Rosemary explains the difference
The words ‘proofreading’ and ‘editing’ are often used interchangeably, but there is an important distinction you should know, especially when engaging a professional editor or proofreader. Knowing what kind of service you would like will give you a much better idea of the cost and the working time of your project.
The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) has a document that details the different standards of editing in Australia. As you will read there, editing includes a range of services from project management to copyediting. Proofreading has its own definition.
Proofreading is performed on documents that have already been edited and typeset into proofs and are otherwise ready for publication (or submission). A proofreader will slowly and carefully comb through the document and check each word and visual element to ensure that no errors or inconsistencies remain.
Proofreading is a whole workflow of its own when done properly, and it requires time, expertise and extreme focus. I do offer proofreading services as well as editing, but it attracts a separate fee. It is typically faster than copyediting, so the fee is usually less per 1000 words.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a ‘quick proofread’.
When copyediting, I do several passes of each paragraph and section as I go, and I do my best to ensure that no errors remain. However, there is no substitute for a second pass over the entire document, ideally separated by some amount of time, to find any outstanding issues with the copy or the visual elements.
Proofreading is the final layer of defence against typing and spelling errors, punctuation issues and visual inconsistencies before publishing.
In an ideal world, I would fully edit the document, send it back to you for review, then proofread the revised version before publishing.
If you require both editing and proofreading, I provide an estimate for each service.
Rosemary Mulray 