The Finished Product

For full information on proofreading and copyediting, visit the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading’s articles, What is Proofreading? and What is Copyediting?

​

In the world of publishing, manuscripts go through several rounds of editorial intervention involving copyediting and proofreading. On this process, the CIEP has this to say:

 

‘A good copyeditor picks up 80% of errors; a good proofreader picks up 80% of what’s left.’

 

I won’t promise you perfection – that would be misleading. But I do guarantee that I’ll be meticulous and thorough, and that I’ll return your document to you only when I’m satisfied that I’ve given it my full attention. I’ll do my best to understand and respect your style, and all of my corrections will be thoughtfully made. You can find out how customers have responded to this approach in my Testimonials section.

 

So, if it’s not perfect, why bother? Well, the CIEP has this explanation:

 

‘Because people will judge you on the quality of what you put in front of them. Because people will not take you or your message seriously if it is unclear, inconsistent or poorly presented. Because you are asking people to spend time reading it, and it is simple courtesy to smooth the reader’s path.’