Post by Betsy Howard

Most people use "copyediting" and "proofreading" interchangeably. They're not the same thing, and confusing them can mean hiring the wrong person at the wrong stage. Copyediting = grammar, consistency, clarity, flow, style, punctuation, word choice. It happens in the middle of the editorial process. This is the main line-level edit, meant to tighten your prose, catch errors, and overall improve readability. Proofreading = the final pass. Catching typos and formatting errors before it goes to print or publication. This often happens after the manuscript has been formatted for publication. Sometimes it’s just a final set of eyes following a last round of revisions. It’s a light pass only looking for a small selection of errors. Think of it this way: copyediting polishes your prose. Proofreading makes sure nothing slipped through afterward. Not sure which one you need? I just wrote a full breakdown on the blog. Link in comments.