Coffee and Clauses: The Art of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction

How to edit sentences with discernment, skill and creative intelligence

You know how to correct sentences, but you want to make them sing. This is a self-study course for aspiring professionals who want to master line editing – and help fiction authors improve their prose without flattening their voice.

You've got the technical skills. Now it's time to go deeper.

What’s expected of a sentence-level editor?

You’re comfortable with the technical side of editing – the grammar calls, the punctuation corrections, the style decisions. But when it comes to the nuances of the sentences, you’re not so sure. Where does copy-editing end and line editing begin? And once you’re working at that level, how do you know when you’re editing and when you’re … rewriting?

How do you improve prose … without overstepping?

It’s a question that raises doubts and insecurities in an editor’s mind. You can feel when a sentence isn’t working, but articulating why – and knowing how to help an author fix it without putting your own fingerprints all over their prose – is a different skill entirely.

And underneath that worry sits another one: what if, in trying to improve the writing, you smooth away the idiosyncrasies that make it theirs? The rhythm, the voice, the creative intentions?

This course gives you the framework to work at the sentence level with confidence and consideration, so you can sharpen an author’s prose without flattening what makes it sing.

This course could be for you if …

You already know the technical aspects of copy-editing (marking up, creating a style sheet, the legal responsibilities, etc.) but want to better help authors shape their sentences into more artful and powerful prose
You want to offer line editing as a distinct service and feel confident positioning it (whether you’re new to freelancing or have been editing for some time)
You’re not interested in offering the more technical aspects of copy-editing and just want to help authors elevate their prose at the sentence level
You’re a non-fiction editor who wants to move to fiction editing but are daunted by the flexibility and creativity of prose editing

This course isn’t for you if you don’t want to specialise in fiction editing. It’s also not really for authors who want to line edit their own work – though you may still get some value from the course.

If you want to learn the more technical aspects of copy-editing (which I believe give you the best foundations on which to build your line editing craft), take this course first:

Tea and Commas: The Foundations of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction

How the course works

This is a self-study eight-module online course.

The written materials will be available immediately through a dedicated online portal where you can work through the modules at your own pace, starting whenever you like.

You’ll also be able to download PDF versions of the modules to save, print and keep.

There are several extensive editing exercises for you to complete (model answers provided), and a few additional resources.

You’ll receive a certificate upon completion.

Who am I to teach line and copy-editing?

I ran my own freelance editing practice for over a decade, specialising in line and copy-editing fiction. I’ve worked with more than a hundred authors on countless manuscripts.

My qualifications include a degree in English Literature with Creative Writing (UEA) and an MA in Creative Writing (Royal Holloway). I’m also a writer of fiction, having had many short pieces published in literary magazines. I’ve worked in-house at a large publishing company, and have completed tons of in-depth editing training.

Course outline

NOTE: You will need Microsoft Word to complete the exercises in this course.

Module 1: Introduction to line and copy-editing

Discover what line editing is – and what it isn’t
Where did the term come from, and who needs line editors?
The ethical considerations of line editing fiction (including how to handle AI)
Considerations of genre

Module 2: Enhancing author voice

Understanding what voice is
How balance clarity, tone and voice
Editing for word choice and imagery
The nuances of ‘showing’ and ‘telling’

Module 3: Cutting the clutter and sharpening focus

Learning what can be deleted (and what shouldn’t be)
How to avoid repetitive sentence structure
Understanding filter words and narrative distance
How to handle point of view – what’s within your control and what isn’t

Module 4: Sentence structure and variety

Common grammar pitfalls to watch out for
How sentence length affects tone, comprehension and emotion
Most effective ways to use dashes
Considerations for semi-colons and colons

Module 5: Commas

Simple explanations of all the main rules
Discussion on the huge flexibility around these rules!
Best approaches for fiction

Module 6: Grammar that serves storytelling

Mechanics that affect clarity
Grammar considerations around accuracy and voice
How to handle tricky tenses

Module 7: Dialogue

Naunced mechanics that have big effects
Editing for voice, flow and clarity
Dealing with dialects
Styling and editing thougths and telepathy

Module 8: Becoming an editor

How to create an editorial letter to help (and impress) clients
Managing the emotions of editing
Dealing with feedback on and criticism of your edits
Cultivating an editing practice
How to gain confidence (and experience)

BONUS: Finding work

Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll receive a PDF certificate confirming you’ve completed the course. You can include this in your training credentials!

In the editing industry, training is recognised based on the provider’s credibility. My courses, for example, are recognised by the Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading and count towards membership upgrades.

Certification, however, is different. It requires an assessment to meet a certifying body’s standards, and there are ongoing requirements to maintain it. It’s quite complex, and rare in the editing industry. Liminal Pages does not offer certification.

Sorry, but Microsoft Word is the industry standard – so you will need to invest in this if you want to become an editor. It has all the bells and whistles you need to do the job.

And sadly, you can’t use the free online version as it doesn’t support Track Changes or macros, and you can’t add or customise your own styles. (You need these things to be a professional editor!)

Around 1-2 hours per module is about standard (the latter end if you dedicate yourself to the exercises), so roughly 8-16 hours for the whole course. Think about it like a dedicated weekend of training.

I believe line and copy-editing go hand in hand, and you’ll be in the strongest position to build a professional editing career by taking both courses. Understanding the technical side of copy-editing (marking up for the typesetter, using Track Changes, creating a style sheet, knowing your legal responsibilities) gives you an important foundation on which to build your line editing skills.

That said, if you’re already an experienced copy-editor, or you’re only interested in the more creative side of sentence-level editing, you may be just fine starting here. And you can always go back and take Tea and Commas later!

No. Though there are some stylistic and language variations between English-speaking countries, we’ll touch on this. Mostly, the principles are universal to good writing.

You’ll be the best judge of this, so take a close look at all the information provided on this web page and have a think! If there’s something you’d like to know to help you make your decision and I haven’t mentioned it on this page, feel free to drop me an email and I’ll do my best to help.

Not much – but there are two things that will help you hit the ground running: a working knowledge of Track Changes and comments in Word, and an understanding of what a style sheet is and how to use one. If you’re not there yet, Tea and Commas is a great place to start.

Interested in the companion course, Tea and Commas: The Foundations of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction? Buy both together and save a whopping 20% on both courses.

I'm ready