Editing, proofreading and more…

General overview and FAQs

What’s the difference between editing and proofreading?

The recommended order of any editing process is shown below. Of course, you don’t have to get a professional to do all three — but if you’re serious about going public, someone needs to consider all these stages before you publish! Many writers go through each round more than once, especially at the middle stage.

Other editors may have different names for the various stages (I’m afraid standard terminology is lacking in this industry!). The following are the terms I use, so you know what you will get with the service you request from me. The main thing is to know what gets done at each stage.

1: Structural editing

This looks at the big picture.

FICTION: a structural edit for fiction looks at the overall flow of the story, the narrative pace, and character development. Any holes in the plot should be picked up at this stage too! I can give alternative suggestions to structural problems with fiction. But it’s usually your job as the author to do any rewrites at this stage, as the decisions involve your vision for your story.

NON-FICTION: structural editing focuses on effective section structure and heading hierarchy, as well as topic flow and relevance. This applies to books, reports, websites, or any other non-fiction text. For non-fiction, I can either make suggestions for any structural changes or, if you prefer, I can make many of the changes for you.

2: Line editing

This follows the same principles for both fiction and non-fiction: looking at suitability for your readers (tone, reading ease etc), flow (sentence structure, repetition and tautology etc), fact consistency and general clarity. This level of editing is best if you are already happy with the overall structure of your text.

As I do it, proofreading (below) is usually included with line editing because it’s almost impossible not to correct as I go! However, there are often further changes needed after this second stage of editing, so a final proofread is still recommended.

3: Proofreading

As a stand-alone service, this is the correction of any spelling, punctuation and grammar errors and typos, and checking for consistency (eg, the treatment of names, dates, heading styles). It’s a surface-level check for small remaining issues - it is not an edit.

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There is often some overlap between the different levels. Eg, when doing structural editing, I may make some line editing suggestions too, if I spot recurring issues. There’s more information in the FAQs on this page.

Please note: For academic assignments, I offer proofreading only.

Sample edit

You might not be sure what your work needs yet. A sample edit gives us both a much better idea of the kind of changes that would be helpful.

For £35, you will receive:

  • 1 hour of editing and proofreading directly to your text

  • comments explaining individual edits, PLUS

  • a detailed summary of the main findings, with specific suggestions and advice for your writing.

A sample edit indicates how long your full work would take to edit or proofread in its current form. This enables me to give you an accurate quote. You are welcome to book a sample edit whatever the size of your project. For work over 30,000 words, I can ONLY give a firm quote if you have a sample edit first.‍ ‍

You are not obliged to take up any other services after a sample edit.

Book a sample edit

Basic formatting

Formatting is the name for hidden settings and processes that affect spacing/layout and other aspects of visual appearance.

In Microsoft Word or Mac Pages documents, I can format headings and subheadings using the Styles feature. As well as providing essential consistency, this enables quick navigation back and forth through your text — immensely useful during revision. It’s also used to automatically generate accurate tables of contents.

I can also apply proper formatting of paragraphs, page breaks and page numbering. (Layout changes should not be done just by tapping manually at the ‘tab’, ‘new line’ or ‘space’ buttons - this can seriously mess up the layout of your final version.)

Formatting can be done at any stage of the editing or proofreading process. The setting changes will then apply to any further text that you type within that document. (Formatting does not finalise the appearance; this can be simply changed later if you wish.)

Please note: The above basics simply ensure that paragraphs, sections and chapters remain in the right places throughout any further changes to layout, eg, when preparing for print. I do not offer final typesetting.

FAQs

  • I prefer to work on a Microsoft Word document, although I can also work with Pages for Mac. I use Track Changes (or its Mac equivalent), which means all changes to the text are visible in a different colour. You can accept or reject each change, so you maintain full control over the final copy. (If you are not familiar with Track Changes, I can refer you to a helpful blog post!)

    I also use margin comments for some explanations, queries, or suggestions for bigger or more complex changes.

    Alternatively, I can edit a PDF (or similar). However, this does take longer for both of us, as some of my suggested changes may still need to be implemented by you.

  • You can find information about editing and proofreading rates (for any genre) on my Prices page.

    I’m happy to give an estimate or quote - I will need to know a few things, and I need to see your work. More details here.

  • If your work will only take a couple of hours, I might be able to do it within a few days. However, I can't guarantee it, I'm afraid.

    I rarely do block booking for single projects. I intersperse bigger projects with smaller ones (aiming to allow time for short-notice jobs as above!). This means that a job like book-editing will be spread over several weeks. Obviously you are only charged for the hours spent specifically on your work.

  • Getting your work checked will always improve your chances, but I do not have insider knowledge of the publishing industry.

    Publishers and agents have varying requirements; if you research what is needed, I can help you refine what you send to them, but I cannot guarantee that they will accept your writing. I also cannot advise on different publishing routes, as there are pros and cons to each.

  • Professional writing to someone else’s brief is usually called copywriting. It’s a different level of service, and will still need time and thought on your part to explain your precise requirements — your aims and audience, as well as the facts you want to include.

    Copywriting is, quite rightly, more expensive than editing.

    If you think that’s what you need, please get in touch for more information.

  • I'm happy to do a final proofread on essays and assignments if your school, college or university allows that within its policies. But I don't offer any other help, as that is unethical.

    Please take a look at my page for Students.

  • Not all editors can type quickly, and not all typists can edit!

    I recommend asking someone with fast keyboard skills (not me, sadly) to type your work. Once it has been typed, I'll be happy to proofread or edit to the highest standards.

  • As well as spellings, grammar and punctuation, proofreaders also check for consistency — in names, heading style, bullet points, capitalisation, spacing, and internal references, such as captions and links. Why? To avoid any confusion about what you really mean.

    Spellcheck will not do all that. It also won’t pick up real words that you use in the wrong place (eg, brought when you mean bought).

    As for computer grammar checking… quite simply, it’s often wrong. Human language is far too subtle for an algorithm to understand all its meanings. You need a real person!