Elk Creek Content by Alissa Dedic

By Alissa Dedic

In my last two posts, we have learned what copyeditors do and what the different levels of copyediting are. Many times, people ask me, “Isn’t that proofreading?”

What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is finding and correcting any errors or mistakes in the final draft (the proof) before it is published. This is a final read over the manuscript before publication. Copyediting happens after the manuscript or sections of the manuscript are completed. Most copyeditors will do two read throughs the manuscripts:

1. Find any mistakes, inconsistencies, confusing passages, or difficult to understand passages.
2. A read through the revisions the author has made to make sure there aren’t any remaining issues.

What Does a Proofreader Do?

A proofreader is a person who takes the final copy, after all revisions have been made, and checks it one last time for accuracy. The proofreader will do a read through the manuscript and then read it again very slowly to highlight any issues left behind by the writer or copyeditor. A proofreader will use the prepared style sheet, the preferred style guide and dictionary to make any corrections to the manuscript. The copyeditor has already checked the manuscript for consistency and engaging content, so a proofreader will not do this. A proofreader will only make changes to the technical aspects of the manuscript such as spelling, grammar, punctuation and formatting. Proofreading is logical rather than creative.

Why is it Necessary to Hire a Proofreader?

There are two reasons for hiring a proofreader:

1. It is human to error.

2. The author wants to be professional, credible, and authoritative.

According to Adrienne Montogmerie’s 2013 “Error Rates in Editing”, humans are able to be 95% accurate. During the editing process, the copyeditor will begin to think like the writer. A proofreader offers the benefit of making sure there aren’t missing words, homophone confusion, all the data is interpreted clearly, etc. The proofreader offers a fresh set of eyes because he or she hasn’t seen the manuscript before proofreading it.

Unwanted or even unintentional errors can harm the writer’s professionalism, authority and credibility. Furthermore, errors can be embarrassing for the writer, their publisher, the company, etc. It is beneficial to have a proofreader take one last look at any writing before it is published. Too many mistakes may cause the reader to question the writer. The reader will then abandon the writing and go get their information from somewhere else. The main goal for any written content is then unmet. The writer has not been successful in communicating a message to the reader.

Now we know what copyediting is and what proofreading is. The two services offer very different benefits to a manuscript. These benefits create a professional manuscript that is ready for publication. The goal of any writing is to communicate a message to the reader. The reader is most likely to receive the author’s intended message when the manuscript is correct, consistent, comprehensible, and clear. The combination of working with a copyeditor and a proofreader offers the writer the assurance that the manuscript is ready for publication and for delivering a message to the reader.

For more information about how proofreading can benefit your writing, contact me at elkcreekcontent@gmail.com. I would love to assist you in preparing for writing for publication through my proofreading service.