Copyediting vs. Proofreading—What’s the Difference?
For writers who are just starting out, the publishing process can seem daunting! Knowing industry terms and procedures can empower you through the process.
Here is an illustration of the publishing process. Many of these steps can (and will) be repeated as needed.
First, create an outline or a rough draft. Consult a developmental editor to nail down big-picture details.
Second, complete a first draft.
Third, find someone to read your draft and give feedback—either on specific areas or the manuscript as a whole.
Fourth, edit and revise your first draft into your second draft.
Repeat steps three & four until you’re ready for professional editing!
Fifth, send your manuscript to a copyeditor.
Sixth, review the edits and revise. Repeat step five as needed.
Seventh, have your book designed.
Eighth, send your proofs to a proofreader.
Finally, after updating anything the proofreader catches, you are ready for printing!
Many people confuse or combine the tasks of copyediting and proofreading, but they are not the same. Read on to see the differences.
Copyediting
Copyediting comes right in the middle between drafting and printing. It is a crucial step that should not be skipped over.
By the time you’re ready for copyediting, your manuscript must be complete! Hopefully, you have gone through several drafts of your manuscript already. You’ve gotten feedback from a substantive (or developmental) editor, a writing group, and one or more critique partners. You’ve ironed out the wrinkles from the manuscript as best as you can, and the work is ready for new eyes.
Your copyeditor will take a very detailed approach to your manuscript. Of course, copyeditors are human and we all work in different ways, but ultimately, in the hands of a copyeditor, your manuscript will be read paragraph-by-paragraph, sentence-by-sentence, and word-by-word. Every punctuation mark will be scrutinized. Your word choices will be analyzed.
With the right copyeditor, you will feel like your work is under a microscope.
The First Pass
Your copyeditor will probably perform several passes over your writing. And they should be able to tell you how they will work before you sign a contract and hand over your manuscript.
I perform at least two full passes on every manuscript that crosses my desk. During the first pass, I am familiarizing myself with the full work and fixing any glaring issues as I encounter them (things like duplicate words, misplaced commas, misspellings, etc.).
During my first pass, I also highlight things I want to come back to in the following pass. Some elements I commonly flag are word choice, sentence structure, tense shifts, character specifics or setting details that don’t match, and timeline issues.
Remember, at this stage, I’m still getting acquainted with the story, so I don’t want to make any big changes at this point.
Watch the video to see a demonstration of what a first-pass copyedit looks like!
The Second Pass (and beyond)
Once I have read the entire manuscript, then I go back for a second, deeper pass. This second pass can get intense!
Not only will I be checking again for the same things I looked for in the first pass, but now I’ll be addressing bigger issues like plot, character, setting. I’ll be looking at sentence structure, flow and pacing. I’ll also be very meticulous about making sure the words you’re using are the most fitting words for the context.
While I do all that, I’ll also create a detailed style sheet (if you don’t have one already), a timeline for the story, and a character sheet.
This second pass takes the bulk of my time in a copyediting project, and hopefully you can see why!
Clean-Up
After the second pass through, I clean up the manuscript and finalize any comments I have left on it. This way, you can focus your revision time on things that need your approval—not every typo or comma.
Proofreading
Proofreading comes after copyediting, revision, and design/layout.
A proofreader looks at the pages of your book (on paper or digitally) as they will appear when printed. Because proofreading comes last, this stage is often only used to check for the most egregious errors that have slipped through.
Proofreaders check:
Typos and spelling errors.
Indentation
Page numbering
Punctuation
Formatting
Widows and orphans (keeping lines of text together on the same page)
The proofreader is the final set of eyes on your manuscript before printing (except you, the author, of course).
You Have Control
One important thing to note, especially in regard to self-publishing, is that the author gets the final word on what is printed in their book. Editors are there to make your writing the best it can be. They are not there to rewrite your book.
Ultimately, you can accept or reject any changes or suggestions that your copyeditor and proofreader make. Just know that they usually have your best interests in mind.
