Glossary · Writing & editing
What is copyediting?
Definition
Copyedit: Copyediting corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, consistency and factual slips in a manuscript, usually against a style guide.
A copyedit makes the text correct and consistent. The copyeditor fixes grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage, and checks consistency throughout: character names and descriptions, timelines, capitalisation, hyphenation, numbers, and whether you wrote "OK" on page 12 and "okay" on page 200. In nonfiction they may also query facts, quotations and references.
Most copyeditors work to a style guide — in US trade publishing, commonly The Chicago Manual of Style — and build a style sheet for your book that records decisions such as spellings, character names and how numbers are written. Keep that style sheet; it is useful for the proofreader and for later books in a series.
Decide on US or British English (or another variety) before the copyedit. Books for Indian readers often follow British spelling conventions, but choose deliberately and be consistent.
Copyediting comes after developmental and line editing, when the content is stable, and before typesetting. A copyedit is not the final check: once the book is laid out, a proofread catches remaining typos and any errors introduced by formatting. Hiring the same person for both is possible, but a fresh pair of eyes for the proofread catches more.