When I started seriously looking into proofreading for extra income, I had heard the terms ‘proofreading’ and ‘editing’ sometimes used interchangeably in informal conversations. I needed to know what the differences were, if any, between the two terms.
In a perfect world, a document being presented for proofreading has already gone through editing stages. There are several types of editing that can happen to a manuscript. During the editing stages, the editor will also proofread – correcting for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors; however, the editor is also reading through the text for consistency in plot and character development. He or she will suggest how to arrange certain sections of the chapter so that it flows smoothly. They may even suggest removing some sentences or adding more details. When that manuscript gets to a proofreader, the document is getting the final polishing. Once the proofreader has completed his or her review and returns the document to the author, the document should be next headed to printing or to be published.
If you want to read more about this topic, check out this handout on the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Writing Center page. For a briefer explanation, check out Scribbr’s FAQ page here.
Proofreading, editing, writing, writing center
In a perfect world, a document being presented for proofreading has already gone through editing stages. There are several types of editing that can happen to a manuscript. During the editing stages, the editor will also proofread – correcting for spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors; however, the editor is also reading through the text for consistency in plot and character development. He or she will suggest how to arrange certain sections of the chapter so that it flows smoothly. They may even suggest removing some sentences or adding more details. When that manuscript gets to a proofreader, the document is getting the final polishing. Once the proofreader has completed his or her review and returns the document to the author, the document should be next headed to printing or to be published.
If you want to read more about this topic, check out this handout on the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Writing Center page. For a briefer explanation, check out Scribbr’s FAQ page here.
Proofreading, editing, writing, writing center
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