Book Editing Line Editing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is 'purple prose'?
- Writing that uses too many dialogue tags
- Overly ornate, flowery writing that draws attention to itself and impedes clarity (Correct answer)
- Text that lacks sufficient descriptive detail
- Writing that violates copyright law
Correct answer: Overly ornate, flowery writing that draws attention to itself and impedes clarity
Purple prose refers to excessively elaborate writing where overblown language and metaphors call attention to themselves, distracting readers from the story and meaning.
Question 2: How should a line editor handle inconsistent character voice in dialogue?
- Standardize all dialogue to match the author's narrative voice
- Flag the inconsistencies and suggest revisions that maintain each character's distinctive speech patterns (Correct answer)
- Delete all dialogue and suggest the author replace it with action
- Leave voice inconsistencies for the copy editor to resolve later
Correct answer: Flag the inconsistencies and suggest revisions that maintain each character's distinctive speech patterns
Each character should speak in a way consistent with their background and personality; the line editor's role is to flag inconsistencies and suggest how to restore or strengthen that distinctiveness.
Question 3: What does 'tightening prose' mean in the context of line editing?
- Reducing the total number of chapters in a manuscript
- Eliminating unnecessary words and redundancies to make writing more concise and powerful (Correct answer)
- Shortening all sentences to under ten words
- Removing all metaphors and figurative language
Correct answer: Eliminating unnecessary words and redundancies to make writing more concise and powerful
Tightening prose means cutting words, phrases, and sentences that don't add meaning, resulting in more direct and impactful writing.
Question 4: Which statement best describes the difference between a line edit and a proofread?
- A proofread happens before a line edit in the publishing process
- A line edit improves style and clarity; a proofread catches typographical errors and formatting issues (Correct answer)
- A proofread addresses narrative structure; a line edit addresses grammar
- Both are identical processes known by different names
Correct answer: A line edit improves style and clarity; a proofread catches typographical errors and formatting issues
Line editing focuses on improving prose quality at a stylistic level, while proofreading is the final check for typos, formatting, and production errors before publication.
Question 5: A paragraph contains three consecutive sentences beginning with 'He.' What should the line editor do?
- Accept the pattern as a valid stylistic choice without comment
- Delete two of the three sentences entirely
- Suggest varying sentence openings to improve flow and avoid monotony (Correct answer)
- Convert all three sentences to passive voice
Correct answer: Suggest varying sentence openings to improve flow and avoid monotony
Repetitive sentence openings create a monotonous rhythm; the line editor should suggest restructuring to vary the sentence starts while preserving the intended meaning.
Question 6: What is 'throat clearing' in a manuscript?
- Excessive use of ellipses in dialogue
- Unnecessary introductory material at the start of a scene or chapter before the story truly begins (Correct answer)
- Overlong author acknowledgments in the front matter
- Repeated chapter titles appearing within the body text
Correct answer: Unnecessary introductory material at the start of a scene or chapter before the story truly begins
Throat clearing refers to preamble—sentences or paragraphs that warm up before getting to the point—which line editors typically recommend cutting to start scenes more dynamically.
Question 7: When should a line editor flag a potential factual error?
- Never—fact-checking is exclusively the author's responsibility
- Only when working on academic or nonfiction texts
- Whenever the editor notices something that appears factually incorrect or anachronistic, even if fact-checking is not their primary role (Correct answer)
- Only after the manuscript has been fully copy edited
Correct answer: Whenever the editor notices something that appears factually incorrect or anachronistic, even if fact-checking is not their primary role
While fact-checking may not be a line editor's primary responsibility, professional practice requires flagging apparent errors so they can be verified before they advance further in the editorial process.
