EDITORIAL SERVICES

The word ‘editor’ covers several roles in the process of preparing a manuscript. Below I describe the distinct roles that copyeditor and proofreader play. 

A copyeditor marks a text with corrections and queries for the author. Copyediting can be light, medium, or heavy. 

● Light copyediting primarily addresses spelling, grammar, and usage. Consistency in the use of spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts, and capitalization is checked, as are cross-references (e.g., figures are correctly referenced in the text) and proper sequencing (Table 2 should appear after Tables 1A and 1B).

● Medium copyediting attends to all tasks of light copyediting as well as such matters of composition as clarity, logical construction, factual accuracy, and idiomatic use of English. Editing for unbiased language can be part of the medium copyedit. 

● In addition to review of the issues handled by medium copyediting, heavy or substantive copyediting involves revision. The goal of the heavy edit is to cut down on wordiness and clarify ambiguity. Continuity, tone, and language appropriate to the target audience may also be addressed. 

A proofreader marks a text with corrections for the compositor, desktop publisher, or printer to make. Proofreading is the final stage of review before a manuscript goes into print. 

To ensure consistency, the editor keeps a style sheet: an alphabetical list of words or terms to be capitalized, italicized, hyphenated, spelled, or otherwise treated in any way unique to the manuscript. Examples of what could appear on a style sheet include special punctuation (He Who Must Not Be Named), preference for a variant spelling (acknowledgement as opposed to acknowledgment), the treatment of a made-up word (fuhgeddabouddit), or use of diacritical marks (Höller and not Hoeller or Holler). Changes that are made for consistency with established style do not need to be noted.