What is Copy Editing?
Copy editing focuses on the technical level of your manuscript. Copy editors ensure that the writing and especially the grammar that appears on the page is in accordance with accepted industry standards.
Your BookBaby copy editor:
- Corrects any typos, especially spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax errors
- Fills in missing words
- Ensures consistency in spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts, and capitalization
- Flags ambiguous or factually incorrect statements (especially important for non-fiction)
- Tracks macro concerns like internal consistency and making sure your plot, setting, and character traits don’t have discrepancies
- Makes new paragraphs as needed to break up long passages.
Overall, your copy editor will impose a consistent style for the text. Most editors use The Chicago Manual of Style as preferred unless the work needs to conform to an academic convention such as APA, AMA, or MLA.
Copy editing vs. proofreading
Copy editing is the stage of editing where almost all mistakes should have been found and corrected. Copy editors look at every sentence, word, letter and punctuation marks and expect to make substantial – yet small – changes to the manuscript. Proofreading is the final stage, where an experienced proofreader brings a new set of eyes to document. While it’s hoped that few errors have made it through the various editing stages, proofreaders often save authors from embarrassing and simple mistakes.
Copy editing services at BookBaby
When you work with our team of professional editors through BookBaby, you can expect efficient copy editing results. We’ll have your copy edits ready in about 6-8 business days, so you’ll have your book ready to get into the hands of readers in no time.