A beginner's guide to copyediting

Anyone who creates content — from book publishing to blog posts — knows the importance of producing well-written, error-free work. But it's often tempting to rush a piece through to publication without going through a proper process of editorial review.

This is a mistake. Publishing content without thorough editing is like trying to bake a cake with only half the ingredients: it may still look appetising, but it won't taste as good and it won't be as satisfying.

Copyediting is a type of editing that ensures your published work is accurate, clear, and consistent. But how does copyediting work in practice? And how can it be done on a budget?

More to the point, will I get through this guide on copyediting without introducing my own typos or mistakes?

Let's find out. In this guide, we'll cover:

• What is copyediting?
• Why is copyediting important?
• What skills does a good copyeditor need?
• The typical workflow of a copyeditor
• How do copyedit when you can't afford a copyeditor
• Tips for beginners on becoming a better copyeditor

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Copyediting is the process of reviewing your work for mistakes, including grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Copyediting is one of the four types of content editing, alongside line editing, proofreading, substantive editing, and stylistic editing. If you don’t understand the distinctions, don’t worry — these are just general categories, and there’s a lot of overlap between them (as you’ll find out in this guide).

Copyeditors make sure that your work is consistent — for example, by ensuring that you use either American or British spelling throughout, checking headings, discrepancies in the use of italics — the whole nine yards.

They often do this by following a style guide, such as the Chicago or AP guides, or an in-house style guide or style sheet you may have developed or inherited. This will tell them your company's preferences, such as whether or not to use Oxford commas.

Copyeditors are also fact checkers, and can also ensure that your work is accurate. Other copyediting duties include checking for plagiarism and proofreading a piece before publication.

Copyediting is important because readers do not trust inaccurate and inconsistent content. Readers who see spelling and grammatical errors will be less likely to pay attention — and therefore less likely to engage with other content or services produced by your brand.

Copyediting also helps avoid misinterpretation of your work. The English language is a slippery thing, and something as small as a misplaced comma can lead to radically different interpretations. The difference between “Let’s eat, Dad” and “Let’s eat Dad” is huge — especially to us dads.

And, let's face it: Copyediting saves your blushes. There's nothing worse than publishing something you spend weeks on, only to see an embarrassing typo in the first paragraph.

Whether you're looking to become a copyeditor yourself, or looking to find someone to copyedit your work, you'll need to look our for some key traits and skills.

Here's a list of what to look out for:

Attention to detail

Copyediting requires a keen eye for detail. Your copyeditor will need the ability to spot even the slightest errors.

Strong language skills

This is obvious, but it's table-stakes for a copyeditor to have a strong command of grammar, spelling, and punctuation, as well as a good understanding of syntax and style.

Familiarity with style guides

Most copyeditors work with specific style guides, such as the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook or the Chicago Manual of Style, to ensure that documents are consistent and adhere to industry standards. You may have an in-house style guide, which a good copyeditor will also be able to work with.

Ability to work with different types of content

A copyeditor should be able to work with a range of content types, from technical documents to marketing materials.

Good communication skills

A copyeditor should be able to communicate effectively with everyone involved in the process. More specifically, they should be able to explain their edits and suggestions in a clear and concise manner.

Time management skills

Copyediting often involves working to tight deadlines, so it's important for a copyeditor to be able to manage their time effectively and meet deadlines consistently.

As copyeditor’s job typically follow a repeatable process. Not all copyeditors will be the same, though. Copyediting requires resources — and the more resources you have, the more intensive and specialised the copyediting process will be.

That said, a typical copyediting process will include one or more of the following steps:

1. Receive the document: An obvious one first up, but the copyeditor typically receives the document either electronically or in hard copy form.
2. Read the document: The copyeditor reads the document in its entirety to get a sense of the overall tone, style, and content. This one might sound obvious, too, but the critical point is that the copyeditor doesn't usually make any changes or edits on this first read through.
3. Make initial edits: After that first read, the copyeditor begins the editing process by correcting any obvious grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. They may also suggest rewrites or rearrange sentences for clarity and readability at this stage.
4. Check for consistency: By this point, the copyeditor is relatively familiar with the work, and they’re ready to ensure that the document is consistent in terms of style, tone, and formatting. This may involve checking for consistency in spelling (e.g. using 'color' or 'colour'), capitalisation, hyphenation, and numbers (e.g. using '10' or 'ten').
5. Fact-check: Sometimes, the copyeditor will verify the accuracy of any facts or statistics mentioned in the document.
6. Check sources: For some content types, the copyeditor checks that any citations in the document are properly formatted and listed in the bibliography.
7. Review the final document: Before returning the document, the copyeditor reviews the final edited document to ensure that all changes have been made correctly and that the document is ready for publication.
8. Return the document: The copyeditor returns the edited document to the author or publisher, along with any comments or suggestions for further revisions.
9. Review any additional changes: If the author or publisher requests additional changes, the copyeditor reviews and implements them as needed.
10. Finalise the document: Depending on the changes made, the copyeditor may once more finalise the document and ensure that it is ready for publication. This may involve formatting the document for print or digital distribution, or preparing it for translation into other languages.

As you can see from the above list, professional copyeditors follow a rigorous process to ensure that your work is error-free and ready for publication. But great rigour comes at a cost! What if you can't afford to pay a professional copyeditor? How do you avoid embarrassing blunders?

While nothing beats a dedicated professional, there are a few options you can consider:

Use a free or low-cost editing tool

There are several editing tools available that offer a range of features at no cost or at a low price. Some options include Microsoft Word, Grammarly, and Hemingway Editor. For many people, these tools have become baked into their daily workflows — and for good reason. These tools can help you catch basic errors and improve your writing, but remember: They may not provide the same level of detail and attention as a professional copyeditor

Ask a friend or colleague to proofread your work

Sometimes all it takes is a fresh set of eyes to catch errors and suggest improvements. Ask a trusted friend or colleague to review your work and offer feedback. This will at least catch the most obvious blunders.

Practice, practice, practice

Ultimately, the best way to make your editorial process more efficient is to write prose that has fewer errors. This is easier said than done! But the more you write and edit, the better you'll get at spotting errors and improving your work. Take the time to practice your writing and editing skills, and seek out resources and guidance from professionals to help you improve.

Note that if you’re writing long-form content — such as a novel you’re looking to publish on Amazon — then you might need a developmental editor first. Developmental editing is a kind of book editing that makes sure your work is structurally sound. These editors often recommend significant changes to a manuscript. It’s important to address these changes before engaging a copyeditor.

Most documents published to an audience have not been read by professional copyeditors. Typically, the most you can hope for is peer review from a colleague. So, what if you are that colleague? How do you give better copyediting services to folks in your team?

1. Read the text carefully and attentively: This is the most important skill you'll need, and the one that will take the most practise. Turn off your phone, internet, children — whatever you need to do to give each sentence and paragraph your full attention as you edit. This will help you catch errors and identify areas where the writing could be improved.
2. Take breaks: Editing can be mentally exhausting, so be sure to take breaks and give yourself time to rest and recharge. Try techniques like the famous Pomodoro.
3. Be consistent: Whether you're editing for grammar, style, or clarity, it's important to be consistent in your edits. This will help the author better understand your changes and make it easier for them to implement them. One way to be consistent is to follow whatever style guides the organisation uses.
4. Use the 'Track Changes' feature: If you're editing a document in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, be sure to use the track changes feature. This will allow you to clearly communicate your edits to the author, and it will also enable you to see what changes have been made to the document over time.
5. Don't be afraid to ask for help: If you're not sure how to handle a particular error or if you're unsure about a style rule, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are many resources available (such as online forums and professional associations, such as ACES) that can help you improve your skills and knowledge.