Copywriting for businesses and proofreading are the most popular in the business world, and the book publishing industry, newspapers and magazines, where manuscripts and articles go through a tiered editing process (they are passed through several eyes before they are proofed and printed). Nevertheless, branding companies who create marketing collateral such as brochures, letters, and blog posts need their copy edited and proofread too. That’s why they often employ the services of a freelancer or have an in-house copywriter, editor and proofreader to deliver copy that is clear and concise and meets the clients’ expectations.
A branding company usually focuses more on graphic designs, web designs, and product packaging designs; therefore, they do not have a rigorous editing process as most publishers do. In many cases, the only person who has seen the content before the copy editor and proofreader is the copywriter. And sometimes, there is only one copywriter who is also the one responsible for editing and proofreading copy.
Of course, both tasks are not as simple as they sound, even if you’re a great writer. While copy editing and proofreading are interchangeable–they both require meticulous attention to detail and advanced knowledge of grammar rules–there are some key differences between both tasks. Copy editing can be described as polishing the final draft of a document, whereas proofreading is more about doing the final check before the written material goes to print.
To be more specific, when it comes to copy editing, the focus is on the document as a whole–ensuring that the text is easy to understand. In this case, the copy editor has to research specific topics for accuracy, check on the structure of the sentences, look for inconsistencies in tone and formatting, and strike out inappropriate word choices and improper transitions. He or she also has to ensure that the text adheres to a style guide. For example, if there is a line in the document written like this:
For Example: The fifteen year old girl was pleased with Ann M. Martin’s Just a Summer Romance.
The copy editor would edit the sentence by hyphenating the age (fifteen-year-old) and italicizing the title of the author’s book (Just a Summer Romance) if using the Chicago Manual of Style. However, if the copy editor is following the AP Stylebook, he or she would make ‘fifteen’ a numeral (15) and put the book’s title in quotations (“Just a Summer Romance”). Copy editors can also make changes that have nothing to do with the rules in either style guide but will improve the readability of the text. Proofreading is the final step of the editing process and it involves minimal editing and modification. When reading through a document before it goes to print, the proofreader must catch the copy editor’s mistakes or check for errors that may have been missed during the copy-editing process. That means checking for inconsistencies in fonts and formatting and correcting typos, spacing, the incorrect numbering of pages and other minor errors.
If you have hired a branding company to design your website or pamphlets and are providing them with copy, you can expect them to copy edit and proofread it before they deliver the final proof to you. The last thing you want is to have your website go live or mail out thousands of pamphlets with one too many grammatical errors in them. You want your consumers to see your brand as one that is consistent in delivering clean and flawless products.
Copywriting for businesses is easy when you hire the right team. The overall goal with copy editing and proofreading written material is to deliver content that is clear, accurate, and most importantly,100 percent error-free. So, if possible, make sure your document has been copy-edited and proofread thoroughly before the world lays eyes on it! Contact us for a free consultation!
What's for Lunch?
