So you're a copywriter or a content writer
and thought you'd offer some editing services
to new and existing clients to add a little extra cash
to your freelancing bottom line.
Smart, but what exactly
are these editing services you're offering?
What do they entail?
Will you do line editing or copy editing or both?
Because spoiler alert, these are two
completely different services.
And clients will have certain expectations of your work,
depending on which service you choose to offer
or agree to do.
So keep watching to get a full breakdown
of the difference between copy editing and line editing
and see which one is right for you.
(upbeat music)
Hey, posse, what's up?
It's Alex. I hope you dig my new background.
I absolutely love it.
Changing it up after two years.
I am coming at you this week with a topic
that might not be the most interesting subject in the world,
but it is one that we definitely need to talk about
because we are copywriters, and that is copy editing
versus line editing.
What's the difference, and which one is right for you
If you're planning to offer these services to your clients?
if you're new to the crew, welcome.
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freelancing and marketing tutorials
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when my next tutorial goes live.
Now, the reason I say we need to talk about this
is because I see so many freelancers
and copywriters out there offering editing services
when they really have no idea
about what that actually entails,
and then I also see so many business owners out there
looking for editors, and when I ask them,
"Do you need a line editor or a copy editor?" They're like,
"Uh, I don't know, what's the difference?"
So I am here to set the record straight.
Now while there are, of course,
some similarities between copy editing and line editing,
they are two very different services that will have
different goals and responsibilities,
and they actually are needed at completely different times
during the writing process, so it's really important
to know the difference between the two.
So let's dive right in. What is line editing?
So the number one goal and responsibility of a line editor
is to look at the overall content, writing style,
and language that's being used throughout
the entirety of the copy. Okay?
So the purpose of a line editor
is not to comb a document looking for errors.
Instead, what a line editor is focusing on
is the way that language is being used
to communicate with the reader.
In other words, they are asking questions like,
does this make sense?
Is there a good flow? Is the language clear?
Does it convey the desired emotion,
goal, and purpose of the copy?
Do the words communicate precise meaning,
or is the messaging too broad and all over the place?
So, according to nybookeditors.com, "A line editor
looks for words or sentences that are extraneous
or overused, run-on sentences,
redundancies from the same information
being repeated in different ways, verbose sentences,
or paragraphs that need to be tightened up,
sections where the writer's meaning is unclear
or their ideas are too complex, bad transitions
or confusing language that needs to be simplified,
tonal or tense shifts and unnatural phrasing
or changes that can be made to improve the pacing
and cadence of the copy, or words and phrases
that might need to be added to add clarity
or improve readability."
So this is the person who would come in and say,
"Yo, this sentence does not make sense here.
I would definitely move it here,"
or, "Hey, you already said that 3 times,
you should probably cut this out to avoid redundancy."
They are really helping you to improve the overall feel
and flow of your writing so that you're telling a story
and writing copy that actually makes sense and reads well.
Now, a line editor needs to be familiar with the audience,
the product, and the big promise so that they can really
make sure the messaging works and takes the reader
from point A to point B to point C.
So it's really holistic editing and requires
a much more experienced writer,
and one who charges more than a copy editor.
So what is copy editing, you're wondering?
By contrast, the goal and responsibility of a copy editor
is to address flaws and errors found in writing
on a very technical level, so like a proofreader.
So this is the person you want going through your writing
with that fine-toothed comb to ensure there are zero
spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors.
So as a copy editor, they correct spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and syntax, they ensure consistency
in spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts
and capitalization throughout your copy.
They also flag ambiguous or factually incorrect statements.
So as you can see, these are two very different services
that you would want very different times
during the writing process.
Line editing, or making changes to the feel and flow
of your copy, should always come before
the final copy editing or proofreading,
because what's the point of going to all the trouble
of extensively proofreading when your writing
could be changed or altered or completely scrapped
after a thorough line edit?
So that's why you want copy editing to be the very last
and final thing that's done before pushing publish.
So line editing versus copy editing. What's the difference?
Well, to make it super simple, think of it this way.
A line editor helps you tell a better story
and really craft the messaging
from point A to point B to point C,
where a copy editor makes sure your grammar
and spelling is good to go.
Now, I'm curious, which services do you offer
or do you want to offer?
Comment below and let me know.
Thank you so much for watching.
Until next time. I'm Alex. Ciao for now.
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