What’s the Difference Between Proofreading and Editing? (And Some Tips to Master Them)

Many clients of content writing firms or budding freelance editors are unaware of the significant difference between proofreading and editing and why they need to choose them. In addition, proofreading and editing services produce varying outcomes for content writers. So, potential consumers should know what they offer. 

Are you looking for the best content-writing services? Get in touch with us at Content Garrage, a content writing agency, to fulfil those needs. This blog explains it briefly and some tips to excel in it. Let us dive in.

Proofreading

Proofreading is generally considered the science of writing. It is the process of checking the written piece to identify spelling typos, incorrect punctuation, and grammar. It also detects inconsistencies in terminology, referencing, and formatting. Rather than significant modifications, proofreading usually results in simple aesthetic tweaks to the text.

Nevertheless, good proofreading necessitates experience and specialised knowledge to be productive, and it goes much beyond what your spell-checking application can do. It is mainly because our brain is incredibly capable of identifying errors automatically when we scan through a text. 

Any content writing project should have a proofreading process to ensure the text is free from errors before it goes for the main edit. Proofreading also allows you to recognise the mistakes that you make frequently and improve your writing. 

Editing

Editing is the art of writing compelling text. It involves changes to enhance the overall readability of a written piece and make it more interesting. It requires good creativity and consideration to trigger the reader’s feelings. As a result, editing causes extensive modifications to the content, raising queries such as:

Is it written in the correct tone?

Are there any overlong sentences or unnecessary words?

Have you written in passive voice?

Can the content structure be modified to make it more persuasive?

Have you used the proper words to communicate your message effectively?

Editing ensures the ideas and meaning of the content are conveyed to the audience in the most efficient manner. Editing should involve fact-checking to make sure the text is scientifically free from errors. Moreover, it offers another opportunity to check for grammar and spelling mistakes, just like proofreading. 

Now that you have learned about proofreading and editing. Here are 5 tips from Content Garrage on how to master them:

How to be a good editor?

#1. Ensure you apprehend the overall meaning and goal of the content before you begin your work.

#2. Read the content with the lens of a reader. Keep your hands away from the keyboard until you finish reading it once. 

#3. Reread it as an editor. Note down where the content fails to hit the mark and why. Is the introduction dull? Is the tone inconsistent? Can you understand every sentence? Is the flow of the content logical? Does the text reflect the style and voice of the brand? 

#4. Pause and then edit. Based on the progress, if the content needs significant changes, revert to your writer to modify. If not, proceed to make the corrections. 

#5. Review the content one last time to make sure it reads sounds well from the brand and audience’s perspective. 

How to proofread? 

#1. Review for understanding and flow. Although this can be addressed in the editing stage, proofreaders must go through the text for their knowledge to correct the content. If errors are identified at this stage, ensure it is fixed. 

#2. Check for good grammar in each sentence. Basic grammar like matching subject with the verb, sentence tense should be checked.

#3. Check for spelling errors in each word. This appears to be a lot simpler than it is. To effectively identify errors start reading from the bottom of the page and move up. This way, your brain will focus on each word and spot errors quickly. 

#4. Assess the text in printed form. Critique the final content to ensure it looks as it was planned. Is there any inappropriate line breaks? How is the consistency of topography? Does the body match with the title? 

#5. Read it for a final time. Before you forward it to the editor, scan through the content once to find any significant flaws and rectify them.

Proofreading and editing are crucial stages in the content writing process. It determines the quality of the published work. So next time you write content, keep this in mind to deliver excellent output. If you want your content to be written and edited by top-quality creators, look no further than Content Garrage.  We are the leading content marketing agency in India. Contact us to know more.