closeup of medieval handwritten manuscript

What a Proofread Does … and Does Not … Do

This post is the third in a series about different editorial services. Other installments include developmental/content editing, line and copyediting, the manuscript evaluation, and creating an outline.

People often assign characteristics to a proofread that actually belong to an edit. The two are not the same animal. Be aware of this, so you know what you are contracting (and paying) for, and so you are not disappointed with what you get.

#Proofreading and #editing are not the same animal. #publishing #books Share on X

Proofreading deals only with presentation. I cannot stress this enough. A proofread is not an edit and has almost nothing in common with an edit (though an edit may tangentially look at spelling).

Proofreading is the final step before you publish, and is absolutely crucial to your work. A book that looks like a mess, and is filled with typos and formatting problems, immediately destroys the author’s credibility as well as reader interest. No edit can replace a final proofread.

What a proofread does

Proofreading does not care about content. It cares about looks. Think about your favorite snooty, picky Olympic judges—gymnastics, ice skating, diving, aerials. Their main job is finding places to deduct points. How did the athlete mess up? That’s proofreading.

Proofreading wants to know “what is wrong here” (factually speaking). It’s all about accuracy. When we proofread work, we check the following:

  • Spelling, including typos
  • Punctuation
  • Formatting snafus—e.g., widow or orphan lines or phrases
  • Header styles, such as chapter titles

That’s it.

You’ll notice this is a short list. That’s right: if you want to know whether your book is “good,” don’t ask the proofread, because it won’t tell you.

#Proofreading does not care about content. It cares about looks. If you want to know whether your book is 'good,' don't ask the proofread, because it won't tell you. #books #publishing Share on X

Proofreading is the last editorial step before the work is published. The proofreader doesn’t need to check with the author about any changes, because they are factual. An edit, on the other hand, always considers the author’s input.

What a proofread does NOT do

Proofreading cares about errors. It does not care if you are Emily Dickinson, Anthony Doerr, or Margaret Atwood.

Proofreading does not deal with your content, whether it’s logically organized, cohesive, or interesting to read. Proofreading cares not whether the work is repetitious or filled with jargon and inconsistencies. Proofreading has no interest in whether you’ve produced the world’s most beautiful representation of written language.

IF YOU CARE ABOUT ANY OF THESE THINGS WHAT YOU WANT IS AN EDIT.

Are you ready for a proofread?

When you have a manuscript that is complete, you are ready to consider a proofread. By complete I mean that you’re done writing your story and the document includes the Table of Contents, any references, and any tables, images, or graphics.

When you have a manuscript you want to print, that’s how complete it is, you are ready for a proofread.

If you are still playing with narrative structure, or if your manuscript is missing literally anything, you are not ready. If you are still considering the best way to phrase certain paragraphs or sentences, you are not ready. If you are waiting to hear back from beta readers, you are not ready.

This page on the differences between copyediting and proofreading may be helpful in deciding whether what you want is proofreading or not.

What happens during a proofread

Markup. Your proofreader will provide you with a marked-up Word or PDF file indicating changes that need to be made, as applicable. (Word is the standard pre-layout; a PDF is after layout.)

If you are a self-publishing author, it is your job to accept and reject these changes, and approve the final file for your designer or for publication, as appropriate. If you’ve worked with an editor prior to the proofread (please do this!), you can ask them for help. I walk my authors through the proofreading process and into final layout.

The bottom line

Editing cares about content. Proofreading cares about accuracy. The two are different, and this is also why one will cost you more than the other. However, neither one will replace the other.

Make sure your manuscript looks as good as it is. Have it proofread.

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CC image “Manuscript” courtesy of liz west on Flickr. Some rights reserved.

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