Description

Line editing is one of the most important editorial passes a fiction manuscript undergoes before publishing. Developmental editing and copyediting perch at opposite peaks of the editorial process, handling story structure and grammar usage respectively, while line editing navigates the valley between them to refine both narrative flow and syntactical styling. It’s the bridge that connects storytelling with the intricate details of language mechanics, offering writers a holistic approach to enhancing their most important feature: their voice.

This four-week intermediate course for line editing builds on a line editor’s foundational understanding of voice and syntactic style to focus on how to edit the different modes of voice within a novel.

• Week One: In the first week, we’ll review our mission as line editors to be “intentional and defensible” before introducing the first of the course’s two modes of storytelling: dialogue. We’ll dive right in to cover how to juggle the many voices found in dialogue and keep it all straight in your line edit notes.
• Week Two: Next, we discuss the other mode of storytelling: narrative. We’ll talk about identifying purple prose and how to edit its negative effects in commercial fiction without removing the author’s voice or agency in their story craft. Then we focus on how to balance the novel’s use of exposition, narrative, and description as well as how to weave dialogue effectively into the scene. In our editor application section, we’ll discuss the pitfalls of project scope creep and what to do if a manuscript isn’t ready for an editor.
• Week Three: In our penultimate week, we talk about all things “show don’t tell” and how to address this narrative technique in dialogue, narrative, exposition, and characterization. In our editor application portion, we’ll discuss aiding authors’ voice designs and how to encourage their creative experimentation while advocating for their readers’ experience.
• Week Four: Our final week of the course covers how to level up your deliverable packaging in a way that fosters continued author growth, clear-cut expectations for post-project scopes, and overall client satisfaction. We’ll turn your “just an edit” service into a valuable resource your clients will reference again and again in their author careers.

You’ll receive one-on-one feedback from the instructor on your editing assignments while discussing the coursework and broader editorial implications with your fellow students in the class forum.

This approach to line editing will most benefit editors of commercial (or genre) fiction, though the writing principles may apply to other styles of narrative as well. This course is perfect for both new and experienced editors looking to strengthen the foundation of their editing craft.

Students in Line Editing of Commercial Fiction: Beginning say…

“The feedback on assignments was exceptionally helpful in the learning process.” —I.M.

“I loved the ability to read the lesson text or watch videos. I am usually a better visual learner than auditory learner, so reading through the text helped solidify the content in my mind.” —A.M.

Amber Helt (she/her) is a professional editor, writing instructor, and editor coach with over 10 years of experience working with traditional publishers and independent authors. She is the owner and managing editor of Rooted in Writing, an editorial agency that works with speculative fiction authors of all publishing paths to help their novels flourish in their competitive markets. Her editorial agency prides itself on strong client relationships and gardener-minded editing, where writers leave with not just a pruned manuscript but seeds to grow as authors in their next project. Amber was the chapter coordinator for the EFA’s North Texas chapter for five years and loves sharing her knowledge with fellow editors. Amber has a BA in English creative writing with a certificate in historical linguistics.