Copy-editing versus proofreading: the question comes up often, and from the outside it's understandable why the two are so often confused. A copy editor takes a deeper look into the text and is more focused on fixing the issue, while the proofreader is focusing on anything glaring that might have slipped through.
I saw it described once like this: when you're copy-editing, you're in the blacksmithy hammering out the blade, sharpening it and honing the story to a fine tip. When you're proofreading, you're examining the hilt for imperfections and checking the blade's edge.
If you didn't know the difference between copy-editing and proofreading, your understanding might be incomplete. In which case, this is the post for you.
Another common thought is: should I hire a copy editor for my book? On the surface, it's common for clients to look at what a copy editor does and believe they can save a few bucks by using a free tool like Grammarly, or by hiring someone cheap on Fiverr. I can't stress this point enough: it's far too common that new authors take this route and don't even realize all the mistakes that have gone untouched.
What an average copy editor looks for
- Grammar and spelling errors.
- Correct punctuation usage.
- Common mistakes like double words, double spacing, and erroneous capitalization.
What a good copy editor looks for
- Verb tense errors, ensuring that if your story is first-person present, your verbs match accordingly.
- Incorrect pronoun usage.
- Numbers, dates, and other easy-to-identify consistency issues.
- Continuity errors related to plot details, character descriptions, world-building elements, and more.
What a bad copy editor might do
- Only highlight the most basic issues.
- Ignore language-based context (Canadian English versus United States English).
- Ignore or misinterpret comma-splice issues.
Now that you have a good grasp on copy-editing, consider checking out our editing types post, where we go over the steps of editing under a simplified framework.