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Do You Need a Copy Editor or a Proofreader?
A lot of writers reach out with confusion about the types of editing there are and what order to do them in. If you’re looking for thorough explanations of each level, please see my previous articles on developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading.
Perhaps most confused are the levels of editing called “copy editing” and “proofreading.”
These are often thought of as the same thing, but they really aren’t. In this article, I’ll explain the difference and when you might reach out for help with one or the other.
How Editing Works in General
The levels of editing, and when they are done, likely originated with the traditional publishing model, which once was really the only way to publish (thankfully, that’s not the case anymore). Publishers bought books that had been polished as best as possible by the author, and maybe by the author’s agent, if the agent provided this service.
Before I go further, I want to provide the caveat: every publisher works differently. Some, these days, don’t even provide editing. So, this is just for illustrative purposes, to show where the different types of editing fall in the publishing timeline.
Once the book has been purchased, the acquiring editor, or some other editor within the company, does a “developmental edit.” This might also be called, among other things, a substantive edit, conceptual edit, or a content edit, and it involves a macro, or big picture, story-level editing.
Following this, the book is returned to the author to review those edits, make any changes necessary, and then they return it to their editor once again.
At this point, again, publishers may work differently, and it could vary even book to book with the same author. They may go through more rounds of developmental editing…or not. I’m not going to go into all the possible scenarios here, as I’ve already outlined much of it elsewhere.
Following the approval by the editor, they pass the book off to a “copy editor.” Copy editors work on the micro level. They deal with spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, as well as keeping track of things like timeline, character and setting descriptions, etc., making sure all the details are consistent.
As an example of what copy editors do, in one of my books, a character was eating at a restaurant and ordered duck as her entree. But two pages later, she was enjoying her “salmon dish.” I’d completely missed that, and was too close to the manuscript to notice it. In another instance, the copy editor noticed that my character received a “bouquet of floors.” I’m forever grateful to their eagle eyes for catching those potentially embarrassing errors!
Upon completion of that micro-level copy edit, the author is given the manuscript back again, where they work through these edits once more. They will accept or reject (or “stet,” as rejection is sometimes called) each of the suggested changes.
Once the copy edits have been reviewed and worked over by the author, they are, once again, returned to the publishing company. From there, the book will be readied for print or digital, depending on the circumstances. Once all the formatting, tidying up, and beautifying is done, then the author is sent “page proofs” (which may actually be in digital form, if the book is just going straight to digital…but you see where the term “proof” reading comes from?).
This is the proofreading stage. In my experience, it was done by me, the author (at both publishers I worked with). It is the last hoorah in terms of catching errors, right before the book goes to publication. The idea is to catch any typos or other errors that might have been introduced (or not caught) in the previous levels of editing or in the formatting of the book.
The Difference Between Copy Editing and Proofreading
But what if you’re an indie author, hiring an editor? Do you need a copy editor or a proofreader? Or both?
This is where some of the confusion comes in, as copy editing and proofreading are both micro levels of editing. The difference is in when a proofread is performed compared to a copy edit. Proofreading should be done after all other levels of editing have already been done—developmental and copy editing.
Proofreading is not a substitute for copy editing. By the time a proofread is done, there should be very few errors in the manuscript. There should no longer be issues with punctuating dialogue. There should be no issues with missing plot points. Proofreaders will assume that there is character consistency, that timeline issues have already been ironed out, and that someone else noticed that the character went from eating duck to salmon.
When it comes to indie authors, those who might hire me, for example, I will typically only offer proofreading to those who have previously been copy edited. If they haven’t, I’ll offer copy editing instead, to be sure that they have that continuity and attention to detail that proofreading doesn’t cover.
If you’re an indie author (or even a traditional author who needs to provide their own editing), be sure that you’re asking for the right services at the right time. You’re not doing yourself any favors to ask for a proofread when you haven’t received a developmental and a copy edit previously!
Also remember that every editor works differently, and they may use different terminology, so be sure to double check if you’re confused about what you really need. We’re happy to answer any questions you have!
Work with me!
Whether preparing to self-publish or to start the submission process, I’m here to help! You can Request a Quote today. If I think we might be a good fit, I’ll provide a 3- to 5-page sample edit of your manuscript to show you what I can do for you!