Today’s guest post is brought to you by editor Angela Garcia of Romance the Page.

If you’re a romance author polishing your manuscript, you’ve likely heard the terms “line editing” and “copy editing.” But what’s the real difference, and why does it matter for your book’s success? 

Let’s break down these two vital editing stages, using a couple of short romance passages and side-by-side edits so you can see how each approach works.

Line editing vs. copy editing: What’s the real difference?

Both line editing and copy editing are important steps in the editorial process that go hand in hand, but they serve distinct purposes.

Aspect	Line Editing	Copy Editing
Focus	Creative content, style, flow, readability	Technical correctness, consistency, adherence to the style guide
Grammar & Punctuation	Not the main focus	Yes
Sentence Structure	Actively restructures for flow and impact	Corrects only if grammatically incorrect
Word Choice	Enhances for better expression	Corrects misuse
Tone & Voice	Refines to strengthen author’s voice	Ensures consistency
Fact-Checking	Rarely	Some light fact-checking
Formatting	Not applicable	Ensures adherence to style guides

Line editing dives into the artistry of your prose: it’s about making your sentences sing, your dialogue sparkle, and your narrative flow while maintaining clarity and your author voice. Since line editing does not focus on technical correctness, it comes before copy editing and proofreading in the editorial workflow.

Copy editing, on the other hand, is about making sure your manuscript is technically correct—free from grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors—and consistent with industry or publisher standards. Since technical correctness is the sole focus of copy editing, all stylistic editing should be completed first.

How the differences play out in real text

Raw text: Example A

Let’s start with a short paragraph you might find in a romance novel:

A shiver ran down her spine as he stepped closer. She looked up at him, her heart beating fast in her chest. “I didn’t think you’d come,” she whispered, her voice trembling. He smiled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The room felt warmer, somehow, and she realized she was holding her breath.

Copy Edited Version

A shiver ran down her spine as he stepped closer. She looked up at him, her heart beating fast in her chest. “I didn’t think you’d come,” she whispered, her voice trembling. He smiled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. The room felt warmer somehow, and she realized she was holding her breath.

What Changed?

• Removed the comma after “warmer” (it’s not needed grammatically).
• Checked for consistent tense, punctuation, and spelling (no changes made)
• Ensured dialogue punctuation and tags were correct (no changes made)
• No changes to word choice, sentence structure, or emotional impact.

Line Edited Version

A shiver danced down her spine as he closed the distance between them. She met his gaze, heart thundering. “I didn’t think you’d come,” she whispered, her voice trembling. He smiled, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. Warmth filled the room, and she released a breath she’d been holding.

What Changed?

• Replaced “ran down her spine” with “danced down her spine” for a more evocative image.
• Changed “he stepped closer” to “he closed the distance between them” for intimacy.
• Tightened “she looked up at him, her heart beating fast in her chest” to “She met his gaze, heart thundering”—showing, not telling.
• Smoothed “reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear” to “tucking a stray lock behind her ear.”
• Recasted the last sentence to remove the filter words (“felt” and “realized”) and to make it more immersive: “Warmth filled the room, and she released a breath she’d been holding.”

Raw text: Example B

Here’s a short paragraph you might find in a romantic suspense novel:

Marissa walked quickly down the busy street, her coat flapping behind her as the cold wind blew. She was late for her meeting, and she tried not to think about how her boss would react. Her phone buzzed loudly in her purse, startling her, and she almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. She didn’t notice the man watching her from across the street, his gaze fixed and unblinking. The city noises seemed louder than usual, making her heart beat even faster as she hurried on.

Copy Edited Version

Marissa walked quickly down the busy street, her coat flapping behind her as the cold wind blew. She was late for her meeting, and she tried not to think about how her boss would react. Her phone buzzed loudly in her purse, startling her, and she almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. She didn’t notice the man watching her from across the street, his gaze fixed and unblinking. The city noises seemed louder than usual, making her heart beat even faster as she hurried on.

What Changed?

• There were no errors in the passage, so nothing was changed.
• A copy editor may suggest you delete the adverb “loudly,” especially if they notice adverbs are being overused. But since adverb use is a stylistic choice, it was not removed because it’s not incorrect.
• General grammar and punctuation checks; no stylistic or structural changes.

Line Edited Version

Marissa hurried down the crowded sidewalk, her coat flapping in the biting wind. Late for her meeting, she pushed away thoughts of her boss’s disappointment. A sudden buzz from her purse made her jump, and she stumbled over a jagged crack. A man watched from across the street—unblinking, intent. The amplified city din of screeching tires, wailing sirens, and raised voices made her heart race as she rushed on.

What Changed?

• Replaced “walked quickly down the busy street” with “hurried down the crowded sidewalk” for stronger imagery and conciseness.
• Changed “the cold wind blew” to “the biting wind” for vivid description.
• Combined and tightened sentences to improve flow and pacing.
• Replaced “she tried not to think about how her boss would react” with “she pushed away thoughts of her boss’s disappointment” for emotional immediacy.
• Changed “Her phone buzzed loudly in her purse, startling her, and she almost tripped over a crack in the sidewalk” to “A sudden buzz from her purse made her jump, and she stumbled over a jagged crack” for clarity and rhythm.
• Made the man’s observation more immediate: “A man watched from across the street—unblinking, intent.”
• Changed “The city noises seemed louder than usual, making her heart beat even faster as she hurried on” to “The amplified city din of screeching tires, wailing sirens, and raised voices made her heart race as she rushed on” for stronger sensory detail and engagement (and to eliminate the filter word “seemed”).

Line editing is about elevating your prose—making sure it’s vivid, clear, and emotionally true to your characters and genre—while maintaining your author voice. Copy editing is about making sure your manuscript is clean and professional.

“If [while copy editing] I’m noticing that they’re using a lot of filter words, I might just suggest, ‘Hey, you’re going to want to take a look at this issue.’ That’s really more of a line editing thing because you’re going to want to rewrite those sentences.” —Angela Garcia

How editors decide: Stylistic suggestions vs. technical corrections

Editors make choices based on the type of edit you’ve requested and the needs of your manuscript.

Stylistic suggestions (line editing)

These are subjective and focus on the artistry of your writing. An editor might suggest tightening a sentence, eliminating redundancy, or rephrasing dialogue to sound more natural. Because of the subjective nature of these suggestions, there are multiple ways to resolve the same issues. If the initial attempt doesn’t quite hit the mark, you can rework the sentence until it does.

• Suggest changes for clarity, flow, and emotional impact.
• These are subjective and always respect the author’s voice. Editors may leave comments with suggestions or make direct changes to the manuscript using Track Changes.

Example: Suggesting “She met his gaze, heart thundering” instead of “She looked up at him, her heart beating fast in her chest” for a more immersive feel.

Even when hired for copy editing, a good editor may flag recurring stylistic issues—like overused filter words (“she saw,” “she felt”)—but will always separate technical corrections from creative suggestions.

Technical corrections (copy editing)

For the most part, these are non-negotiables: errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or adherence to a style guide. For example, missing prepositions in narrative prose or incorrect verb tenses get fixed without debate. (Caveat: A copy editor will correct occasional verb-tense errors, but if the manuscript has major verb-tense issues, needing multiple corrections on each page, you’ll need a line editor because this falls outside the scope of copy editing. Occasionally, rewriting may be necessary if changing to the correct verb tense makes the sentence phrasing awkward.)

• Always fix grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency issues.
• These are objective errors—there are right and wrong ways to punctuate dialogue or spell a word.

Example: Correcting “She looked up at him, her heart beating fast, in her chest.” to “She looked up at him, her heart beating fast in her chest.”

Why both matter for romance authors

Romance readers crave an emotional, immersive experience, and that’s why both line editing and copy editing are absolutely essential for romance authors. 

Copy editing ensures your swoonworthy scenes aren’t marred by distracting errors. Typos, grammar slips, or awkward punctuation can yank a reader right out of the story at the worst possible moment. When your manuscript is technically clean, readers can stay focused on the chemistry and tension you’ve worked so hard to build.

But technical polish alone isn’t enough. Line editing is what helps your emotional beats land, your banter sparkle, and your unique voice shine through every page. It’s the stage where your editor hones your sentences for rhythm, flow, and emotional impact, making sure the heart of your story pulses with every word. Skipping either step can leave your manuscript feeling flat or unfinished, no matter how compelling your plot or characters.

A great editor knows how to balance both, making your story the best it can be without losing what makes it yours. For romance writers, this distinction is especially important: you want readers to fall in love with your words, not stumble over errors or miss the emotional punch. When you invest in both line and copy editing, you’re giving your manuscript the best chance to truly shine and sweep readers off their feet.

Takeaways for authors

• Know what you need: If your manuscript is technically sound but could use more punch, opt for line editing. (Since line editing is not concerned with correcting technical errors, you’ll want to at least follow it with a proofread to catch any stray errors or typos.) If it’s already polished for style, go for copy editing to correct any lingering technical errors. Since these edits go hand in hand, line editing followed by copy editing, many editors offer packages that include them both together.
• Communicate with your editor: Let them know your priorities and if you’re open to stylistic feedback, even during a copy edit.
• Note: Line editing is not ghostwriting, so you shouldn’t expect your editor to completely rewrite every single sentence, turning them into a version of prose that exceeds your skill level. Line edits should elevate your prose while matching your author voice and overall writing level so that all suggested changes sound like they came from you.
• Regardless of the type of editing you receive, every correction is a suggestion that you can either accept or reject. You are the author, and you always have the final say.
  

Ready to make your romance manuscript shine?

If you want your story to be both technically sound and utterly swoonworthy, check out Romance the Page (Angela Garcia’s editing business) right here on the Swoonworthy Services site. With her expertise in both line and copy editing, you’ll get the best of both worlds, ensuring your book is ready to sweep readers off their feet.