Which One Do I Need: Copy Edit or Proofread?
Many times, authors come to me asking what the difference between editing and proofreading is. The manuscript is in pretty good shape, it’s been edited by other editors, and they’re ready to polish it up. But is that a copy edit or a proofread?
When editing, I give suggestions for how to make things better. When proofreading, I will not suggest anything unless the current way is wrong. Flat-out wrong. This is because of where these steps fall in the publishing process.
Proofreading focuses on . . .
spelling/misused words
capitalization
punctuation
agreement between subjects, verbs, and nouns
simple formatting
inconsistencies throughout text
titles and headings
Copy editing looks at all those things and . . .
active voice
concrete and concise language
parallelism
bias and offensive language
word choice
repetition and clichés
clarity and word choice
point of view, perspective, and tense consistent
mood, voice, tone consistent
Copy and line editing are done after lots of self-editing, critique partners, beta readers, and a developmental editor have looked at your project (or a random combination of those). This is the time when you’re ready to fine-tune your work. Plot and organization is set; now it’s time to make sure everything is really clear and correct. To learn more about the types of editors, check out this post!
Proofreading is done after the book is formatted and typeset and you’re ready to push the Publish button. Everything is exactly how you want it to be, but you need a final check just to make sure nothing got missed by other editors and nothing was messed up when converting files or typesetting. Proofreading is really the last last last step. The only thing that comes after this is publishing. To learn more about the steps of self-publishing, check out this post!
So, if you’re trying to decide which level of editing you need, think about what your next steps are and how you’re feeling about your manuscript. If everything is exactly how you want it, go ahead and format your book. After that, you’re ready for a proofread and publishing! If you’re still wanting help on making it great and you’re not quite ready for publishing, a copy edit might be better!
If you’re still unsure which type of editing is best for you, check out this post! Feel free to email me for a sample edit as well. I can help you decide which level of editing is best for your project.
If you have more questions about any of these topics, feel free to email me! If you’re looking for professional help, you can hire me as an editor or proofreader! Contact me here! Happy writing!
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