What is the Differences between a Proofreader and a Copy Editor?

Korekta 

The phrase korekta refers to the process of evaluating page proofs (an early mechanical print of the manuscript). Page proofs depict the publication’s final layout as it will appear in print. Thus, while many people consider proofreading to be a strictly editorial role of checking for typos, spelling, and other errors, it is much more than that.

A proofreader, proof-reader, or proof reader functions similarly to the inspectors at the end of the production line. Traditionally, they would take a proof  and check over it to ensure no errors had slipped in. Nowadays, with the proliferation of digital publication, many proofreaders will work exclusively from Microsoft Word or similar document processing software.

So it can be said that it is the final polishing step before sending your final files to the printers or digital press. Assuring that your work is free of minor spelling and punctuation issues elevates your writing to the professional level demanded in today’s competitive publishing world. Many authors even hire multiple proofreaders, ensuring that no errors get through the cracks and providing an additional level of assurance for the author.

Confusion has emerged as a result of the fact that so many people are now active in “publishing” but lack any publishing expertise or education. As a result, they simply use the term korekta to refer to a last examination of material. However, a true proofreader (again, examining page proofs) is searching for a number of issues, not just in the text, but also in the layout, such as the following:

• Margin inconsistency
• Line, paragraph, as well as page breaks are all incorrect
• Excessive use of hyphens
• Streams of white space within the text serve as a diversion
• Headers and footers are missing or wrong.
• Inappropriate images
• Images and components that are supposed to “bleed” off the page but do not (or not enough)
• Paragraph styles incorrectly applied
• Credits for missing photographs
• Inappropriate branding (e.g., logo displayed in the wrong format)

That’s why proofreading should be the very last step before sending the files to the printer. This is also why, at higher levels of publication (with larger expenditures), proofreading is frequently performed by a team of individuals, including members of the art department with an eye for visual layout issues.

That’s why proofreaders should be familiar with not only editorial style standards (CMS, AP, etc. ), but also publisher-specific visual style guides. Finally, and to be clear, some publishers may utilize proofreading at the conclusion of both the manuscript and production (layout) phases. Thus, there is a legitimate reason for anxiety.

Copy Editing

In contrast, copy editing occurs prior to proofreading and is limited to the text (not the layout). Copy editing occurs toward end of the manuscript stage and entails the ability to make editorial changes with discernment and autonomy. Proofreaders do not make modifications; they simply indicate them for the appropriate person’s attention.

A copy editor is similar to a language mechanic; they will delve underneath the hood of your manuscript or book, fine-tune the language to best accomplish your goals, and correct factual inaccuracies, spelling errors, and grammatical faults, among other things. In general, they will avoid large-scale difficulties such as characterisation, storyline, or pacing; instead, they will go line by line through the text, focusing on all the small details you may have overlooked.. They will guard your style and tone against inadvertent sudden shifts in tone and style across sections. They will assemble your book page by page.

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