Copyediting

what is Copyediting?

What is included?

Copyediting is carried out on a completed manuscript. It sometimes follows on from a content or development edit, but not always. When you’re searching for an editor they should be able to tell you if they feel you need developmental or content editing prior to this stage. 

Copyediting focuses on sentence level issues and things that interrupt the flow of the words. Do lots of the paragraphs start in the same way or with the same words? Are all your characters smiling and nodding? Is character A suddenly aware of character B’s thoughts? is your character laying when they should be lying?  

Copyediting also looks at punctuation such as capitalization, comma placement, ellipses, and the styling of dashes. 

  • Grammar and adherence to style
  • Punctuation 
  • Syntax and suggestions to resolve issues
  • Redundant, misused, and overused words
  • Tense changes, head hopping, and POV issues
  • Plot holes queried to work on

Time, process, and cost

A copyedit on 80,000 words takes between ten and twelve working days. 

I will work on your manuscript either through Google Docs or Word with comments and suggestions left for you to work on.

  On the initial pass, I will read the manuscript marking for the issues above. Some changes will be made silently (e.g. additions of punctuation, capitalisation etc.). 

Once I have read and marked your manuscript, I will return it for you to review. The manuscript can then be returned to me with any areas that have been amended marked up for me to check over.

When the manuscript is returned to me, I will do final checks regarding continuity of style, checks on name spellings, and removing extra spaces etc. 

The clean copy will then be returned to you for your next steps towards publication. 

Copyediting is priced at 0.004pw