There are as many definitions of editing and proofing as there are editors, proofreaders, and their clients. Below are examples of the sorts of tasks often requested under the banners of proofreading, copyediting, and substantive editing.
| Work | Phase | Commonly Requested Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Proofreading | Final or near-final draft | Check spacing, tables, page numbers, tables of contents, font, font size, alignment, and subheads |
| Proofreading | With a scanned (i.e., OCR) or re-keyed document | Compare live and dead copy to ensure exact duplication |
| Proofreading | Almost any phase | Compare live copy to source materials, cross-check tables and callouts, check facts, and fix blatant spelling and grammatical errors |
| Copyediting | Late in the publication process | Fix problems with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and adherence to house style or internal consistency of style for items not noted in a style guide |
| Copyediting | Early in the publication process | Improve syntax and clarity of language |
| Substantive Editing | Early in the publication or re-publication process | Address organization, tone, voice, and clarity of idea flow |
| Substantive Editing | Outline stage | Help the author(s) with the document's structure, premise, and angle |
Editing, Writing Regulatory Subject Matter: The client, a trade association, developed a resource packet for members that incorporated summaries and other materials related to the U.S. bioterrorism regulations. My role was to: edit four regulatory summaries into one document, write an introduction and conclusion, compile relevant FDA compliance documents and other relevant resources, and write a cover letter for mailing with the packet.
Editing Legal Summaries: This document was written by lawyers to advise members of the food industry on how to enact a recall. My role was copyedit for usage, style, and syntax/clarity and to edit for tone, voice, and organization, i.e., translate from “legalese” to plain English.
Content Editing: This is an example of editing for wordiness, flow, call to action, and other elements relevant to the web medium.
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Estimates for editing and proofreading are based on: