do?
How did I picture this character feeling or acting here?
What image or emotion was I hoping the reader would experience?
Then ask: Does this line actually show that? If not, adjust until it does.
And if you hit a wall? If self-editing feels like stumbling through fog, know that you’re not alone. Line editing is a skill like any other, and it’s normal to feel unsure at first.
That’s where guidance can help. Whether you need a fresh set of eyes or a hands-on walkthrough, services like my Line Writing Assessment offer feedback on your opening pages and show you exactly how to continue editing your manuscript on your own—with confidence.
Want to level up your storytelling and refine your prose? Then grab your style sheet, open that manuscript, and start shaping your story into its sharpest, most engaging version yet.
You’ve got this.
