Copy editing Vs. Proofreading
Do you ever feel like you’re answering the same question over and over again? I do, all the time. From journalists to managers, to friends and family and everyone in between, I always get asked one thing: What is the difference between copyediting and proofreading?
While to many, they seem almost identical they are in fact very different. Understanding the difference between the two and knowing where they fit into the writing process can really make the difference to your text. You’ll also save a huge amount of money, and who doesn’t love saving money?
If you know the difference between the two services, you’ll also save time and importantly, you will be able to have a good relationship with your editor. Take it from me, there is nothing more frustrating than a client asking “can’t you proofread and copy edit at the same time?”
So, what’s the difference?
The short answer is that in the writing process, copyediting comes first, proofreading comes second.
Great, but what does that really mean?
Well, in the writing process, after you’ve written a thousand drafts of your work, you may give it to a friend or family member to read. The first time someone else has read your work. When you ask this person for feedback, are you hoping they’ll say “you spelt a word wrong on page 4” or are you hoping for “I think you should say this bit earlier because otherwise, the previous page doesn’t make sense”?
Generally, you’ll be looking to correct the big errors first. The things you just can’t see because you’ve written, read and reread it so many times. Maybe you’ve not considered your audience or you've not fully explained a concept which to you seems simple but baffles others. Whatever it is, a copy edit is that broad-strokes, big-changes edit which changes a lot.
The proofread happens after you’ve made all these changes, and then often many more, and you need someone to give your work that final polish. It’s the meticulous, sometimes ridiculous, but very necessary task of checking every single word, phrase, space and punctuation mark.
Which service is right for me?
That depends on what you are looking for. Realistically, if you are looking to create an outstanding piece of text, no matter what that is, you’ll need both at some point.
But you need to ask yourself what you need now. Do you want someone to just cast an eye over the text and triple-check you’ve spelt all the names right, used the right acronyms and haven’t got any weird lines of text where they don’t belong? If so, you need a proofread.
But a proofread won’t tell you if a whole page doesn’t really fit the flow of the text. A proofread won’t tell you that your text doesn’t appeal to your target audience or an idea is confusing. But a copy edit will. You need a copy edit if you want some writing advice.
Think of a copyedit as more of a conversation between you and your editor. You’ll talk about what you want to get across, what you want to focus on, even what you want your audience to feel. Then a copyeditor will look at your text and help you to make the changes you need to reach your goal.
Why can’t you do both at the same time?
The mindset needed to copy edit and proofread is very different. The intense focus needed to nit-pick a document for consistency, spelling errors, formatting issues, incorrect font sizes, double spacing and missing commas means that a glaringly obvious error will pass by unnoticed. A proofreader may not pick up on the bigger issues.
Think of it like looking through a magnifying glass at a cinema screen. You’ll be able to say which pixels are wrong but you won’t be able to see the bigger picture. To see the screen as a whole you need to stand back, take off the magnifying glasses and put on your other glasses.
While a good editor can do both, it’s very hard to do both at the same time. You may be able to negotiate with an editor to pay for a general edit, but don’t be surprised or angry if some things slip through the net. Many editors won’t even offer a service which combines both.
Which is cheaper?
Honestly, it depends on the type of document you want. Generally, a proof-reader is cheaper but, as we’ve discussed, they won’t pick up on the huge structural issues or overarching theme problems in a text.
Price also varies on how technical a document is. Most editors will charge more for documents which used lots of specific jargon such as a legal piece or a medical document. In these cases, an editor may decide to charge you per hour rather than by word. Slaving over a piece of work which is short but very complex requires great skill and attention to detail. Charging by the hour is a fairer way to work in these circumstances.
Working together.
Working with an editor isn’t the same as hiring an employee to do a job. Editing is very a collaborative task which means we need to ask you lots of questions and work with you, not for you.
If you want an editor to focus on something specific, perhaps you know you have a habit of adding extra commas or repeating yourself, then tell us. We want to know. We want to help make your work better but when it comes down to it, you’re the author.
Editors often make author queries which are when something is neither correct nor incorrect but needs consistency. In these cases, we will ask you want. You know your target audience best. You know the purpose of your text. You get to decide.
Editing is about making your text the best it can be. But it is still your text so you get the final call. You also get to decide how much of an edit you really want. If you are working to a budget, let your editor know in advance. That way, you can discuss the best approach so you get the best text possible for your money and your editor doesn’t feel taken advantage of.
Remember…
When hiring a copy editor or proofreader, always remember that we want you to succeed. If your text is awesome, we look awesome. So, when we make suggestions or cross things out and change your work, we are doing it to help you. It might sometimes feel like criticism but it isn’t, it’s feedback. And we can take feedback from you too.