Copy Editing V Proofreading

Gary Smailes | 2 November 2025

Copy Editing vs Proofreading: Scope and Purpose

Two stages. Different goals. Stop mixing them. Your book needs both, but not at the same time and not for the same work.

Copy editing, before layout

Copy editing is the language pass on your manuscript file. No page design yet. The focus is grammar, usage, clarity, tone, and consistency. A good copy editor protects voice while improving sense and flow.

What this looks like

• Tightens bloated sentences without sanding down personality.
• Smooths logic and transitions so ideas land in the right order.
• Standardizes spelling and punctuation choices across chapters.
• Flags wordiness, jargon, and clichés.
• Adjusts rhythm so dialogue and exposition read cleanly.
• Builds and maintains a style sheet so choices stay consistent.

Voice stays yours. The editor removes noise so your best lines shine.

Before

• Due to the fact that the schedule was changed at the last minute, we were literally forced to make alternate arrangements.

After

• The last-minute schedule change forced us to make other arrangements.

Another example, preserving tone

• Original: I don’t got time for corporate nonsense.
• Copy edit: I don’t have time for corporate nonsense.
• Or, if dialect drives character: I don’t got time for corporate nonsense. Note retained by choice, not by accident.

A quick test

• Read one page out loud. Stumble points mark copy-edit targets. If a sentence needs a second breath, trim or split. If a paragraph drifts off topic, refocus or move it.

Proofreading, after layout

Proofreading is the final quality check on page proofs or ebook proofs. The layout exists. Fonts and line breaks are set. The job is surface accuracy and page integrity.

What this looks like

• Catches typos, doubled words, missing words.
• Fixes spacing errors and bad line breaks.
• Spots italics or quote mark mismatches.
• Checks running heads, folios, and table of contents against page numbers.
• Flags widow and orphan lines.
• Verifies scene-break glyphs and chapter starts.
• In ebooks, checks TOC links, hyperlinks, image placement, and reflow.

Proofreaders do not rewrite. They mark errors created in typesetting or left uncorrected during editing.

Before

• The defendent entered a plea. The the judge sighed.

After

• The defendant entered a plea. The judge sighed.

Another on-page catch

• Wrong header on Chapter 14.
• TOC links Chapter 17 to Chapter 16’s page.
• A hyphenated break that turns therap-ist into a snicker. Good proofreaders fix that too.

Who changes what

Copy editors improve sentences for accuracy and flow. They fix grammar, adjust word choice, tighten structure, and question unclear claims. If a date looks wrong or a statistic feels off, they raise a query. They do not overhaul your argument or plot, though they will warn you when something wobbles.

Proofreaders handle the last mile. They fix surface errors and design slips. No rephrasing. No reshaping. If a sentence reads awkwardly but grammatically, it stands. If a comma appears where a period belongs, that gets marked.

Think of the split like this

• Copy editing: language and consistency.
• Proofreading: typos and page integrity.

Why sequence matters

Copy editing happens before layout. Proofreading happens after layout. Reverse the order and you pay twice. Fixing a sentence after layout triggers reflow. Reflow introduces fresh errors. Those new errors need another proof.

A short scenario

• You hand over a Word file. The copy editor fixes grammar, polishes phrasing, and builds a style sheet.
• The designer lays out pages or converts the file for ebook.
• You receive a PDF or device proof. The proofreader hunts for typos and layout faults. You approve corrections. Final files go to print and retail.

Quick self-check to choose the stage

Ask three questions.

• Are you still writing in Word or Google Docs with no page numbers locked in? You need copy editing.
• Are you looking at a PDF with headers, page numbers, and line breaks, or an epub on a device? You need proofreading.
• Did you revise chapters after copy editing? Schedule a mini copy edit before you return to proof.

What success looks like

After copy editing

• Sentences read cleanly.
• Voice feels more itself, not less.
• Terms and formats match from front to back.
• The style sheet reflects decisions on spelling, numerals, capitalization, and hyphenation.

After proofreading

• Zero critical typos.
• Consistent punctuation and italics.
• Correct headers and page numbers.
• No widows, orphans, or broken scene breaks.
• Ebook links and reflow behave on multiple devices.

One page, two passes, side by side

A sample line with both stages at work.

Raw draft

• At 7 am in the morning the team were literally ready to proceed, but the map on page 132 doesn’t match, see Appendix B.

Copy edit

• At 7 a.m., the team was ready to proceed, but the map on page 132 does not match Appendix B. Query: page number likely to change after layout. Replace with cross-reference label.

Proofread

• Fix if the page number changed. Confirm the cross-reference label displays and links. Correct any spacing around a.m. Fix any line break that strands a single word at the top of a page.

That is the split. Copy editing makes the language right. Proofreading makes the pages right. Use both, in order, and your book reads like you meant every word.

What Each Service Fixes

You want clean pages and confident prose. Two services get you there, and each one hunts different problems. Here is what gets fixed, with quick examples so you see the difference on the page.

Copy editing targets the language

Grammar and punctuation

• Before: Each person have their reasons.
• After: Each person has a reason.
• Before: The committee were divided, the chair resigned.
• After: The committee was divided. The chair resigned.

Spelling and regional choices

• One book uses color and organize. Another uses colour and organise. A copy edit sets one system and keeps it through the full manuscript.

Hyphenation and capitalization

• decision making or decision-making. Coauthor or co-author. Chapter 3 or chapter three. A style choice sticks from front to back once a copy edit locks it.

Parallel structure

• Before: She likes reading, to jog, and cooking.
• After: She likes reading, jogging, and cooking.

Word choice and idiom

• pore over, not pour over.
• home in on, not hone in on, unless character voice calls for the slip.

Rhythm and flow

• Before: Due to the fact the meeting was canceled, we had to reschedule.
• After: The meeting was canceled, so we rescheduled.

Copy editing hunts consistency and continuity

Names and details

• Alison on page 4, Alyson on page 76. One spelling wins.
• Brown eyes in chapter one, green eyes in chapter nine. A query lands.

Timeline and places

• Sunrise at 5:30 a.m. in December in Boston raises a flag.
• Train departs before arrival gets logged. Sequence corrected.

Point of view

• First person slip inside a third person chapter gets flagged. Voice corrections follow.

Terminology, numerals, abbreviations

• Email or e-mail. Wi-Fi or wifi. Decide once.
• Ten or 10. U.S. or US. A style sheet records the ruling.

Recurring details

• The dog weighs 20 pounds early on, then leaps to 40 without a time jump. Marked for review.

Copy editing manages style, citations, and cross-references

Style guide alignment

• Chicago, APA, MLA, or a house style. Copy editing applies rules for capitalization, numbers, lists, quoted material, and more.

Citations and notes

• Author-date or notes-bibliography, both get formatted. Short notes match long notes. Punctuation inside quotes aligns with the chosen guide. Cross-references use forms like See chapter 12, not see Chapter Twelve, unless house style requests otherwise.

The style sheet

• A practical document, not fluff. Entries include spelling decisions, hyphenation patterns, treatment of numbers, common terms, character names, place names, and oddities. Designers and proofreaders rely on this, so completeness saves money later.

Copy editing raises light fact-check flags

Dates, distances, procedures, quotations

• 1863 for an event in a Civil War chapter but the source shows 1862. Marked for the author.
• Los Angeles to San Francisco in two hours during rush hour. Flagged.
• CPR steps listed out of order. Marked for confirmation.
• An Einstein quote with no source. Query posted.

Copy editors do not run a full fact-check. The role is to catch suspicious items and ask questions.

Quick self-check

• Search for pour over. Replace with pore over where needed.
• Read one chapter. Circle every number. Decide words or numerals, then apply across the book.

Proofreading targets surface errors after layout

Typos and spacing

• Before: The defendent spoke. The the clerk replied.
• After: The defendant spoke. The clerk replied.
• Double spaces, thin spaces, or random tabs. Fixed.

Bad line and word breaks

• Coop­er­ation broken as coop- eration. Fixed.
• A single short word stranded at the top of a page. Pulled down if design allows.

Quotes and italics

• Straight quotes mixed with curly quotes. Straightened out.
• Missing closing italics after a book title. Restored.

Punctuation glitches from typesetting

• A hyphen where an en dash belongs, for number ranges. Corrected across the spread once the style sheet confirms the choice.

Widows and orphans

• One lonely line at the top or bottom of a page. Adjusted where possible without harming layout.

Proofreading checks page-proof integrity

Running heads and folios

• Author name and book title in headers match the plan. Page numbers fall in sequence.

Table of contents and pagination

• TOC entries match chapter titles and final page numbers. No off-by-one errors after last-minute edits.

Figures, tables, captions

• Figure 3.2 labeled as Figure 3-2 in the text. Aligned one way and fixed everywhere.
• A caption says Photo by J. Lee, but credit line shows Jay Lee. Corrected.

Headers and footers

• Wrong section title across six pages. Marked for a global fix.

Hyphenation ladders

• Three or more lines ending in hyphens stacked in one paragraph. Adjusted to avoid the ladder.

Scene-break glyphs

• Asterisms or fleurons placed with proper spacing before and after. No missing breaks between scenes.

Proofreading for digital proofs

TOC links and hyperlinks

• Every entry in the ebook table of contents opens the correct location. External links load and use secure formats where required.

Image placement and sizing

• Images match intended pages or anchors. No crops, no overlaps, no missing captions.

Special character encoding

• Naïve shows as naïve, not naïve. Ellipses and dashes display as designed. Nonbreaking spaces sit where needed.

Reflow and scene breaks

• Font bumps and screen sizes do not swallow a scene break. A horizontal rule or glyph survives device changes.

Quick digital check

• Open the epub on two devices plus a desktop reader. Skim chapters with lists, tables, and images. Tap every link. Note any jump that misfires.

A final test to guide your request

Read one raw chapter and one laid-out page.

• Stumbles in phrasing, grammar, or logic belong to copy editing.
• Typos, wrong breaks, headers, or page numbers belong to proofreading.

Match the fix to the stage. Language first. Pages last. Clean book. Happy readers.

Where They Fit in the Book Editing Process

Order saves time and money. Copy editing and proofreading live in different parts of the workflow. Put each one in the right slot and the whole project breathes easier.

The editing pipeline

• Developmental editing. Big-picture work on structure, argument, plot, and audience. Scenes move. Chapters merge. Characters deepen. In nonfiction, logic and order firm up.
• Line editing. Sentence-level style and voice. Pacing. Repetition. Transitions. Clarity without flattening personality.
• Copy editing. Grammar, usage, punctuation, and consistency. A style sheet begins and your choices lock in.
• Typesetting and layout. Words turn into pages. Fonts, margins, headings, figures, and tables enter the mix. Paragraphs reflow.
• Proofreading. A quality check on the designed pages or on an ebook proof. Typos, spacing, wonky breaks, and page-level details.
• Final files for print and ebook. Corrections integrated. A final spot-check, then upload.

Think of it as scaffolding. Take it down in order, never early.

Why sequence matters

Proofreading before layout wastes effort. A proofreader fixes widows, orphans, and bad breaks. None of those exist in a raw Word file. Give a PDF instead, or an epub for digital checks.

Copy editing after heavy layout changes repeats work. Picture this. You hire a designer, send your manuscript, then decide to rewrite three chapters during layout. New text enters the file. Old edits vanish. Now the copy editor reads again, the designer reflows again, and your budget groans. Lock the text before layout.

A quick scenario from my desk

• An author sent page proofs while still revising Chapter 7. The proofreader fixed typos and breaks. A week later, the author dropped a new section into Chapter 7. Page numbers shifted, the table of contents went off, and scene breaks slipped. We had to proof again. Two passes, one preventable.

A practical roadmap for self-publishing

• Finish storyline or argument revisions first. Beta readers, critique partners, or a coach help here.
• Book a line edit if sentences feel knotted or voice feels uneven. Skip this only if prose reads clean and consistent.
• Book a copy edit. Agree on a style guide. Approve the style sheet.
• Move to formatting and design. Build print PDF and epub files.
• Proofread the print PDF. Also order a print proof, then mark anything the PDF view hides.
• Run a separate ebook proof. Tap every link. Check scene breaks on a phone and a tablet.
• After corrections, spot-check pages where reflow likely introduced new errors.

Mini-exercise

• Look at your manuscript today. Does it sit in Word or Google Docs with no layout? You need copy editing. Do you have a PDF with page numbers and headers? You need proofreading.

Use separate eyes for proofreading

Familiarity breeds blindness. The copy editor knows your text too well by this point. A new proofreader sees slips the editor now skims over. Fresh eyes rescue small errors that sneak under the radar. Hire a different pro for proofs.

What to do after copy editing if you revise again

Big changes after copy editing create risk. New paragraphs introduce new errors. Old choices lose consistency. Before heading back to layout, schedule a mini copy edit. Short pass. Tight scope. Focus on new or heavily changed sections. Then hand files to design.

How to judge “big”

• New chapter or section.
• More than a few sentences changed on a page.
• New figures or tables.
• Shifts in tense, point of view, or terminology.

If changes stay light, move forward. If you feel the itch to tweak every page, pause and book that mini pass.

Timelines that keep you sane

• Novel, 80k words
  • Copy edit, two to four weeks.
  • Author review, one to two weeks.
  • Layout, one week.
  • Proofreading, one week.
  • Author review of proofs, three to five days.
  • Final fixes and output, three to five days.
• Nonfiction with notes and figures
  • Add time for reference formatting, figure placement, and cross-checks.

Build a buffer after each stage. Rushing leads to mistakes. Mistakes lead to reruns.

Red flags that signal the wrong stage

• You want a proofreader to improve sentences. Wrong stage. Book a line edit or a copy edit.
• You want a copy editor to fix page numbers. Wrong stage. Move to layout first.
• You want to change character names after layout. Risky move. Expect pagination shifts and a second proof.

Hand-off discipline

Share the copy editor’s style sheet with your designer and proofreader. One source of truth keeps punctuation, numbers, and hyphenation aligned. Confirm fonts and special characters before proofs start. After corrections, recheck any page with a major shift. Errors like to travel.

One last gut check

• If the text will still change, do not start layout.
• If the pages already exist, do not call a copy editor. Call a proofreader.

Right work at the right time. Smooth process. Strong book.

Tools, Style Guides, and Deliverables

Tools matter for speed and clarity. Good tools save deadlines. Better tools save your voice.

Copy editing tools and what you receive

• Word with Track Changes. Every tweak shows in color, with your editor’s name on each change. You approve or reject, and nothing slips by unnoticed.
• Google Docs in Suggesting mode. Similar control, easy for teams, plus chatty comment threads for quick decisions.
• Editorial queries in comments. Short, targeted questions. “Did you mean 1865 here, given the earlier date?” or “Consistent with Chapter 3 to keep ‘email’ closed?”
• Macros and checkers such as PerfectIt and consistency plug-ins. These flag doubled words, inconsistent hyphenation, and style slips. Think of them as tire pressure sensors. You still drive.

Deliverables

• One edited file with tracked changes and comments.
• A clean, accepted version if requested.
• A style sheet. This is the gold. Every decision recorded so the whole team sings from the same page.

What a style sheet usually includes

• Spelling choice: US vs UK, plus decisions like catalogue vs catalog, adviser vs advisor.
• Hyphenation: decision lists such as email, copy edit, copy editor, line edit, proofreader. Open, hyphenated, or closed, logged once, followed everywhere.
• Numbers: words vs numerals, treatment of ranges, date and time formats.
• Punctuation: serial comma, spaced or closed em spaces replaced with alternatives, quote style, ellipses handling.
• Capitalization: headings, job titles, departments, terms in the book’s universe.
• Abbreviations and acronyms: first mention spelled out, later mentions shortened, periods or no periods.
• Special terms and recurring names: characters, places, product names, preferred forms.
• Notes on voice: tone choices such as formal contractions allowed, direct address, profanity rules if any.

Mini-exercise

• Draft a one-page style sheet for your current project. Note five decisions right now. Email vs e-mail. OK vs okay. Chapter titles in Title Case vs Sentence case. Numbers one through nine spelled, 10 and above in numerals. Decide, then stick.

Style governance without drama

Agree on a primary guide before editing starts. Common picks

• The Chicago Manual of Style for most books.
• APA or MLA for academic work.
• A house style where needed.

Confirm dictionaries too. Merriam-Webster for US. Oxford for UK. Record exceptions on the style sheet, not in your inbox. Fewer arguments, fewer reversals.

Proofreading tools and outputs

Proofreading lives on designed pages or on an ebook proof. Tools shift to page-aware systems.

• Annotated PDFs in Adobe Acrobat, PDF-XChange, or similar. Comments, highlight calls, insertions, deletions, and stamps for standard marks.
• Traditional proofreader’s marks for print. Stet, transpose, close up, delete, insert space. Clear markup in the margin, keyed to text with carets and lines.
• Ebook checks on a device and in an emulator. Page proofs lie. Devices show the truth. Links, images, small screens, large screens, dark mode, and reflow quirks.

Deliverables

• A marked PDF or printout with clear corrections.
• An errata list for the designer. One line per issue: page, location, problem, fix. Short and plain. “p. 142, para 3, ‘Pubic Policy’ to ‘Public Policy’.” Sort by page order. Group related issues to reduce reflow.

Pro tip

• For ebooks, page numbers shift. Use stable anchors: chapter, section, paragraph number, or a short quote snippet. “Ch 12, para 4, link for ‘resources’ not active.”

Handoff that keeps everyone aligned

Share the copy editor’s style sheet with the designer and proofreader. One document, many saves. Ask the designer to load preferred hyphenation and justification settings to match style decisions. Ask the proofreader to keep the style sheet open while marking pages. No guesswork, no drift.

Add a short communication map

• Who approves queries after copy editing.
• How the designer wants errata delivered, PDF comments or spreadsheet.
• When the proofreader flags a design issue versus a text issue.
• How final acceptance works. One person presses the green button.

Production checks before proofing

Check files before sending pages to a proofreader. This preflight avoids expensive déjà vu.

• Confirm fonts are embedded and licensed.
• Check glyph coverage for accents, math, and special characters. Test words with accents, en dashes, em alternatives, ellipses, and symbols used in body and notes.
• Inspect image resolution and color space. No lo-res surprises on print proofs.
• Verify styles for headings, lists, captions, and notes. Manual formatting spawns chaos later.

After corrections, reflow changes the map. So spot-check risky zones

• Pages with heavy edits.
• Chapters that start on recto with running heads.
• Tables that pushed to the next page.
• Paragraphs near images or pull quotes.
• Any place where a widow fix in one paragraph created a new orphan two lines down.

Small systems that save large headaches

• File names. Use dates and version numbers. 2025-07-09_Title_MS_v06.docx beats FinalFinal_REALLY_Final.docx every day.
• Comment etiquette. One issue per comment. Start with the action word. “Change,” “Query,” “Confirm,” “Move.”
• Color norms. For PDF markup, stick to one color for inserts and one for deletions. Signal priority with tags in brackets: [A] for must-fix errors, [B] for design nits, [C] for house style wishes.

Quick self-check before handoff

• Run spellcheck. Switch to the right language first.
• Normalize quotes and apostrophes to curly. Replace stray straight marks.
• Strip double spaces and odd tabs. Use styles, not manual spacing.
• Update the style sheet to reflect any last-minute changes.

Do this work and every stage downstream runs smoother. Editors edit. Designers design. Proofreaders hunt gremlins, not ghosts.

Choosing the Right Service (Scenarios, Budget, and Expectations)

You want the cleanest book for the money. Here is how to choose without fuss.

The quick rule

• Not designed yet, still in a Word or Google Doc. You need copy editing.
• Looking at a PDF, an InDesign proof, or an ebook file. You need proofreading.

If you are in doubt, ask this: will layout change after this stage. If yes, copy edit first. If no, proofread.

Common scenarios and what to book

• First novel, strong story, rough sentences. Start with line editing, then copy editing. Proofread after design.
• Nonfiction with citations and a bibliography. Copy editing with style and citation work. Proofread the pages.
• Memoir with a warm voice and a few tense shifts. Line edit to tune voice, then copy edit. Proofread.
• Business book, lots of headings, sidebars, and callouts. Copy edit to lock structure and labeling. Proofread on pages to catch layout snags.
• Academic chapter already formatted in a template. Copy edit plus reference checks as defined in scope. Proofread a PDF from the press.
• You revised three chapters after copy editing. Get a mini copy edit on those chapters. Then return to layout and run a fresh proof.

Line edit or copy edit

Clunky phrasing, uneven tone, or dialogue that stiffens on page. Those are line-edit problems. Fix them before copy editing. If you skip that step, you pay twice. The copy editor will query phrasing, you will revise, and consistency work will unravel.

A quick test

• Read one page aloud. Do you stumble over every third sentence. Book a line edit.
• Do the sentences flow but punctuation choices shift. Book a copy edit.

Budget and timing

Copy editing is slower and costs more than proofreading. Expect days to weeks, not hours. Build space for one revision round after each stage.

A simple plan

• Copy edit. Review changes and answer queries. Return the file.
• Layout. Designer builds pages.
• Proofread. Review errata and approve fixes.
• Final check. Quick pass on pages with heavy changes.

Small projects move faster. Dense books, references, and heavy back matter add time. Ask for a schedule with milestones rather than a single due date.

Ways to save without cutting quality

• Combine line and copy editing only if the manuscript is close and the editor agrees.
• Limit fact checks to flags. Hire a researcher if you need verification at scale.
• Keep your revision round focused. Avoid adding new chapters midstream.

How to vet an editor

Ask for a short sample edit, one to two pages. You will see their judgment, not only their grammar.

Questions to send

• What style guides do you use for this genre.
• Which dictionary do you follow, US or UK.
• How do you handle voice. Give an example from your sample edit.
• How many passes are included.
• What file formats do you work in.
• What is your typical timeline for a manuscript of this length.
• Do you have two references I can contact.

Read their queries. Are they concise. Do they offer a fix and ask the right question. Do they protect your voice while improving clarity.

Lock the scope in writing

A clear contract keeps everyone calm.

Define

• Level of service. Line, copy, or proofread.
• Number of passes.
• File formats delivered and received.
• Style guide and dictionary.
• Citations and references. What is included.
• What is out of scope. Fact-checking, permissions, indexing, layout.
• Query method. Comments in file, spreadsheet, or both.
• Turnaround. Start date, delivery date, and response window for queries.
• Fees, payment schedule, and kill fee.

Include the style sheet as a deliverable for copy editing. Include an errata list as a deliverable for proofreading.

Author preflight

Clean files save time and money. Do this before you hand off.

• Run spellcheck. Set the language correctly.
• Pick US or UK spelling. Apply across the whole file.
• Standardize quotes and apostrophes. Use curly, not straight.
• Remove double spaces, extra returns, and stray tabs.
• Use styles for headings and lists. No manual bolding for structure.
• Start a style sheet. Log choices such as OK vs okay, email vs e-mail, numbers one through nine spelled out or not.
• Cull repeats. Cut the paragraph you pasted six times to think through a point.

A 15‑minute sweep can remove dozens of small errors. Your editor spends time on higher value work. You get a sharper book.

Quality targets you can trust

Set targets before you begin. Then hold the work to them.

• Copy editing target. Consistent style, clear sentences, accurate usage, and recorded decisions on a style sheet. All queries answered.
• Proofreading target. Zero critical typos in final proofs. No broken links, no bad page breaks, no missing words. House style followed on the page.

Plan a final spot check after corrections. Reflow creates new problems. Look at pages with tables, images, and heavy fixes. Scan running heads, folios, and the table of contents.

A quick chooser you can print

• You are in Word. Copy edit.
• You are in PDF. Proofread.
• Sentences limp. Line edit first.
• Heavy revision after copy edit. Mini copy edit, then proof.
• Tight budget. Do preflight, define scope, and keep changes contained.

Pick the right service at the right time. Your voice stays intact. Your readers notice the story, not the mistakes.

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