What is Proofreading and How is it Different from Copyediting

If you’re an editor who’s finished their novel and maybe even have published before, you may remember how confusing it was when you first started looking for an editor. You may remember not being sure of what it was you were looking for and may have felt overwhelmed with all the information that you kept coming across.

It can be confusing, for sure. There are four main forms of editing and some editors like to use alternate names for them. But two that I believe are sometimes used interchangeably are proofreading and copyediting. While these two have similar characteristics, and they definitely bleed into each other, there’s still a big difference between them that authors should take note of.

The problem is that an author may finish their book and be ready for publishing, and though they know they need some form of editing, they’ll begin to look for either copyediting services or proofreading services.

If the editor is legit, they’ll likely ask the editor more about their manuscript to learn what exactly their needs are. They may even ask to see a bit of the manuscript, usually during a sample edit. Here the editor can tell if the manuscript is actually ready for a copyedit or proofread.

A copyedit is the type of edit whereby your editor will have a look at your manuscript and do an intense edit of grammar, syntax, inconsistencies, a bit of fact-checking, typos. It’s a micro-focused edit (as opposed to a macro edit, which is when the editor takes a look at pig picture issues in a developmental edit or manuscript critique).

Usually, while the editor is conducting a copyedit, they will also create something called a style sheet. On this style sheet, they’ll record the specifics of how your manuscript is to be styled: Are you using Oxford commas?Are you using American English spelling or British English? It will also keep track of the spelling of your characters’ names, when to use italics, etc.

Some authors may believe that a copyedit may suffice before publishing their novel. And in some cases, it does. But the truth is that there’s one more step to fulfill before publishing and that’s proofreading.

It is said that your proofreader’s job is to catch everything that your copyeditor missed. Your copyeditor is not infallible, and they’re likely to miss a few things here and there. In fact, in big publishing companies, after the manuscript is finished being copyedited, it will go on to more than one proofreader to ensure that they catch as many errors as possible.

The proofreader will not do the same in-depth job as a copyeditor. They’re there to sweep the manuscript for minor errors using the style sheet that your copyeditor created. A typo here. A comma there. They will flag anything major, but if your manuscript contains too many “major” errors, your proofreader could ask you to send it back to your copyeditor. When the work gets extensive, it stops being the proofreader’s job. It’s just not in their job description.

While I know that in indie publishing it’s not always realistic to hire a copyeditor and a proofreader (let alone five), it’s still helpful to know this information. When hiring a copyeditor and/or a proofreader, the author should be clear on what the extent of the work encompasses. Copyeditors and proofreaders should also inform authors of how many passes they will do on the manuscript, and how much they will charge if an extra revision is needed.

But do keep in mind that there is a difference between these two services. It’ll help when the time comes to decide on what your manuscript’s needs are, so that there are no disappointments when a copyeditor or proofreader hands you back your manuscript.

If you’re interested in knowing more or are actively looking for a copyeditor or proofreader, send me an email so that we can have a look at what your editing needs are!