Editing vs. Proofreading: Knowing the Difference and When to Use Each

Due to the invention of eBooks, writing, and publishing has become a very popular sector of work and leisure nowadays. Every year, around 1.83 million new titles are believed to be added to the collection of ebooks available on Kindle itself, let alone other book publishing platforms. As an author, it is important to understand that writing, publishing, and distribution of books are all critical phases and each of these phases comprises several steps. Two of these steps are editing and proofreading and in this article, we will discuss these in detail. 

The Importance of Following the Key Steps During Writing and Publishing 

Authors need to follow all the steps when they write and publish something. This is because fixing mistakes and making the writing better will make it look good and people will trust it more. When they go through the content really well, it won’t have mistakes, it will make sense, and people will understand what the author wants to say. Similarly, when writers are cautious in every part of their writing and getting their work out, it demonstrates that they value both their work and the individuals who read it. By fixing things like mistakes and things that don’t match, the readers won’t get confused or lose the plot of the story. Basically, if authors are really focused on each part of the process and take it seriously, the end result will connect better with the readers and show that the author is professional and honest. After coming across plenty of errors and grammatical mistakes in a book, chances are low that readers will opt to buy another book written by that same author. 

What Exactly is Proofreading?

Book proofreading services are like the final check to make sure your writing is really good. It means looking closely at the words to find any mistakes that might still be there after you tried to fix them before. The person who does this job has to look carefully for grammar mistakes, spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, and problems with how the writing looks on the page. Doing this last check makes sure that the book or writing looks perfect and is easy to read. The person who does this is like the last protector against small mistakes that writers sometimes miss. Most authors tend to prefer to have their book proofread several times, sometimes even by themselves. 

Understand the Term ‘Editing’

Professional book editing can be easily explained as ‘fixing a story in a deep way’. It’s like a sculptor finalizing a sculpture by making it smooth and nice. There are different types of editing, each fixing different parts of the story. One type looks at the whole story, checking how it’s put together, the speed of the events, the story itself, and the characters. At this point, chapters might be moved around, things might be added or taken out, and the story will be made to fit well together. Let’s just say that editing can mean basically all types of amendments. 

As the steps go on, copy editing becomes important. This kind of editing looks at small things in sentences, like how they’re built, the words chosen, and if they’re the same all through. A guide for writing style is also followed. This is where the professional book editing expert makes the writing really smooth, so that all the words fit together well.

Then comes line editing. This specifically checks and fixes small details of how language is used and the style of writing. Each sentence is checked to make sure it’s easy to understand, has a good rhythm, and makes an impact. Sentences are changed a bit to make them better, so that the writing not only explains things clearly but also has a nice flow that keeps the reader interested.

When to Use Each Service

Knowing the right time to use book proofreading services or editing services is really important to make your book better. Proofreading usually comes last, after all the big changes have been made. It’s like a careful check when the writing is almost done, to catch any small mistakes that were missed before.

Editing can happen at different times while you write. Big changes to the content are best made after the first draft. Fixing small mistakes and improving sentences can happen in multiple rounds of revisions as the writing gets better.

Closing Ideas 

Looking for and correcting errors are two different but important parts of finalizing a book properly. Proofreading helps the book look good and flow well, while editing goes further to make the writing and style even better. Looking for errors is the process of identifying and marking the errors in the book, either manually or with the help of software tools. Correcting errors is the process of fixing and improving the errors in the book, either by the author or by a professional editor. Both processes require attention to detail, knowledge of the rules and conventions of writing, and feedback from others.