Coaching Line Edit

Line editing with in-depth coaching notes to teach self-editing skills

The coaching line edit is a two-pronged service that provides a high-level stylistic edit of the manuscript sample with in-text comments to explain the craft and technique behind the editorial changes. This not only provides you with a highly polished sample, but can help you learn to be a more effective self-editor.

With the coaching line edit, a sample of any length (usually 25-50 pages) will be carefully line edited by your editor, using Microsoft Word’s track changes feature, so you can see what was cut, inserted, or modified, along with margin comments explaining why the change was made and what you need to know about the principle in question.

Included in the price is a half-hour of phone or email consultation with the reviewing editor. This session gives you the opportunity to ask questions, clarify, and discuss technique or recommendations. Consultation beyond the time included with the coaching line edit, if desired, is available at our standard rate of $75 per hour.

Ross Browne
Peter Gelfan
Julie Miller
Shannon Roberts

$.06 – .14 per word

Turnaround time for a coaching line edit is typically 3–5 weeks.

To request a quote, make a submission, or request more information

Please visit our online welcome center, email us at admin@editorialdepartment.com, or call us at (520) 546-9992.

What happens next?

All inquiries to The Editorial Department will be personally fielded by author services director Ross Browne, who will do the following:

  • confirm receipt of your materials
  • gather any further information needed
  • do a no-cost/no-obligation preliminary review, to get a feel for which editor(s) and service(s) best fit your project’s needs
  • provide a written quote with price and turnaround time for any recommended services
  • answer any questions about recommended options or possible alternatives
  • schedule your project with the assigned editor, if you decide to move forward
  • explain and finalize the appropriate billing arrangements
  • provide a firm delivery date and keep you updated on our progress, as appropriate
  • deliver your feedback or editing to you once it’s ready
  • arrange for follow up with your editor by phone or email, once you have reviewed your feedback and/or editing
  • advise on next steps, and schedule reviews of new drafts if requested

Privacy & Confidentiality

We have utmost respect for our clients’ privacy concerns and will never sell, share, or disseminate your contact information. We will treat all materials supplied to us as confidential.

Formal nondisclosure agreements are not required but are available on request. More info is available here.

“I think there are two types of writers, the architects and the gardeners. The architects plan everything ahead of time, like an architect building a house. They know how many rooms are going to be in the house, what kind of roof they’re going to have, where the wires are going to run, what kind of plumbing there’s going to be. They have the whole thing designed and blueprinted out before they even nail the first board up. The gardeners dig a hole, drop in a seed and water it. They kind of know what seed it is, they know if planted a fantasy seed or mystery seed or whatever. But as the plant comes up and they water it, they don’t know how many branches it’s going to have, they find out as it grows. And I’m much more a gardener than an architect.”

George R.R. Martin