What Is Line Editing — and How It Makes Your Editing Process More Effective

Part of the series Writing a Book from Start to Finish

By J.E. Nickerson | Wise Thinkers Help Desk 

When we think about editing, our minds usually jump to typos, grammar fixes, or catching a big plot hole. Those are important, sure — but there’s another type of editing that happens between the big story overhaul and the final polish. It’s called line editing, and it’s one of the most powerful ways to make your book truly shine.

Line editing isn’t about whether your story works (that’s developmental editing) or whether your commas are in the right place (that’s copy editing). It’s about how your sentences sound and feel to the reader.

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The Difference Between Line Editing and Other Edits

It helps to see where line editing fits in:

• Developmental editing – Big picture. Structure, pacing, plot, character arcs.

• Line editing – Sentence-level craft. Word choice, rhythm, clarity, emotional tone.

• Copy editing – Grammar, punctuation, and consistency checks.

• Proofreading – The final scan for typos and formatting issues.

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What You Actually Do in a Line Edit

This is the stage where you go line by line, looking at every sentence and asking:

• Is this clear?

• Can I say it more directly?

• Is there a stronger word choice?

• Does this keep my reader’s attention?

• Does the rhythm of the sentence fit the mood?

For example:

Before:

She walked slowly and carefully into the old, dark house, feeling afraid and uncertain of what she might find inside.

After:

She crept into the dark house, her stomach knotting. The darkness felt tangible, as if it held a horrible secret she did not want to discover. 

The second sentence adds more emotional weight to the darkness.  It changes it from being part of the setting to being personally relevant to the character. This adds tension to the scene and increases the impact. This also shows us how to use everything in the scene to heighten the reader engagement. 

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Why Line Editing Works So Well

Line editing is where your book stops sounding like a rough draft and starts sounding like a finished work.

Here’s why it’s so effective:

1. Keeps readers hooked – No awkward or clunky sentences to trip them up.

2. Boosts emotional punch – choosing the right words sets the tone of the scene and pacing of your story.

3. Sharpens your voice – You refine the way you sound on the page. This can help you to retain your voice and message in the story. If your book is full of misspelled words it will hinder your audience.

4. Saves work later – Once your sentences are solid, copy editing and proofreading are faster and easier.

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A Personal Example

The first time I really understood the value of line editing was when I thought my book was “done.” I was overjoyed at finishing my book and thought I was finished with the writing process for that project. The plot held together, there was action and I had resolved all the character arcs. Then I started reading it aloud, expecting the story to flow like warm honey. 

What I found surprised me. It was like turning on a bright light — suddenly I could hear every clunky phrase, every word that didn’t belong, every sentence that took too long to get to the point. Suddenly what I thought would be smooth ride through my story, turned into a traffic jam of words and overly long sentences. 

The first sentence I ran across said:

“Mommy stared at the cans of food she needed that were filling the cart. She was almost finished counting up the items when Eddie approached with a huge chocolate bunny in his hands.”

“Mom I found this huge chocolate bunny. Can we buy it?”

After line editing, this scene was trimmed considerably to the final form:

“Mommy looked up from the cart and smiled at Eddie. “Hey pumpkin, what do you have there?” 

“It’s a chocolate bunny, can we buy it?” 

That small change didn’t just make it shorter. It made it cleaner, sharper, and more in tune with the pacing of the moment.

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Sentence Bank: Before and After Line Editing

These examples show how small, intentional changes at the sentence level can sharpen meaning, tighten pacing, and increase impact — without changing the heart of the scene.

1. Cutting Redundancy

Before: Mommy nodded her head in agreement.

After: Mommy nodded.

2. Trimming the Fat

Before: She slowly and quietly tiptoed across the room so she wouldn’t wake him up.

After: She tiptoed across the room, careful not to wake him.

3. Choosing Stronger Verbs

Before: She went quickly down the street, trying to catch up to the other runners.

After: She sprinted down the street, chasing the other runners.

4. Removing the “Stage Directions” Feel

Before: She stood up from the table, walked to the door, and opened it before going outside.

After: She left the table and stepped outside.

5. Sharpening Emotional Impact

Before: He was really mad at her for not showing up to the meeting.

After: Anger tightened his jaw as he struggled to push down his rage — she hadn’t shown and had not called to explain her delay.

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Paragraph Example: Before and After Line Editing

Before:

The rain was coming down heavily, making it hard for her to see where she was going. She pulled her coat tighter around herself and hurried along the narrow street, glancing over her shoulder every few steps. The wind was cold and strong, and she wished she’d stayed inside where it was warm. Somewhere behind her, footsteps splashed in the puddles, quickening in pace.

After (Line Edit):

A sheet of Rain blurred her vision. She pulled her coat tighter as she struggled to see the sidewalk. Glancing behind her every few steps, she could not see the car that had been following her. In spite of the wind biting her skin she pushed herself to run faster, still unsure of her safety. 

Why the edit works:

• Cut extra words (“was coming down heavily” → “Rain blurred her vision”).

• Combined related ideas to tighten the flow.

• Removed filler phrases that didn’t add to the mood (“she wished she’d stayed inside”).

• Strengthened verbs (“bit” instead of “was cold and strong”).

• Kept the tension front and center.

• When we removed the filler words, we were able to enhance the action and quicken the pacing of the scene. This created a more gripping scene that pulls in our readers. 

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When to Do It

You’ll get the most out of line editing if you do it after your big story fixes, but before you worry about final grammar cleanup:

1. Draft the book.

2. Do your big story edits (developmental).

3. Line edit to make every sentence pull its weight.

4. Copy edit for grammar and consistency.

5. Proofread for final polish.

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Final Thought

Line editing is like tuning an instrument before you play the big concert. The music (your story) might already be written, but this step makes sure every note lands the way you want it to. It strengthens the message and feel of your story. 

It’s one of the most satisfying parts of editing — because this is where you get to see your writing become the book you imagined in your head.

It’s not always easy to share your work once it’s done. Even if you have the best book possible, pressing publish can still feel intimidating Read the article Sharing your work is Brave: Why Your Voice Matters 🗣️ to find inspiration and courage when its time to publish your next book or article. 

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📚 And if you’re new here, I’m J.E. Nickerson — faith based author and inspirational storyteller. You can check out my books here or follow me on YouTube for more inspiration and encouragement on this writing life.