The main differences between proofreading and editing:

The focus

The purpose of editing is to make your text more readable. It’s where the major reworking of your manuscript happens.

An editor makes sure the meaning and ideas in a book are conveyed in the best possible way for the audience.

An editor looks at several things including:

• Consistency: in important details like tone, style, character names, and plot.
• Content accuracy: fact-checking details for accuracy and credibility.
• Character development: ensuring characters are well-developed and believable.

Proofreading is the last step between you and your reader. It’s the final check that ensures your writing is professionally written, precise and easy to read.

A proofreader looks at:

• Spelling: ensuring words are spelled correctly.
• Grammar and punctuation: catching any errors that might have been missed.
• Formatting: checking headings, fonts, margins, etc. are consistent throughout the work. 
  

Timing

Editing occurs on early drafts and throughout the writing process. Every book worth reading goes through many rounds of revisions.

Proofreading is the last step before publication. Books are ready for proofreading once all major editing has been completed.

What's involved

The editing process is more in-depth than proofreading as it involves reworking content.

There are a few different types of editing available throughout the writing process.

• A manuscript assessment: can help you to figure out what's working/not working in your draft. While it's not a replacement for a more comprehensive developmental edit, it does provide essential feedback for a price that will fit your budget.

• Developmental editing: looks at the big-picture aspects of a manuscript. It takes your book from a rough draft to a well-structured and engaging piece of writing.

• Copyediting: occurs after a developmental edit. It’s performed on a more polished version of the manuscript and focuses on the finer details including language, style, and consistency.

The proofreading process tends to be quicker and simpler as it’s more of a final touch-up to a complete piece of writing. It focuses on minor errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation.

How to decide if you need editing or proofreading

You should opt for editing if:

1. Your goal is to refine ideas and structure.
2. Your writing needs a lot of revisions.
3. You want to collaborate with an editor to polish and refine your writing.

Recommended reading: An author's guide to hiring an editor (what to look for?)

You should opt for proofreading if:



1. Your goal is to prepare for publication with minimal errors.
2. You are confident of the language and structure of your document. Your document should only require a basic grammar check to eliminate misspellings, typographical errors and punctuation errors.
3. Your document has been edited and now needs to undergo a final check before submission.
   

Editing and proofreading work together

Once a piece of work has been edited, the overall quality is better. It’s accurate, has well-developed characters and plot, and is well paced, keeping readers engaged from start to finish.

After editing, proofreading is an essential step to catch any errors that might have been missed. A proofread piece of work is free from errors, professionally written, easy to read and ready to be published.

Interested to know more about editing and proofreading with Red Pencil? Take a look at my full range of services here.