What is Copyediting?
Copyediting is one of the last stages of the editing process in book publishing. Its purpose is to ensure a manuscript is consistent, grammatically correct, and aligned with the appropriate style guide. It takes place just before proofreading, which is the last step of the editorial process.
A copyeditor should be familiar with their publishing house’s style guide. In many publishing houses, the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) in the standard style guide. However, not all copyediting decisions must match the suggestions of the style guide. There may be times that the editor chooses to go a different direction with edits. An editor must be able to make the decision based on whether the style guide suggestion fits the author’s voice and intent.
Copyediting typically includes:
- Checking spelling
- Correcting grammatical errors
- Reviewing punctuation
- Ensuring consistent use of abbreviations
- Applying consistent capitalization and other style choices
- Reviewing references and footnotes (when applicable)
- Basic fact-checking
- Improving clarity and concision throughout the manuscript
These are the primary areas that a copyeditor focuses on. As a rule of thumb, you will want to track these stylistic decisions in your style sheet. A style sheet serves as a record of the adjustments you have made in previous chapters, helping you apply them consistently across chapters. Think of it as a roadmap that documents where decisions have been made and how those decisions should continue throughout the manuscript.
Essential Tips for Copyeditors
Strengthening consistency is important in copyediting; one way to do this is to note the date, chapter, and page number for style decisions on your style sheet. Another helpful guideline, when it comes to author communication, is to limit comments to 2-3 comments per chapter. If more discussion is needed, for instance questions about clarity or inconsistencies, it may be more efficient to contact the author directly. This approach helps prevent the author from being overwhelmed by a large number of comments.
Reading the manuscript aloud is another useful tip for copyediting. This strategy helps the editor catch errors, or awkward phrasing, that might be missed by reading silently. Microsoft Word has a “Read Aloud” feature, as well; to access it go to “Review” tab, then select the “Read Aloud” button.
Finally, every manuscript is different, so style choices should be reflective of what works best for that specific work. Some manuscripts require different levels of copyedits. Copyedits can be light, medium, or heavy. However, even in the heaviest of edits, it is essential to keep the author’s original voice and intent. Most edits that affect flow and structure are completed in the developmental and line editing phase of the editorial process.
Resources
For those interested in learning more about copyediting, or want more examples of what copyediting looks like, below are a couple of useful resources.
- The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications (Fourth Ed.) by Amy Einsohn and Marilyn Schwartz is a great resource.
- The Chicago Manual of Style website, but particularly the Manuscript Preparation, Copyediting, and Proofreading section.
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