A Little Chat

Copyeditor or Proofreader?

When I first communicate with a client, my goal is to establish the level of editing they need. For new authors, this isn’t always clear. The process is unfamiliar, and there are questions: are they ready for a copyeditor, or a proofreader? Or do they need something else, such as a manuscript assessment or developmental edit.

The key is understanding the stages of editing. A manuscript usually goes through several stages before it’s ready for publication.

The first step is often a manuscript assessment, which looks at the work as a whole and considers its overall potential. From there, a developmental edit may help address larger issues such as structure, plot, narrative and character.

My work sits at the next stage: copyediting. By this point, a manuscript’s big picture issues have usually been resolved and the focus shifts to the writing itself. I work through the manuscript line by line, refining the language so it is clear, consistent and true to the author’s voice. I check for issues such as redundancy, awkward language, and errors, while also creating or adding to a style sheet, which can be referenced by anyone who works on the manuscript from that point on.

A proofread, on the other hand, is needed as a final stage, just before publication. This is a careful check for typographical and punctuation errors, often with reference to the style sheet created during the copyedit.

If you’re unsure of where your manuscript sits in this process, I’m happy to take a look and help you decide on the next step.