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Proofreading and editing are usually very different kinds of work, and as a consequence the finished product will be quite different too. From a client’s point of view, it is therefore very important to know the difference and to understand exactly what the editor or proofreader will be looking for as they go about their work.
Let’s talk about proofreading first. In simple terms, when you ask for your paper to be proofread, the result will be your own writing but with no spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes, and with all the inconsistencies ironed out. It is therefore important that you have very strong writing skills, because the proofreader is not going to improve the overall quality of your writing; the emphasis is placed solely on eliminating errors.
When I proofread a paper, I will often encounter sentences I don’t really like, even though they are technically correct. As a native English speaker, I could certainly rewrite that sentence to improve the clarity, or adjust the choice of words to more accurately represent the writer’s intentions, or simply enhance the flow of ideas. But the stylistic quality of the writing is not the concern of the proofreader, so I don’t. I focus only on ensuring that there are no mistakes and no inconsistencies – although I will sometimes send written feedback to the writer if I think there might be a problem that should be addressed.
I’ve mentioned inconsistencies twice now – and with good reason. Everyone understands and expects that a proofreader will correct the spelling, grammar, and punctuation (including technical terms I’ve never seen before, brand names which have quirky capital letter usage, Latin names which need to be double-checked, and cited author names which can’t just be assumed to be correct), but inconsistencies demand that the proofreader must decide upon certain standards and then ensure they are implemented throughout the paper.
For example, a decision may have to be made on the use of commas in lists (the Oxford comma – that comma before the ‘and’ before the final listed item). Sometimes they are necessary because they affect the meaning. Sometimes they are optional, as a matter of style. It is not always a matter of right or wrong, but their use must be consistent throughout the paper. Another example would be the use of words in a foreign language: we could use ‘soi’ or soi to indicate that the word is not English. Either would be fine, but again consistency throughout the document is vital. Decisions are also required on the use of capitalization in headings and sub-headings. Every word, or only the first word? And all the heading font sizes must also be checked to ensure they are used in the same pattern throughout the whole paper.
In general, however, papers which are submitted for proofreading should already be well-written and accurate – at close to the level of an educated native speaker – and the aim of the proofreader is to make changes only where something is actually incorrect, or inconsistent.
Editing, in contrast, is a much more time-consuming process because the objective is to deliver a final document which not only contains no errors, but which can also be considered well-written. Editing is therefore the service which is more suitable for a majority of non-native English writers in order to bring their work up to a standard which ultimately allows the reader to focus on the quality of the content rather than worry about the quality of the language.
The editor will pay attention to all the usual details, just as a proofreader would, but will then go much further. When I edit, my plan is simple: if it’s wrong, fix it; if I don’t like it, change it. The result will be a paper in which the English will be both correct and natural. However, that doesn’t mean the original writer can be lazy and simply wait for the editor to perform miracles and turn a poor piece of work into an outstanding one. Content and organization are also vital components in any written document, and the editor will not be making any changes to the ideas or information conveyed or to the overall structure of the document.
In conclusion, if you already write very well, but are worried about small mistakes, proofreading may be sufficient. However, if you want your writing to appear smooth and natural, with no mistakes, editing is the better choice.