What Is Proofreading?

New Hart’s Rules states that a proof is ‘a trial impression of typeset text, which is checked for errors before final printing’. To proofread is to ‘read proofs, mark any errors, and make a final check of the material’.

But what does that mean for your document?

When you ask me to proofread your document, I will check spelling, punctuation and grammar. I will also ensure that:

•    Your house style is applied
•    Inelegant or confusing word, column and page breaks are avoided
•    Capitals and hyphens are correctly and consistently used
•    Illustrations, figures and tables appear in the correct place and with the correct caption
•    Bibliographies and reference lists are correctly ordered and the titles are correctly formatted
•    Page numbering, cross-references and chapter titles correspond with the table of contents
•    Formatting, layout, headings, running heads and page numbers are consistent
•    Relevant queries are raised with you

What Is Proof-Editing?

New Hart’s Rules states that proof-editing ‘is a process whereby unedited material that is laid out in pages is corrected’.

But what does that mean for your document?

There is significant crossover between proof-editing and proofreading, but as the name suggests, proof-editing involves a greater number of changes being made. A document is likely to be proof-edited if it is in draft stage and proofread if it is a final version.

What Is Copy-Editing?

New Hart’s Rules states that to copy-edit is to ‘prepare the text for publication by checking its consistency and accuracy and identifying elements requiring special attention during the production process’.

But what does that mean for your document?

When you ask me to copy-edit your document, I will check and correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. I will also edit and reorder the document content to ensure that it is coherent, cohesive and idiomatic.

What Is Copywriting?

Oxford Dictionaries defines a copywriter as ‘a person who writes the text of advertisements or publicity material’.

But what does that mean for your document?

The focus in copywriting is on the creation of content for marketing purposes.