Copyeditor vs. Proofreader
What’s the difference, and why hire one over the other?
What you get for your money, dear author, depends on what you want from your freelancer.
Typically, a copyeditor works on your manuscript before a proofreader will get their grubby, red ink-stained fingers on it.
Of course, like a proofreader, your grammar n@zi copyeditor will check grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Get Dave Lynch’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
In addition, they’ll look for consistency of voice, chronology, and fact.
The copyeditor will create a style sheet if one has not already been provided, just so James on page 10 doesn’t become John on page 101. Don’t laugh: I’ve seen it happen. Imagine my confusion when halfway through a Doctor Who book, one character’s name completely changed. I wasted several minutes scanning backwards and forwards through the book trying to figure out who this new character was, until I realised it was the same person.
In my experience, Doctor Who books often suffer from poor proofreading, and I am tempted to contact BBC and offer my services. But I digress…
Copyeditors will also query authors on the specific details of a story and make suggestions for improvement.
Next, the manuscript arrives at the proofreader, whose task is to make sure that the style sheet is adhered to. They will also check for any errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling that the copyeditor might have missed.
So there you have it. Make sure you approach hiring a freelancer with the correct outcome in mind. In my opinion, a good copyeditor will often double up and give the material a second run through with their proofreader hat on.
