FOUND MY LINE EDITOR (AND FINALLY FEEL LIKE I’M ALMOST THERE)

The Line Edit

Remember my last post about feeling completely overwhelmed by the publishing process? Well, I’m still overwhelmed, but now it’s the good kind—the “holy crap, this is actually happening” kind instead of the “I have no idea what I’m doing” kind.

Finding this line editor proved to be just as challenging as finding a developmental editor.

But when I found the right one? It was obvious. Their sample edit of my first chapter showed me exactly what my manuscript was missing—not big structural changes, but those sentence-level improvements that make prose sing instead of just function.

The Humbling Revelation

Here’s the thing that’s both embarrassing and exciting: getting that sample edit back made me realize how much I still didn’t know about my own writing. I thought I was pretty decent with sentences. I thought my prose was pretty solid.

I was wrong.

Not completely wrong—the bones were good. But seeing how this editor tightened awkward phrasing, eliminated redundancies I’d read past a hundred times, and made my dialogue flow more naturally... it was like seeing my manuscript in HD for the first time.

There were consistency issues I’d missed. Transitions that could be smoother. Nothing major, but dozens of small improvements that will make the reading experience so much better.

The Excitement Is Real

For the first time in months, I’m genuinely excited about this process instead of just anxious about it.

By the end of the year, I could have an actual book. Not a manuscript, not a work-in-progress, but a real book ready for people to enjoy.

That thought is terrifying and thrilling in equal measure.

What I Learned About Hiring Editors

The biggest lesson from this whole search process: don’t just look at credentials or rates. Look for editors who understand your genre and get excited about your specific story. My line editor didn’t just send back a professional sample edit—they sent notes about what they loved about the world-building and which characters they were already invested in.

That enthusiasm matters. This person is about to spend weeks immersed in my story. I want them to genuinely enjoy the process, not just trudge through it professionally.

Also, trust your gut about communication style. If the initial emails feel off, it’s probably not going to improve once you’re working together.

The Final Sprint

I’m calling this the final sprint, even though I know there will be more steps after this—self-publishing, querying agents, dealing with rejection, potentially more rounds of editing if I land a traditional deal. But this feels like the last phase of the “getting the book ready” process.

Once the proofreading is done, The Conductor’s Game will be as polished as I can make it. Whatever happens after that—traditional publishing, self-publishing, or some combination—I’ll know I did everything I could to make this story the best version of itself.

What’s Next

Proofreading. Then, I’ll finally tackle the cover design process I’ve been avoiding.

I’m almost there!