Just finished writing your document? Congratulations! However, before it is truly a final product, it needs to be edited or proofread, or maybe both! Many people use the terms editing and proofreading interchangeably; however, they don’t mean the same thing, and they won’t produce the same results.
Knowing the difference between editing and proofreading is especially important when you intend to pay for the service.
Editing
Editing is the process of improving the overall quality of writing. It identifies issues at the core of the writing like document organization, structure, gaps in content, readability, consistency, clarity, and tone, and considers the perspective of the intended audience. Editing can cause extensive changes to text, while proofreading tends to result in minor, aesthetic or tonal adjustments.
Choose Shea’s editing services when:
- You are missing content or are unsure about the completion of your document.
- You want to address missing information and develop new content.
- Your document needs substantial revisions for clarity, logic, readability, and flow.
- You want an evaluation of the overall organization and presentation of your ideas.
- You need to rewrite content to suit the audience’s needs.
Proofreading
Proofreading is a surface-level check. It identifies errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, inconsistent terminology, and formatting. It requires advanced expertise in the English language and goes far beyond your spell-check feature. It is the final, final step before your document is complete. Proofreading services do not include editing; however, editing services can include proofreading.
Choose Shea’s proofreading services when:
- You are confident of the composition and structure of your document.
- You only require a sentence-level check to eliminate spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors.
- Your document does not require new content to be developed.
- Your document has been edited, and now needs a final check before completion.