I would be delighted to review your text to ensure the content is accurate and aligned with Church teaching. My aim is always to maintain the author's voice while adding clarity and removing distractions (clunky wording, typos, formatting errors) so the intended message can easily captivate the reader.

Line-Editing Process

First, I review the document's overall structure. (Many of my clients are first-time authors, so I have found this to be a necessary step.)

• Are the headings properly formatted? Is all the "normal" text consistent in font style and size?
• Are there extraneous paragraph breaks and tabs that must be removed?
• Are page breaks inserted at the end of each paragraph?
• Is the front matter of the book correctly ordered: title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents?
• Do the page numbers begin at chapter one?

Next, I peruse the entire text for glaring typos and spacing errors.

• I keep a list of the author's spelling preferences to ensure consistency (heaven or Heaven, Exodus 2:4 or Exod. 2:4).

After the initial review, I dive in and read each line of the text.

• Do the words flow well within each sentence?
• Do the sentences flow well within each paragraph?
• Do the paragraphs flow well within each chapter? (One thing I don't do is substantive editing, which entails moving or cutting entire sections. I am more of a copy editor who fine-tunes the project.)
• As an editor who specializes in Catholic content, I always flag any questionable material for the author's review.
• In general, I keep the following in mind: Is the main point of each sentence getting the appropriate emphasis, or is it being drowned in extraneous wordiness?
• Where can I cut unnecessary words to make things more concise?
• What suggestions can I offer to better emphasize the point in the text?
• Where should I add notes asking the author to clarify the intended meaning?

Finally, I review the document in its entirety to ensure consistency in formatting and headings.

• I check the table of contents to ensure the numbers align with the pages.
• Then I save the edited copy and create a clean copy with all changes accepted.
• Both copies are submitted to the client for review.