Proofreading? Copyediting? Ugh!

Line editing, copyediting, proofreading…Ugh! There’s many levels of editing and it’s easy to mix them up when you’re looking to hire someone to help you complete your project.

In this post we’re going to discuss the difference between copyediting and proofreading and try to clear up some of the confusion.

First, to understand copyediting we need to understand proofreading! Proofreading typically happens on a formatted manuscript or document, right before it heads to publication. The proofreader is the gatekeeper—the last set of eyes on the document. Definitely a proofreader is looking at spelling, punctuation and grammar, but also they will be watching for layout problems like awkward page breaks, kerning, titles and page numbers. 

Copyediting, on the other hand, takes place on the manuscript before formatting. It’s a deeper edit with a goal to improve readability while always maintaining the writer’s voice. Not only do copyeditors correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax, but they will also look at sentence structure, paragraphs and flow. Copyeditors create a style guide to track dates, times, names, relationships between characters, the locations of certain events in the story, and any preferences the author may have. This style guide becomes invaluable as the story develops, giving the copyeditor (and subsequently the proofreader) a solid tool to keep referring back to.

Of all the editors that might touch a project, the copyeditor is the primary fact checker. I’ll give you an example… I was working on a manuscript with a Canadian author, writing for a Canadian audience. She referred to miles but my research revealed that Canada had changed over to kilometers by the mid-70s, before the time period in her story. An educated reader would have found that simple error annoying as heck!

So, we can see that there’s certainly a similarity between proofreading and copyediting, and it’s easy to see how the lines can become blurred, but there’s very distinct differences. And, it’s also true that sometimes only one or the other will be performed on a manuscript due to finances. When that is the case, I strongly recommend the writer go with copyediting and make the editor aware they’re the final set of eyes.

Does this clear up any of the confusion? I would love to hear your thoughts, and, of course, Chris Bird Edits (aka me) will be happy to undertake either proofreading, copyediting or a combination of BOTH for you!