Proofreading Vs Copy Editing: Do You Need Both?

Gary Smailes | 5 November 2025

How Copy Editing and Proofreading Differ

Writers often treat these as twins. They are not. They arrive at different points, use different tools, and solve different problems. Get the order right and your book reads clean. Get it wrong and you pay twice.

Copy editing comes first

Copy editing works on your Word file before design. Think language and logic. The editor improves grammar, usage, clarity, flow, and consistency. House style gets enforced, often Chicago Manual of Style, paired with a specific dictionary, often Merriam-Webster.

What you receive

• A .docx with tracked changes and margin queries.
• A style sheet that records decisions and patterns.

What lives on the style sheet

• Spelling choices. Email or e-mail. Judgment or judgement.
• Hyphenation. Setups, set-up, or set up, chosen once and held everywhere.
• Capitalization rules for headings, departments, historical periods, and terms.
• Numbers. Words for one through nine or one through ten. Dates, times, and ranges.
• Punctuation preferences. Serial comma use, spaced ellipses, en dashes in number spans, treatment of em dashes.
• Special items. Character names, place names, foreign words, recurring references.

What changes look like

• Grammar and usage. Subject-verb agreement, pronoun clarity, tense consistency.
• Word choice and concision. Swapping vague verbs for precise ones. Cutting filler.
• Continuity. Tuesday does not become Thursday three pages later. Jon does not morph into John.
• Light fact checks per brief. A quote’s source, a public figure’s title, a unit conversion.

What copy editing avoids

• No redesign. No page layout calls.
• No heavy rewrite. If a paragraph needs surgery, you get a query and a suggestion, not a fresh chapter.

A quick example

Original: “There was only three tickets left, which were quickly sold to the crowd.”

Edited: “Only three tickets remained, and the crowd bought them within minutes.”

Clearer. Correct. Tone preserved.

Proofreading lands last

Proofreading happens after typesetting. You or your designer export page proofs as a PDF or print galleys. Now the job shifts to catching surface errors and layout glitches. Words rarely change here. Pages get corrected.

What you receive

• An annotated PDF with comments and markup stamps, or a marked hard copy using proof marks.
• An errata list, page by page, item by item.

What a proofreader checks

• Typos, missing words, doubled words.
• Punctuation slips. Stray periods, quote direction, mismatched parentheses.
• Spacing. Double spaces, thin or nonbreaking spaces where needed.
• Line and page breaks. Widows, orphans, awkward hyphenation, rivers, stacks.
• Page furniture. Running heads, footers, folios, chapter openers, TOC alignment.
• Numbering. Figures, tables, notes, and cross-references match the text.
• Special characters. Curly quotes, en and em dashes, math symbols render correctly.
• For ebooks, link targets and navigation on real devices.

What proofreading avoids

• No rewrites. No big cuts or additions.
• No changes that trigger reflow across pages unless a true error forces it, and even then with restraint.

A quick example

• Fix “the the” on p. 86.
• Close up space before a comma on p. 112.
• Keep a heading with at least two lines of the next paragraph on p. 129.
• Replace a straight quote with a smart one in a pull quote on p. 203.

Line editing is different again

Line editing sits before copy editing. It focuses on voice, rhythm, and style. The editor reshapes sentences for tone and movement. Think of it as tuning the instrument before you check the notes. Once the voice sings, copy editing cleans the mechanics, then design locks the pages, then proofreading polishes.

A quick comparison

• Line edit. Music of the sentence.
• Copy edit. Rules, clarity, consistency.
• Proofread. Typos and layout on fixed pages.

A simple stage check

Open your latest file and answer three questions.

• Do you see page numbers, running heads, and fixed line breaks. You need a proofread.
• Do you see a Word file with live text and no design. You need a copy edit.
• Are you still moving paragraphs or rewriting scenes. You are not ready for proofs.

Mini exercise

• Pull a paragraph and read it aloud. If you want to tweak word order or trim repetition, schedule copy editing.
• Open the PDF at 100 percent and flip three pages. If a heading lands as the last line on a page or a scene break glyph sits alone at the top, schedule proofreading.

Final tip

Book the service that matches your stage. Manuscript needs copy editing. Laid-out pages need proofreading. When you honor that sequence, every pass does its job, your budget behaves, and readers stay inside the story where they belong.

What Each Service Catches and What They Don’t

Two editorial passes, two scopes. Know the difference and you save time, money, and nerves.

What a copy edit addresses

Copy editing works on language before layout. The aim is clean prose, steady logic, and consistent choices.

• Grammar and punctuation. Agreement, tense, commas, quotation marks, apostrophes.
• Word choice and concision. Strong verbs. Fewer filler words. No bloat.
• Consistency. Hyphenation, capitalization, numerals, abbreviations, spelling preferences.
• Continuity. Character names, timelines, scene logistics, weekday and date alignment.
• Citations and references. Format, order, punctuation, and missing entries.
• Cross-references and lists. “See chapter 8” lines match the right heading. Bullets and numbering follow one system.
• Light fact checks per brief. Titles, dates, unit conversions, and widely known data.

Mini examples

• Grammar. “There was three reasons” becomes “There were three reasons.”
• Concision. “Due to the fact” becomes “Because.”
• Consistency. Pick “email,” not “e-mail,” then hold that choice across the manuscript.
• Continuity. A sunrise scene does not run at 11 p.m. on the same day. A character with blue eyes on page 2 does not switch to green on page 150.
• Citation clean-up. Convert “Smith, 2019 p.34” to the chosen style, then fix spacing and punctuation in the reference list.

What a copy edit avoids

• No chapter redesign or new structure. That work belongs to a developmental edit.
• No layout calls. No widows or orphans, no page furniture checks. Pages do not exist yet.
• No heavy rewrites. Suggestions land at the line level, with clear queries when a sentence needs attention.

What a proofread addresses

Proofreading works on page proofs after layout. The aim is a clean, stable page, in print and digital.

• Typographical errors. Misspellings, transposed letters, missing words, doubled words.
• Punctuation slips. Stray periods, straight quotes where curly quotes belong, mismatched parentheses.
• Spacing. Doubles after a period, thin or nonbreaking spaces where required.
• Line and page breaks. Widows and orphans, awkward hyphenation at line ends, rivers and stacks in justified text.
• Page furniture. Running heads, folios, footers, chapter openers, and scene break glyphs.
• Navigation and numbering. TOC accuracy, figure and table numbers, caption alignment, note numbering.
• Special characters. En and em dashes render correctly, math symbols and diacritics display as intended.
• Ebooks. Live links, internal navigation, and reflow behavior on actual devices.

Mini examples

• Fix “the the” on p. 86.
• Replace a straight apostrophe with a smart one in “rock ’n’ roll” on p. 41.
• Close up space before a comma on p. 112.
• Keep a subhead with at least two lines of the following paragraph on p. 129.
• Update TOC page numbers after a layout shift.
• On Kindle, link from “Chapter 12” in the TOC goes to the correct start anchor.

What a proofread avoids

• No sentence rewrites. No style overhaul.
• No changes that ripple across many pages, unless a genuine error forces a small fix.
• No new paragraphs or big cuts. Large edits belong earlier.

Where the line sits between them

• Copy edit fixes language before design. Proofread fixes presentation after design.
• Copy edit clarifies meaning. Proofread protects reading ease on the page.
• Copy edit sets rules. Proofread enforces those rules on fixed pages.

Build and share a style sheet

Start the style sheet during copy editing, then pass that document to layout and proofreading. One shared map keeps choices steady across every stage.

What to include

• Spelling. Email or e-mail. Judgment or judgement. Program or programme.
• Hyphenation. Decision for set up, set-up, and setup, with examples.
• Capitalization. Headings, historical periods, titles before names, brand names.
• Numbers. Words for one through nine, numerals from 10 onward, or a different break point. Date and time formats. Ranges with en dashes.
• Punctuation. Serial comma use, ellipses style, en and em dash spacing.
• Language specifics. Character names with accents, place names, foreign words, slang, series terms.
• Citations. Chosen style and odd cases, such as legal cites or scripture references.
• Formatting quirks. Small caps for acronyms, italic policy for ships or TV shows, scene break glyph style.

How to use the sheet

• Editors record decisions while working, with page or chapter examples.
• Designers follow those rules during layout.
• Proofreaders check pages against the sheet and flag drift.

One more check

Before you book work, ask a simple question. Are you still adjusting sentences. You need copy editing. Do you have a PDF with page numbers and running heads. You need proofreading. Respect that boundary and every hour moves the book forward.

Do You Need Both? A Practical Decision Framework

You want a clean book in readers’ hands. The shortest path uses the right edit at the right time. Use two questions.

• Are words still changing.
• Do you have laid-out pages with page numbers and running heads.

If words are moving, you need copy editing. If pages are set, you need proofreading. If you plan to publish widely, you need both.

Publishing print and ebook

For a professional print edition and an ebook, schedule both passes. Copy editing sorts language, usage, and consistency. Proofreading protects the page. Each stage catches different problems. Skipping either leaves gaps readers will see.

What happens when you skip copy editing

Money drains after layout when text still wobbles. Layout locks line breaks and page numbers. Change a sentence later, and spreads shift. Then the table of contents drifts. Cross-references drift. Your designer fixes a cascade.

Common misses without a copy edit:

• Inconsistent style. Email on page 4, e-mail on page 220. Mr on one page, Mr. on the next.
• Grammar slips. Comma splices. Subject-verb mismatches. Dialogue punctuation off.
• Continuity errors. Tuesday turns into Wednesday with no gap. Serena becomes Serina halfway through.
• Sloppy cross-references. “See chapter 8” points to chapter 7 after a late add.
• Citation noise. Mixed formats, missing page ranges, mismatched reference entries.

A quick story. A thriller author shifted police ranks mid-book. Sarge became Sergeant, then Sgt. A proofreader flagged a few, then stopped. Fixing all those terms would reflow dozens of pages. The author paid for a second layout round. A copy edit would have set one form and held it.

What happens when you skip proofreading

You release a book with a shiny interior, then readers meet “pubic policy” on page one. Retailers sometimes flag quality issues for Kindle. Reviewers quote typos. Sampling features show the worst of it. Trust drops fast.

Common misses without a proof:

• Doubled words, missing words, and letter transpositions.
• Straight quotes mixed with smart quotes. Odd apostrophes in year spans like ’90s.
• Rivers and stacks in justified text. Lone words stranded at the top of a page.
• Awkward hyphenation at line ends. A name split in half.
• Wrong running heads. A chapter title from two chapters back.
• A table caption on the wrong page. A figure number out of sequence.
• TOC entries that lead nowhere in the ebook. Links that fail on a phone.

A small mistake in a header repeats for many pages. One wrong style in a scene break glyph looks sloppy every time it appears. Copy editing will not catch these because pages did not exist yet.

Edge cases worth weighing

Short-form work with simple structure sometimes survives a tighter path. A novella with no figures or notes might combine a meticulous copy edit with a light proof. You still want a proofread after layout, even if brief. Line breaks shift. A stray typo always lurks.

Serials, newsletters, or blog-to-book projects often push hard on time. Do not blend stages to speed up. Trim word count instead. Protect the proof pass.

Poetry and picture-heavy books do not fit this shortcut at all. Line breaks and captions depend on layout. Treat proofing as essential.

Nonfiction raises the stakes

Nonfiction often carries tables, notes, cross-references, and an index. Both passes matter.

• Cross-references break after layout. “See figure 3.2” turns wrong when figures move.
• Notes renumber. Endnotes and footnotes need checks for sequence and placement.
• Tables wrap in odd places. Column heads detach. Units need consistency.
• Headers, folios, and running book title styles must match house rules.
• Indexing relies on final pagination. Plan index work after proof corrections, with a short check after fixes land.

Skip either pass and you risk wrong numbers, broken links, and reader confusion. That leads to support e-mails, returns, and a book no one recommends.

A quick flow you can trust

Use this simple path when you feel stuck.

• Are you changing wording, logic, or order. Book a copy edit.
• Are you happy with sentences and ready to lock pages. Book a proofread.
• Publishing print and ebook. Book both. Copy edit first, proofread on PDF later.
• Short and simple project. Copy edit, then a light proofread, still on pages.
• Nonfiction with exhibits or notes. Both, with time for a verification pass after proof fixes.

A small exercise

Open your current file. Scan five pages at random.

• Do you see tracked changes on wording or queries on meaning. You are still in copy-edit territory.
• Do you see page numbers, headers, and spreads. Time for proofreading.
• Do links or cross-references exist. Add a note to recheck them at proof stage.
• Do you have a style sheet. If not, start one today. Pass it to layout and to your proofreader.

The rule of thumb

If wording is still changing, you need copy editing. If design and pagination are final, you need proofreading. If you plan to publish widely, you need both. That mix gives readers a smooth read. It also saves you from late-stage chaos.

Recommended Workflow and Handoffs

A smooth publication is boring in the best way. No drama, no last‑minute scrambles, no mystery versions lurking in your downloads folder. You get there by following the sequence and keeping handoffs clean.

The order of operations

• Developmental edit → shape the argument or story. Fix structure first.
• Line edit → tune voice and rhythm. Optional, but helpful before nuts and bolts.
• Copy edit → fix grammar, usage, clarity, consistency. Build the style sheet.
• Typesetting or layout → place the final text in InDesign, Vellum, or similar.
• Proofreading on page proofs → mark typos and layout issues on the PDF.
• Verification pass → confirm every correction made it in. No new edits.
• Upload or print → create files for retailers and the printer.

Each stage locks more of the book. Try to keep word changes before layout. Leave spacing and page furniture to proofs.

What each handoff includes

Copy editor to author

• Tracked .docx with all changes visible.
• A style sheet. Spelling choices, hyphenation, numbers, heading cases, preferred terms, notes on character names, place names, timelines, and citations.
• A query log. Questions that need answers, plus brief notes on decisions made.

Your job: answer queries, accept or stet changes, and keep the style sheet current. Do not add new scenes or tables at this point unless you accept cost and delay.

Author to typesetter

• The clean .docx or .idml with final text.
• The style sheet in PDF or .docx.
• Any special instructions. Scene break glyphs, small caps, list styles, note placement.

Typesetter to proofreader

• First pass PDF of the whole book, with visible page numbers and running heads.
• The style sheet. The proofreader needs those decisions.
• A list of known layout quirks. Widows allowed in front matter, fixed line breaks in poetry, forced breaks before tables.

Proofreader to designer

• Marked PDF using standard comments and callouts.
• An errata list. One line per correction, with page, location, and instruction. This becomes the checklist for fixes.

Designer to verifier

• Corrected PDF labeled as a new release candidate.
• The errata list, returned with ticks beside each fix.

Verifier to author

• A short report. Which items were fixed, which could not be changed without reflow, and any new problems introduced by fixes.
• The final, approved PDF for print and the final files for digital.

Keep each handoff simple and documented. The style sheet sits at the center. Treat it like a living document from copy edit through upload.

Version control that saves your sanity

Name files in a way future you will understand on three hours of sleep.

• Title_CE_v3.docx for the third copy edit round.
• Title_Interior_1stProofs.pdf for the first laid‑out PDF.
• Title_Proofs_RC1.pdf for the first release candidate after fixes.
• Title_EPUB_v1.0.epub and Title_KPF_v1.0.kpf for digital files.

Use a short change log. Date, file name, who touched it, and what changed. A simple text file is enough.

Lock or archive old versions. Never edit a PDF outside of comments. Never return to an earlier .docx after layout starts. That path reintroduces old errors.

Nominate one file wrangler. All assets flow through that person. If you are the author, you probably wear this hat. If you have a project manager, even better.

Proofs and the digital twist

Fix the print PDF first. When proof corrections are baked in, generate your EPUB or KPF from those final pages or from the same source that drove layout.

Then test on multiple devices.

• Phone, small tablet, and a Kindle model.
• Check the linked table of contents.
• Tap every link. Internal and external.
• Confirm note behavior. Footnotes should pop up or jump and return cleanly.
• Scan special characters. Accents, symbols, and curly quotes must survive.
• Look at scene breaks. Decorative glyphs often drop in reflowed formats.
• Check images. Size, alignment, and alt text if you use it.
• Review chapter breaks. No orphaned headings.
• Turn hyphenation on and off to see if words split oddly.

Use retailer preview tools too. Kindle Previewer for KPF. Apple Books on a Mac for EPUB. Fix problems in the source, not by hacking the export.

Boundaries that prevent scope creep

At proof stage, you are not rewriting. New sentences change line breaks. New line breaks move pages. Page moves break tables, figures, notes, and the index. One tweak starts a chain.

Here is a simple triage.

• A-error. Wrong word, missing word, wrong number, broken link, layout glitch. Fix it.
• B-preference. Style choice you now dislike. Leave it. Note for next edition.
• C-new idea. Save for a future revision. Do not add content at proofs.

Use stet wisely. If you reject an edit, say why in the comment. Add the decision to the style sheet. This prevents the same debate three chapters later.

A sample timeline

• Week 1 to 3. Copy edit. You review and resolve queries in parallel.
• Week 4. Layout and interior design.
• Week 5. Proofreading on PDF.
• Week 6. Designer applies fixes. Verification pass runs two to three days.
• Week 7. Create EPUB and KPF. Digital proofing and spot fixes.
• Week 8. Final verify. Upload for preorder or send to printer.

Pad high‑complexity books. Nonfiction with tables and notes needs more room for proof fixes and rechecks.

Quick exercise

Open your project folder and do three things now.

• Create a Style_Sheet.docx and list five decisions. Email or e-mail, serial comma, headline style, numerals, and how you format dates.
• Rename your latest files with clear version tags. Then archive the rest.
• Start a Change_Log.txt. Add one line for today.

This tiny setup pays off during proofs when pace picks up and small errors try to sneak back in.

Final checklist before upload

• Style sheet matches the final text.
• All proof corrections implemented and verified against the errata list.
• Print PDF passes a last skim on running heads, folios, TOC, and page refs.
• EPUB and KPF open cleanly on multiple devices. Links, notes, and special characters pass.
• Cover files match final page count and printer specs.

Plan the work, respect the handoffs, and keep decisions visible. That is how you publish without the 2 a.m. panic.

Budget, Timing, and Hiring the Right Editor

Editing is not a luxury. Editing protects your launch, your reviews, and your sanity. Plan money, time, and the people who touch your manuscript.

Pricing models without surprises

Editors quote in a few common ways.

• Per word for copy editing. Clear scope, clear cost.
• Per hour for copy editing when scope feels uncertain. Useful for messy drafts or heavy reference sections.
• Per page for proofreading. Based on layout, figures, and notes.
• Flat project fees for a defined brief. Helpful once trust is established.

Tiers matter because effort varies.

• Light copy edit. Clean prose, minor grammar and consistency fixes, short query log.
• Medium copy edit. Routine grammar and usage work, regular consistency sweeps, more queries.
• Heavy copy edit. Frequent line fixes, logic notes, dense query threads, extensive style sheet.

Ask what the fee includes.

• Tracked changes in a .docx.
• A thorough style sheet.
• A query log and one round of author responses.
• For proofs, marked PDF plus an errata list.

Clarify extras. Reference checks, citation formatting, figure relabeling, and bibliography tidying often sit outside a standard pass.

Timelines that respect publication dates

A typical 80,000 word novel needs:

• Copy edit, 2 to 4 weeks.
• Author review, 1 week.
• Layout, 1 week.
• Proofreading, 1 to 2 weeks.
• Corrections and verification, 3 to 5 days.

Add buffer for nonfiction with tables, footnotes, and an index. Many editors book out 4 to 8 weeks ahead, so reserve a slot early. Share a realistic start date, word count, and genre. Rushed schedules breed errors and rework.

ROI, or why good editing pays for itself

Readers judge within minutes. A clean first chapter builds trust. Previews on retailer pages drive conversions. Typos and sloppy layout drive refunds and negative reviews.

A quick story. Author A skipped a proofread. Early readers flagged dozens of errors. Files were updated twice, plus a scramble to fix the ebook. Sales dipped during the delay. The total bill exceeded a standard proof and verification pass.

Author B funded both stages. Copy edit resolved usage and consistency. Proofreading caught small slips and a broken link in the back matter. Launch week ran smooth, and reviews praised readability. Fewer support emails, better ranking stability.

Editing feels expensive. Publishing without enough editing costs more.

How to vet professionals

Request a short sample, 5 to 10 pages from the middle of your manuscript. Evaluate the work, not only the price.

Look for:

• Genre and category experience.
• Clear, respectful queries that explain reasons, not only corrections.
• Adherence to CMOS and a named dictionary, often Merriam-Webster.
• Comfort with your tools. Word Track Changes, Google Docs when required, PDF markup, InDesign or Vellum awareness for handoffs.
• A thoughtful style sheet. Decisions on hyphenation, capitalization, numerals, dates, headline style, and special terms.

Check references or testimonials. Browse a portfolio with recent titles. Ask about availability and process. How many passes. Who verifies proof corrections. How communication flows during queries.

Red flags:

• No sample offered, or a sample riddled with missed basics.
• Vague deliverables.
• No mention of a style sheet.
• Guarantees of perfection. Honest editors promise diligence and a tight process.

Contract clarity

A short, plain contract protects both sides. Confirm:

• Scope. Copy edit, proofreading, or both. No line edit unless requested.
• Deliverables. Tracked .docx, style sheet, query log, marked PDF, errata list, verification checklist.
• Number of passes. One pass plus author responses, or two passes. Verification separate.
• Turnaround. Start date, milestones, final delivery.
• Query handling. Where questions appear, how fast you respond.
• Stet decisions. Stet means let the original stand. Who makes the final call.
• Payment terms. Deposit, schedule, method, late fees.
• Changes to scope. How added word count, new chapters, or reference builds affect time and price.
• Confidentiality and credit line. Whether a credit appears in the book.

Read every clause. Ask for plain language. Agree on style resources in writing. CMOS edition, dictionary, and any house preferences.

Action steps this week

• Set a budget for both stages. Reserve funds for a short verification pass after proofs.
• Email three editors. Ask for a sample and a quote for your word count and timeline.
• Create a one-page brief. Title, genre, audience, word count, deadlines, style resources, special features, and toolset.
• Block calendar time for your own review of edits and proofs. Author delays derail schedules more than anything else.

A quick outreach template

Subject: Sample copy edit for [Title], [word count], [month]

Hello [Name],

I have a [genre/category] manuscript, [word count]. I am seeking a [light, medium, or heavy] copy edit beginning [date range], followed by proofreading after layout in [tool, for example Vellum or InDesign].

Please share:

• A per word or per hour quote, with what the fee includes.
• A 5 to 10 page sample on a middle chapter.
• Deliverables and timeline.
• Style resources you follow. I prefer CMOS 17 and Merriam-Webster.
• Availability during [month].

Tools on my side. Word with Track Changes, PDF markup for proofs.

Thank you,

[Your name]

[Contact]

What to expect when hiring

A good editor asks questions before quoting. Word count, schedule, genre, prior editing, special features, references or notes. Expect a straightforward document with scope, deliverables, timelines, and payment. Expect a style sheet to grow across the project. Expect queries that help you make better decisions.

Book early, pick for fit, and trust the process. Strong editing frees you to focus on story and marketing, rather than patching avoidable errors after readers notice.

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