Copyediting

What is copyediting?

Copyediting is about making corrections to ensure your writing is clear, consistent, and correct. This includes everything from checking the timeline of your novel all adds up to making sure words like “co-operate” are hyphenated consistently throughout (or not!) and correcting any spelling errors that crop up.

It generally takes place before a final proofread, though in self-publishing it may be combined with a proofread if the manuscript is already relatively clean.

What’s included in this service?

A detailed line-by-line edit of your manuscript, checking the following:

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes
Clarity
Consistency (e.g. of spelling, hyphen use)
Tone and appropriateness for your target audience
Sentence and paragraph structure
Repetition that could be avoided
Awkward phrasing that could be improved
Timeline checking
Basic fact-checking

I’ll work in Word or OpenOffice, making corrections with track changes and adding comments where necessary or helpful.

I’ll also include a style sheet recording key style decisions (“OK” vs “okay” etc.) as well as character and place descriptions and a timeline to help ensure consistency and logic throughout the novel. This style sheet is especially useful if your book is part of a planned series as it can be used to ensure consistency in all of the future books too!

What does a copyedited manuscript look like?

See below an example of a manuscript in Word with the types of corrections and comments I might make during a copyedit.

(Best viewed in a desktop browser. Images and embedded files may not load correctly on mobile or tablet.)

Ready for a copyedit?

Great! You can send me a message here.

If you’re looking for another type of editing, check out all the services I offer here.

TESTIMONIAL

“I’ve worked with Kate twice now for a copyedit, and she’s done a remarkable job both times. She’s very kind, communicative, and professional. She took what I wrote and elevated it to a more professional standard. I felt she went above and beyond what I expected. I have nothing but great things to say about this collaboration, and I hope to work with her again!”
MICHAEL PROCOPIO, AUTHOR OF THE ‘ÁLVAREZ-MORENO FILES’ CONTEMPORARY PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES

Partner Member - Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)

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