copyediting
Manuscript cleanup work
Copyediting is the stage of editing that corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, and consistency before publication.
A copyeditor ensures style uniformity, checks facts, and catches errors the writer missed.
It falls between substantive editing (which reshapes content) and proofreading (which catches final typos): The manuscript went to copyediting after the author approved structural changes.
Also spelled copy-editing or copy editing.
Original text before publication
- galleyOnboard food preparation area
- proofsDemonstrations of truth
- redliningRefusing loans by neighborhood
- markupAdded percentage for profit
queries · stet · typesetter · production · deadline · revisions · bluelines · prepress
Goes beyond or through
- redlineEditorial revision marking
- markupAdded percentage for profit
- stetEditorial "never mind"
- insertionsThings put into another
deletions · annotations · comments · turnaround · freelance · in-house · subediting
Confirming accuracy of claims
- proofreadingChecking text for mistakes
- correctionsAdjustments to fix errors
- spellingCorrect letter sequence
- consistencyReliable adherence to standards
errors · typos · cross-referencing · verification · dates · names · quotations · numbers
Major Illinois metropolis
- APAPsychology organization's format
- MLAHumanities citation system
- consistencyReliable adherence to standards
- formattingStructuring visual presentation
capitalization · abbreviations · numerals · en-dash · em-dash · italics · terminology
Rules for arranging words
- punctuationWritten clarity symbols
- tensesTime markers for verbs
- pronounsNoun substitutes
- antecedentsThings coming before
modifiers · prepositions · parallelism · gerunds · infinitives · conjunctions · semicolons · apostrophes
Ease of understanding text
- concisionVerbal economy, pared down
- redundancyNeedless duplication
- jargonSpecialized professional vocabulary
- ambiguityOpenness to multiple interpretations
wordiness · flow · transitions · tone · voice · coherence · simplification · tightening
manuscript
Original text before publication
- galleyOnboard food preparation area
- proofsDemonstrations of truth
- redliningRefusing loans by neighborhood
markup · queries · stet · typesetter · production · deadline · revisions · bluelines · prepress
passes
Goes beyond or through
insertions · deletions · annotations · comments · turnaround · freelance · in-house · subediting
fact-checking
Confirming accuracy of claims
- proofreadingChecking text for mistakes
- correctionsAdjustments to fix errors
- spellingCorrect letter sequence
consistency · errors · typos · cross-referencing · verification · dates · names · quotations · numbers · citations
Chicago
Major Illinois metropolis
- APAPsychology organization's format
- MLAHumanities citation system
- consistencyReliable adherence to standards
formatting · capitalization · abbreviations · numerals · en-dash · em-dash · italics · terminology
syntax
Rules for arranging words
- punctuationWritten clarity symbols
- tensesTime markers for verbs
- pronounsNoun substitutes
antecedents · modifiers · prepositions · parallelism · gerunds · infinitives · conjunctions · semicolons · apostrophes · hyphens
readability
Ease of understanding text
- concisionVerbal economy, pared down
- redundancyNeedless duplication
- jargonSpecialized professional vocabulary
ambiguity · wordiness · flow · transitions · tone · voice · coherence · simplification · tightening · rephrasing
- writingwriting, drafting, authors, author, books
- journalismreporters, interview, editors, student editors, school paper
- publishingpublishers, editors, publishing house, books, publications
- editingcut, paste, delete, undo, redo
- newsroomsreporters, editors, anchors, producers, desks
- proofreadingproofreading, typos, errors, correction, grammar
copyeditingwriting
Recorded language on surface
original composition · creative writing · drafting · authoring · composing
copyeditingcorrupting
Causing moral decay
garbling · vandalizing · degrading · obscuring · mangling
copy, editor, edition, editing, copier, edited, editorial, edits, copyedit