In everyday conversation, it is not uncommon to use the terms “editing” and “proofreading” interchangeably. However, when it comes to figuring out exactly what kind of service you might need to make your writing as professional and as clear as possible, it is important to know exactly what the differences are between these two services.
Proofreading
Proofreading, generally speaking, is the process of correcting grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors in a document. Proofreading goes beyond simply using a “spell check” feature in a word processing program, as this admittedly handy feature is actually not as reliable as many of us would like to believe. Anomalies, such as different language sets (i.e., American English versus Australian or British English), faulty assumptions about grammar and sentence structure (made by the program), embedded information, and field-specific terminology, mean that we must review a document thoroughly, without relying on spell or grammar checks to do it for us. A final spelling and grammar check provides “quality assurance” for your paper, but should be undertaken only after your document has been edited.
For a quick and free estimate for proofreading services, contact Andrew Ascherl at aascherl [at] gmail.com or (716) 228 4198.
Editing
In contrast to proofreading, the process of editing consists of making revisions to and suggestions about the content of a document, focusing on improving the accuracy of language, flow, and overall readability, as well as checking for grammar and spelling. In other words, editing involves a detailed review of a document, rather than just checking for accuracy in the more superficial aspects of a manuscript. The purpose of editing is to review and change your text with the intent to improve the flow and overall quality of your writing. This means that editing quite often involves rewriting or even removing entire sentences or paragraphs. Thorough editing will certainly involve the correction of obvious surface-level errors, but the main point of contracting an editor for your manuscript is to have someone apply their specialized knowledge and expertise with language to ensure that the text makes sense, to eliminate unnecessary wordiness, and to improve clarity.
For a quick and free estimate for editing services, contact Andrew Ascherl at aascherl [at] gmail.com
or (716) 228 4198.
Copy-Editing
Copy-editing is similar to proofreading insofar as this service will correct all surface-level errors in your manuscript, but it involves the additional skill of ensuring consistency of style. This may include making sure names, locations and dates are always treated the same way. Copy-editing also involves the application of expert knowledge of different style guides (such as MLA, Chicago style, or APA) and may also include fact-checking or the application of specialized knowledge in a particular field. As such, copy-editing services may cost a bit more than a proofreading.
For a quick and free estimate for copy-editing services, contact Andrew at aascherl [at] gmail.com
or (716) 228 4198.
Some of the books Andrew Ascherl has proofread or copy-edited include:
Nelly Richard, Eruptions of Memory: The Critique of Memory in Chile (1990-2015), trans. Andrew Ascherl (Polity, 2018)
Tzuchien Tho, Vis Vim Vi: Declinations of Force in Leibniz’s Dynamics (Springer, 2017)
Orlando Bentacor, The Matter of Empire: Metaphysics and Mining in Colonial Peru (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2017)
Natalie Roxburgh, Representing Public Credit: Credible Commitment, Fiction, and the Rise of the Financial Subject (Routledge, 2015)
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