What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the act of reviewing the final draft for mistakes (also called copy editing). Plain and simple. This means if you’ve been asked to proofread material for work or for a friend, the content you’re reviewing has already been thoroughly edited. All you need to search for are misspelled words, missing punctuation, and formatting inconsistencies (indents, margins, etc.). 

So, what if your boss asks you, “Can you proofread this newsletter before it’s sent out?” What does he mean? Or what should he mean? In most cases, everyone’s definition of proofreading is similar, but there are varying opinions out there. Rest assured, proofreading is less involved than true editing. Usually, whatever you’re proofreading is the last and final draft.

​What’s the Definition of Proofreading?

By definition from "The Merriam-Webster Dictionary," proofreading is to read and mark corrections in a proof. By the way, that particular dictionary is what many in the publishing industry use. So, if you’re ever in doubt about the spelling of a particular word, go to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
​
What is editing? Editing is a roundabout term that includes proofreading, but a thorough edit includes checking the document’s sentence structure, clarity, appropriate word usage, the spelling of numbers, and much more. Not only that, but depending on what type of document is being edited, different style guides are used, such as the AP style or Chicago Manual of Style. Which style guide is right for you? That’s a topic for a different blog post. 

​In Conclusion

​If someone asks you to proofread a document, they’re simply asking you to look it over for small errors. And if you discover many mistakes, then the material probably needs to be fully edited by a professional editor.  

If you found this post helpful, please consider sharing it with someone you think would enjoy it too! If you're in need of an editor, contact us: YauponBerryPress@gmail.com.

Author

Dawn Husted progressed into offering her editing services to clients in 2016, eventually opening Yaupon Berry Press LLC.  She's constantly learning new ways of helping clients stay relevant in today’s market, whether by using an SEO strategy targeting high-trafficked keywords or simply fine-tuning their content. ​Dawn lives in central Texas with her husband, two energetic kids and an adorable golden retriever.

Related Blog Posts

SEO for Small Businesses

As a small business owner, when you hear SEO, you might silently roll your eyes. The thought of attempting to optimize your website to gain more "organic traffic" can be overwhelming. What does organic traffic mean? Reliablesoft.net defines it as the term used to describe visits to a website coming from a search engine's organic results and not [from] paid ads.

When referring to SEO in this blog post... [READ MORE]

Why You Need a Proofreader for Your Small Business

As you read this phrase, keep your eyes peeled for the error: Year Round Sports Club. Did you spot the mistake? The adjective “year round” needs a hyphen to make it grammatically correct: year-round. 

Today, while I drove my kids to school, I passed a particular sign advertising... [READ MORE]