What Is the Difference Between Proofreading and Editing?

Do you know the difference between proofreading and editing? People often use the terms interchangeably, but proofreading and editing are, in fact, distinct tasks.

In this blog post, we’ll explain:

• The way editing and proofreading fit into the document publication process
• The different types of editing and what an editor does
• The different types of proofreading and what a proofreader does

Read on to learn more.

The Stages of the Publication Process

Editing and proofreading are both ways to polish a piece of writing. However, they serve different functions and occur at different stages of the document publication process.

You can think of the document publication process as a timeline:

Developmental editing ➜ Line/stylistic editing ➜ Copy editing ➜ Proofreading

As you can see, several rounds of editing may take place before someone proofreads a document.

What Is Editing?

Editing is a very broad term that can cover everything from rewriting and restructuring a text to tweaking the phrasing of individual sentences. There are, therefore, many types of editing. And while the terminology can vary (meaning it’s important to check exactly what level of editing a client requires), we can divide editing roughly into four main categories:

• Developmental editing, where an editor helps an author to plan and draft a document
• Comprehensive editing, which involves making substantive changes to a document, potentially including to its structure, content, tone, and style
• Line editing, which refers to revising a document at a line-by-line level to improve the flow and quality of the writing (e.g., rewriting sentences for clarity and impact but leaving the overall structure, style, and content unchanged)
• Copy editing, which traditionally refers to editing a document to apply a mechanical style

A document may go through multiple rounds of editing from the first draft through the finished product, with each step seeking to refine the writing and address any outstanding problems, especially for longer or complex works (e.g., a novel or a nonfiction book).

What Does an Editor Do?

Generally, an editor will be expected to:

• Ensure that a document’s overall structure makes sense and flows well
• Check that the content and word choice are appropriate for the intended audience
• Edit wording and sentence structure to improve clarity
• Work closely with the author to make substantial changes to the text

Keep in mind that there are also tasks specific to the type of document you work on. If you’re editing a novel, for example, the author may expect you to fix continuity issues.

What Is Proofreading?

Proofreading usually takes place after all the other stages of editing have been completed and, traditionally, once a manuscript designed for print has been typeset. In these cases, it’s simply checking for issues missed during editing and for errors introduced during the typesetting process.

There is often more of an overlap between proofreading and copy editing in a modern context, especially outside of the publishing world. For example, if a client asks you to proofread a letter or an essay, they will likely want you to work directly on the document in a word processor, correcting any typos you spot and making other small changes to refine the writing.

However, as we’ve discussed in a previous post, proofreading and copy editing are still distinct tasks. As such, you should always check the type and level of changes your client requires before you start editing or proofreading a document.

What Does a Proofreader Do?

A proofreader will usually focus on:

• Correcting typos, grammatical mistakes, and incorrect punctuation
• Making sure spelling, capitalization, and typeface are consistent
• Checking that the document follows the relevant style guide

As with editing, tasks will be specific to the type of document you work on. For example, if you’re proofreading an academic essay, you should pay attention to how your client presents their citations and references.

Summary: Differences Between Proofreading and Editing

Proofreading	Editing
The final step in the process; takes place after the text has been written and edited	Takes place after the first draft of the text has been written and continues till the draft is finalized
Concerned with surface-level errors and catching mistakes missed during editing (or any errors introduced during the typesetting process)	Concerned with the “bigger picture”: the content, structure, and style of the text
Involves: – Correcting typos, grammatical mistakes, and incorrect punctuation – Making sure spelling, capitalization, and typeface are consistent – Checking that the document follows the relevant style guide – Ensuring that formatting is consistent	Involves: – Ensuring that a document’s overall structure makes sense and flows well – Checking that the content, tone, and word choice are appropriate for the intended audience – Editing wording and sentence structure to improve clarity – Working closely with the author to make substantial changes to the text

Providing the Right Service for Your Clients

It’s common for freelance proofreaders to offer editing services also. Keep in mind, though, that clients may be unaware of the difference between proofreading and editing.

Before agreeing to work on a document, then, you should make sure your client understands what service they’re requesting. Find out whether the document has been edited before and to what level. You can also ask to see a sample of the writing to get an impression of the level of edits the client needs and advise them accordingly.

If you have a website, direct the client to your service descriptions. And finally, remember to agree on a brief and quote an appropriate rate!

We don’t recommend proofreading a document you’ve already edited because doing this can make spotting mistakes harder, especially in long documents that you may work on for prolonged periods. If a client asks you to proofread and edit the same text, it may be best to say that you’re happy to do one and then recommend another freelancer for the other task.

Becoming A Proofreader and/or Editor

If you want to learn more about proofreading and editing, check out our comprehensive courses: Becoming A Proofreader and Becoming An Editor. They’ll teach you all the skills essential to success as a professional proofreader and/or editor.

You can also buy both courses as a bundle and save 15%!

Sign up for a free trial and try them out today.