Copy-editing

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What is copy-editing?

A copy-editor makes sure that a writer’s text (copy) is correct in terms of spelling and grammar and can be easily understood by the intended audience.

What does a copy-editor do?

Professional copy-editors will perform the following tasks:

• Correct errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and usage;
• Check the suitability of the text for the intended audience;
• Check the length of the text (only necessary when a document must be a certain length – for example, with magazine articles);
• Check that the structure of the document is logical (including headings, chunking, and logic of exposition);
• Checks that sentence and paragraph length is suitable;
• Check consistency of terminology, spelling, etc.;
• Ensure that illustrations are adequate, justified (i.e. support the text), and correctly referenced;
• Ensure adherence to the style guide
• Check accuracy of spelling, names, dates, quotations, etc.;
• Check that any legal issues (copyright, libel, ethics, etc.) have been addressed;

See also

For additional information, refer to The Society for Editors and Proofreaders.