Copy Editing

When copy editing, I will correct glaring typos, misspellings and incorrect grammar, but the goal is to polish your text so it will be ready for a proofreader.

I will check for word choice (affect vs effect), clear sentence structure, and consistent style (do you use the Oxford comma?). I will also rewrite or reorganize sentences and/or paragraphs if they read awkwardly and remove repeated words. I will note continuity problems (in chapter three the main character had blonde hair, and now they have red hair).

Basic fact checking is also performed. For example, if you said that George Washington was the third President of the United States, I would quickly research and note that this is incorrect, and he was the first president.

If you do not yet have a style guide, I will create one that can be used during the proofreading stage.

Proofreading

This is a comprehensive review of your content to make sure it is error free. It is the last step in the editing process. I will mark up your content, rather than changing it. For example, if you typed “It was they’re turn,” I would highlight the word “they’re” and make a comment suggesting you change it to “their.” You would review my suggested changes and make the choice on whether to make the change or leave it as is. After all, it is YOUR writing.

I will also check for: typos, incorrect word usage, proper capitalization, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, formatting, compliance with your style guide.

Combination

This is both copy editing and proofreading at the same time. This can save time and money over having a separate copy editor and proofreader.