What is copyediting?

With overlapping terms and contradictory definitions, the different types of editing can be confusing. Let me explain what copyediting means from my perspective.

Few understand the difference between copyediting and proofreading or any other type of editing, so I thought this was a good place for Behind Every Edit to start.

Copyediting is a step in the editing process involving specific tasks, responsibilities and priorities.

BUT that’s not actually why I call myself a copyeditor.

When I tell you I’m a copyeditor, I literally mean I’m an editor who edits copy (as opposed to being a video editor or sound editor). I use this term for simplicity’s sake. I actually do other types of editing, not just copyediting.

Now let’s clear something up. Is there a difference between “copyediting”, “copy-editing” and “copy editing”?

Nope. They’re just three different ways to write the same word – another example of why this industry can be so confusing. I’ve chosen to use “copyediting” in my business as it’s nice and simple.

In this post, I’ll share my take on what copyediting is. You’ll find that many editors give slightly different definitions, but mine is inspired by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading’s official definition of copyediting and my own real-life experiences of helping clients with their writing.

What is copyediting, and what does it involve?

I’ll preface this by saying I rarely just copyedit.

Perhaps if I worked for a publishing house, I might be asked to review a text with just my copyediting hat on. But in my work, every text is so unique and I’m usually the only editor working on it. So, I simply diagnose it and do what I feel will improve it (in a way that aligns with the client’s preferences). That usually looks like a mixture of line editing, copyediting and, of course, proofreading.

BUT, I promised I’d tell you what copyediting actually means, so here goes.

Copyediting involves:

• Reviewing and correcting grammar, spelling and punctuation

• Checking that any changes made during previous editing phases haven’t introduced errors or typos

• Ensuring that everything is where it should be (pictures, graphs, tables, etc.)

• Optimising the layout – for example, I might recommend using bullet points or shortening overly long paragraphs

• Ensuring consistent style:

  • Formatting: checking elements like headings, page numbers and indentation. For example, you don’t want to have left-aligned text on one page and justified text on another. I’ll make sure you don’t.

  • Language: checking spelling and punctuation. For example, I check that you haven’t written the name “Megan” at the start and “Meghan” at the end, and that you haven’t used an en dash (–) in one paragraph and an em dash (—) in another.

• Checking consistency in facts, opinions and descriptions – for example, I’ll check that you haven’t said April is the best time to visit Langkawi in one paragraph and October in another

I always describe copyediting as technical and mechanical. It’s the editing stage that focuses on style and formatting to ensure accuracy and consistency, giving your writing a professional and tidy finish.

What happens before copyediting?

Developmental/structural editing and line editing are the two steps that come before copyediting. I want to focus on copyediting in this post, so I’ll only give a brief overview of what these stages/processes involve.

• Developmental editing involves a broad, big-picture focus. The minutiae of how you’ve written something don’t really matter here; what matters is what you’ve written and where you’ve written it. During this phase, an editor assesses the text’s content, structure and flow, suggesting improvements.

• Line editing involves making edits to make your writing sound better and achieve its goal more effectively. Here, the focus is word choice, tone and sentence structure. It involves a lot of rearranging and tweaking.

What happens after copyediting?

After copyediting, the text should be finished. No further edits should be made after this point. However, that’s not to say the text is perfect and ready to publish. There might be some typos you have missed. This is where proofreading comes in.

Proofreading is the final error check. It’s dedicated quality control of text and layout to guarantee perfection (or as close to it as possible) and give you peace of mind.

I proofread all my clients’ texts as part of my editing package.

What does copyediting not involve?

Copyediting does not involve the following:

• Reviewing syntax and word choice to make your writing “sound better”

• Giving you advice on structure and the sequence of information

• Writing or rewriting large sections of text

• Overhauling the writer’s tone, structure or argument

• Fact-checking (unless otherwise agreed)

Why have your text copyedited?

I really enjoy copyediting as I’m a perfectionist. I like text to look neat and tidy, whether it’s in a book, in a newsletter or even on a website. I believe everyone, especially businesses hoping to attract customers, should have the same attitude towards public-facing text.

You can expect the following benefits when I copyedit your writing:

• It makes your text as clear as possible so that it communicates your message without distracting or confusing your reader.

• It gives your text/document a consistent and tidy finish, making you or your business seem professional and detail-oriented.

• It helps ensure there are no factual errors in your text due to inconsistency, i.e., it flags inconsistent terminology and spelling.

Every text is different, but what’s for sure is that all texts need to be copyedited before they are proofread and published. Send me a message to discuss how I can help improve your writing through copyediting or any other type of editing. I can diagnose your text and explain the process. Send me a message to get the ball rolling.

Next time:

In a recent chat with a client, they asked whether I do copywriting as well as editing. When I said no (I tried and failed at copywriting years ago!), they seemed genuinely surprised. So, how do copyediting and copywriting relate to each other? Can you do both? Do the roles overlap? Find out in March!

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I’m Hollie, copyeditor and proofreader at Kingsland Editorial.

Behind Every Edit is a newsletter that aims to make the sometimes confusing world of copyediting accessible and understandable, inspiring more people to improve their writing.

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