To the majority of writers, including myself, it may seem challenging to ascertain, right after the rather intensive writing process, that acceptable levels of quality and accuracy have been achieved.
In my experience, often when I am both physically exhausted and mentally drained after producing a writing draft, I tend to get somewhat distracted and thus overlook some errors; in other cases, I find it hard to position myself in a neutral, third-person perspective and to review my own work with a fresh pair of eyes. This is the moment, I suppose, when skilled help should be actively sought from proofreaders and copyeditors to save us some time and to make our lives easier.
Proofreading and copyediting are both editing in nature, however, to understand the difference between them, we should first look at what a “copy” is and when a “proof” is produced along the publication line.
What is a “copy”?
In the context of The Languaging Lab, a “copy” is the raw written material you produced, which could be considered as the first drafts you have written.
What do copyeditors do?
Copy-editors edit copy. The primary task involves getting the written draft ready for publication by dealing with words and other linguistic elements in it and sorting out all related problems.
How about a “proof”?
After changes have been made by a copyeditor, proofreaders will perform a quality check on the “proof” by assessing whether the changes made are necessary and effective. A “proof” is almost the final version and is where last-minute changes and/or minor corrections are marked before printing (or a submission deadline).
How am I supposed to choose amongst the three types of editing service you offer?
At The Languaging Lab, editing service packages are designed to meet the various needs of different writers. The three-tier editing solutions are included in: Proofreading & Editing Services, and Manuscript Copyediting Services.
They differ in the breath and depth of editing work to be done or, simply put, the number/extent of changes to be made.
In other words, if you are quite confident with your work and need no more than an extra pair of eyes to look at it, a Proofreading service would suffice; however, if you struggle constantly and considerably with words, then I believe an Editing service would be more suitable to your personal needs.
Perhaps you might also want to know that, whenever you order an editing service, you may choose to have it upgraded by selecting from the top-up options such as formatting the list of reference/bibliography according to the chosen style.
I look forward to working with you!
Edison Tam MA MCIL CL is a Translator, Proofreader, and Copyeditor (zh-hk/en) who works with students, independent non-fiction writers, academic researchers, and clients from businesses and organisations of all sizes.
He is Chartered Linguist and Member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL), and has undergone wide-ranging academic training in Business, Modern Languages, and Applied Linguistics in Hong Kong, London, and Barcelona.
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