What are copy-editing and proofreading?

What is copy-editing?

For fiction

Copy-editing includes:

Correcting errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Checking for very long sentences and the overuse of italic, bold, capitals, exclamation marks and the passive voice.
Looking for changes in tense, and changes from first to third person.
Keeping an eye on plot, pace and timeline: I will monitor the timeline to check it is accurate; I will check plot threads to ensure all are followed up (are there any holes in the plot?). Is your book one-paced or does the pace change throughout to create excitement?
Checking point of view: does POV stay with one character throughout, or do you head-hop?
Looking at characterisation: are your characters real? Are they believable? Do they have different voices? Is their dialogue realistic?
Checking that the material is appropriate for the intended reader – in style, content and length.
Creating a style sheet containing all the style decisions I have made.

For non-fiction

Copy-editing includes:

Correcting errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Checking for very long sentences and the overuse of italic, bold, capitals, exclamation marks and the passive voice.
Looking for changes in tense, and changes from first to third person.
Checking that the material is appropriate for the intended reader, in style, content and length.
Creating a style sheet containing all the style decisions I have made.
Checking that chapter/section titles match the contents list, that illustrations match the text, and that captions are appropriate.
Checking that references are accurate and consistently styled.
Rewording any confusing text to clarify the author’s meaning.
Checking that language is inclusive and appropriate for the reader.
Checking for any legal issues.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final quality check. It includes checking:

For more, see editing and proofreading guidelines on the CIEP website.