When I got my first copyedit done, my novel had been replotted and mostly rewritten from a second draft I had sent to a developmental editor. Her focus had been on the story: character motivation and goals, pacing, scenes, and overall structure. That grueling task completed, the manuscript was ready for a line edit. This focused on the logical progression of the story, clarity, and believability, line by line. Scenes, paragraphs, and sentences are cut at this stage. They are reworked and rewritten. Sometimes they moved to other parts. Sections are added. At no point would a copyedit have been appropriate during these long months. With rewrites and deletions, it would have been a waste of everyone's time.
A copyedit puts the shine on your story. It comes after the structural and line edits, focusing on the accuracy of the writing (grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage) and consistency in these throughout the manuscript. A copyedit polishes your sentences. It makes your dialogue crisp. It helps your words ring true in the reader's mind. A word of caution: don't rush your story in pursuit of polish. Be patient. Do whatever it takes to make your story the best it can be before you request a copyedit. The satisfaction of a clean manuscript is the culmination of all your hard work. You deserve no less.
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