In order to get a book in shape to be published, an editor has to do many “objective” tasks, including correcting typos and spelling. But one job that is the hallmark of a skilled editor is line editing, which is difficult to measure objectively.

Here’s why. Reading is a linear process. The reader follows a line of text and sees one word after another. In this way it’s like music, which is also time-based and linear. It is unlike visual art; when you approach a painting your eye can scan across the surface and see various parts in whatever order you choose.

In good writing, it’s important not to confuse the reader. You want the reader to fly through the book the way a skier flies downhill. You do not want any moguls and you do not want the reader to have to stop and figure out what you are saying.

The differences can be very subtle. At Thomas Hauck book editors, I make sure that each line – each phrase – is presented in the optimum order. Here’s an example of a typical line edit.

“The tree fell with a mighty crash because its roots were weakened by age and it was hit by a fierce west wind.” Technically, there is nothing wrong here. No typos and no bad grammar. But the phrasing is inelegant. The reader must backtrack to put all the pieces together: tree fell, weak roots, west wind.

The line editor may suggest this: “From the west came a fierce wind, and the tree, its roots weakened by age, fell with a mighty crash.”

In a joke, the format is this: setup and then punchline. The joke writer always saves the punchline for the end. A sentence is no different. In our example, the punchline is that the tree fell with a mighty crash. This information must be saved for the end. All of the other information, which serves to set up the punchline, comes first. This allows the reader to visualize the scene clearly and without having to backtrack. Typically, this means that the writer is moving from the general to the specific: taking the long establishing shot and then moving in for the closeup.

This is why the Bible says, “In the beginning was the word.” It does not say, “The word was in the beginning.” They are exactly the same six words, yet one version is clumsy, and the other version sings.

At Thomas Hauck book editing, we make sure that your manuscript is not merely acceptable – we ensure that it is the very best that it can be. Contact editor Thomas Hauck for all of your literary needs.