Are you struggling to decide between copy editing vs. proofreading? You’re not alone! Many use these terms interchangeably, but they serve unique purposes in ensuring your manuscript is ready for submission or publication. In this blog post, we’ll be looking into their key differences so you can decide which one is best suited for your manuscript. So let’s dive in!
Copy Editing vs. Proofreading Comparison Table
When it comes to editing written work, whether you plan to self-publish or use traditional publishing, two of the most common terms that come up are copy editing and proofreading. These terms may seem similar, but they are two different stages in the editing process.
To better understand the differences between copyeditors and proofreaders, let’s take a look at this comparison table:
| Copy Editing | Proofreading | |
| Professional | Copyeditor | Proofreader |
| *Average Fees | $36-$50/hr or $.02–$.049/word | $31–$45/hr or $.02–$.059/word |
| Stage | After substantive editing and before proofreading | After copyediting |
| Editing level | Medium Editing | Light Editing |
| Focus | Improve the overall quality of writing by enhancing clarity, tone, and structure | Focuses solely on catching spelling mistakes or grammatical errors before publication |
| Scope of work | Removes jargon and redundancy or continuity errors. Fixes tone and style inconsistencies to match the intended audience. Improves word choices or usage and fact checks. Check if the draft adheres to the publisher’s preferred style guide. | Check and fix punctuation, sentence structures, and spelling errors, and ensure the final draft adheres to grammatical rules. |
Tip: Keep in mind that these two different types of editing are not as “heavy” as developmental editing, wherein a developmental editor can ask you to change and fix loopholes in a story’s plot.
Tip: Remember that these two types of book editing are not as “heavy” as developmental editing, wherein a developmental editor can ask you to change and fix loopholes in a story’s plot.
What Is Copy Editing?
Copy editing takes place after substantive editing or structural editing. A copy editor will review your work, fiction or non-fiction, and ensure the overall text is clear and concise. Typically, a copy editor’s scope of work includes the following:
- Fixing style errors and awkward syntax.
- Refining the language used while maintaining your intended style and tone.
- Checks conflicts in tone or style throughout the document.
- Check consistency and accuracy.
- Simplify complex sentences while maintaining proper structure for readability.
- Provide suggestions to effectively convey your message to readers.
- Fact checks statements, especially for non-fiction works.
What Is Proofreading?
After copy editing comes proofreading. This stage of the editing process is the last step in ensuring the final draft of a document is completely error-free and can be passed to the next step – publishing.
Unlike in copy editing, a professional proofreader will only conduct light touch-ups, such as:
- Fix typos or spelling errors and capitalization.
- Fix the use of punctuation like quotation marks and hyphenation.
- Ensure formatting and overall structure are correct.
Proofreaders often use various tools, such as editing software programs to help them spot mistakes quickly.
What Is the Difference Between Proofreading and Copy Editing
As mentioned earlier, copy editing and proofreading are two distinct stages of the editing process, each with its focus and goals.
Copy editing is a more extensive form of editing than proofreading. It looks at the bigger picture of your writing, ensuring that it flows well, has a steady tone and style, and effectively gets your message across to the target audience.
On the other hand, proofreading is the final step before publication or submission. The main aim is to spot any remaining typographical errors, such as misspelled words or incorrect punctuation marks. Essentially, it’s about ensuring everything is in order – all t’s crossed and i’s dotted.
Stage
So, which one comes first? Copy editing always comes first before proofreading. This is partly because of the work involved in copy editing. Plus, proofreading leans towards light editing, predominantly more concerned with overlooked mistakes like typos.
Scope of Work
As mentioned earlier, a copy editor’s scope of work involves enhancing the overall clarity by removing the vagueness of any piece of writing. Proofreaders’ job is to ensure punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors are fixed before publication.
Level of Detail
A copy editor has a more difficult task involving fact-checking, suggesting changes, and so on in comparison with the proofreader, who only needs to check for grammatical errors, typos, etc.,
Copy editing gives you a comprehensive assessment, whereas proofreading is an eagle-eyed review for last-minute corrections.
Price Range
Based on Editorial Freelancers Association, a copy editor can charge $36 to $50 per hour or $.02–$.049 per word. For proofreaders, you should expect to pay between $31–$45 per hour or $.02–$.059 per word.
Final Thoughts
When you compare copy editing vs. proofreading, it’s clear that both are essential in the writing process. Proofreading is appropriate if you have a final draft requiring minor corrections or catching typos. But if you need someone to check the overall structure of your work while improving its readability and effectiveness, copy editing should be your choice.
If you are still unsure, you should review the checklist to help you decide what option best suits your needs.
