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intended audience; therefore, they ask questions such as where the document will be published and who will read it, and they edit accordingly. Proofreading, rather, is required during the last stage of the editing process. Its scope is limited, as the proofreaders focus only on reading the text to ensure the document is error-free and ready for publication. Proofreading generally focuses on correcting any final typos, spelling errors, stylistic inconsistencies (e.g., whether words or numerals are used for numbers), and punctuation errors.
345:, and vice versa. Although there is necessarily some overlap, proofreaders typically lack any real editorial or managerial authority, but they may mark queries for typesetters, editors, or authors. To set expectations before hiring proofreaders, some employers post a notice that the job advertised is not a writing or editing position and will not become one. Creativity and critical thinking by their very nature conflict with the strict copy-following discipline that
214:, the defining procedure of a proofreading service is to work directly with two sets of information at the same time. Proofs are then returned to the typesetter for correction. Correction-cycle proofs will typically have one descriptive term, such as "bounce", "bump", or "revise" unique to the department or organization and used for clarity to the strict exclusion of any other. It is a common practice for
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301:. If a customer has already proofread the contents of a file before submitting it to a publisher, there will be no reason for another proofreader to re-read it from the copy (although this additional service may be requested and paid for). Instead, the publisher is held responsible only for formatting errors, such as typeface, page width, and alignment of
227:"Copy holding" or "copy reading" employs two readers per proof. The first reads the text aloud literally as it appears, usually at a comparatively fast but uniform rate. The second reader follows along and marks any pertinent differences between what is read and what was typeset. This method is appropriate for large quantities of
361:
Copy editing and proofreading are parts of the same process; each is necessary at a different stage of the writing process. Copy editing is required during the drafting stage. The copy editors polish the text for precision and conciseness. They attempt to understand the purpose of the writing and the
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proofreading requires. Thus, proofreading and editing are fundamentally separate responsibilities. In contrast to proofreaders, copy editors focus on a sentence-by-sentence analysis of the text to "clean it up" by improving grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and structure. The copy editor is
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Checklists are common in proof-rooms where there is sufficient uniformity of product to distil some or all of its components into a list. They may also act as a training tool for new hires. Checklists are never comprehensive, however: proofreaders still have to find all mistakes that are
286:"Double reading" is when a single proofreader checks a proof in the traditional manner and then another reader repeats the process. Both initial the proof. With both copy holding and double reading, responsibility for a given proof is necessarily shared by the two proofreaders.
206:("printer's errors"), as a result of human error during typesetting. Traditionally, a proofreader looks at an portion of text on the copy, compares it to the corresponding typeset portion, and then marks any errors (sometimes called "line edits") using
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and verbal shortcuts that accompany their reading. The spoken word "digits", for example, means that the numbers about to be read are not words spelled out; and "in a hole" can mean that the upcoming segment of text is within
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such corrections, no matter how slight, to be sent again to a proofreader to be checked and initialled, thus establishing the principle of higher responsibility for proofreaders as compared to their typesetters or artists.
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An equivalent function continues in specialist scientific, technical and mathematical publications, where complex notations or diagrams are transcribed from manuscripts to electronic document form using specialist
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174:, material is generally provided in electronic form, traditional typesetting is no longer used and thus (in general) this kind of transcription no longer occurs.
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289:"Scanning" is used to check a proof without reading it word for word, has become common with computerization of typesetting and the popularization of
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297:. Before the data in a Word file can be published, it must be converted into a format used by the publisher. The end product is usually called a
309:; and production errors such as text inadvertently deleted. To simplify matters further, a given conversion will usually be assigned a specific
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279:". Mutual understanding is the only guiding principle, so codes evolve as opportunity permits. In the above example, two thumps after
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Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before
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This article is about the detection and correction of transcription errors in typeset work. For proofreading in DNA replication, see
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usually the last editor an author will work with. Copy editing focuses intensely on style, content, punctuation,
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process. In the past, proofreaders would place corrections or proofreading marks along the margins. In modern
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Process by which transcription errors in a written or printed material are detected and removed
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where it is assumed that there will be comparatively few mistakes.
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The term "proofreading" is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to
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781:. London, Paris: Egoist Press, John Rodker. pp. 116–117.
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might be acceptable to proofreaders familiar with the text.
261:(He said the address was 1234 Central Blvd., and to hurry!)
34:. For identification of errors in grammar or spelling, see
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mentioned or described, thus limiting their usefulness.
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495: – Standard for writing and design of documents
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75:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
692:"Copy That: The Categories and Classes of Editing"
718:"Editing vs. Proofreading: What's The Difference"
489: – Verifies color on press v. color proof.
370:Examples of proofreaders in fiction include:
187:A "galley proof" (familiarly, "a proof") is a
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561:(11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
507: – Support group of like-minded writers
448: – Document technically ready to print
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824:Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders
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472: – Standard symbols for proofreading
135:Learn how and when to remove this message
460: – Common metal-type printing error
234:Experienced copy holders employ various
614:"Proofreading Marks and What They Mean"
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517:
411:Under the headline "Orthographical" in
454: – Web-based proofreading project
268:he said the address was digits 1 2 3 4
483: – Editors' marks on manuscripts
150:is an iterative process of comparing
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73:adding citations to reliable sources
775:Joyce, James (1922). "Chapter 7]".
817:The Importance of the Proof-reader
383:), a 1989 novel by Nobel laureate
376:The History of the Siege of Lisbon
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785:from the original on 2021-01-20
757:from the original on 2023-02-28
728:from the original on 2021-09-10
624:from the original on 2023-03-09
435:" features a robot proofreader.
60:needs additional citations for
400:the short story "Evermore" in
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800:Facsimile copy at Archive.org
337:Proofreading and copy-editing
501: – Aspect of typography
389:the short story "Proofs" in
358:, and consistency of usage.
208:standard proofreaders' marks
973:List of proofreader's marks
381:Historia do Cerco de Lisboa
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476:List of proofreaders marks
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395:Proofs and Three Parables
572:Levy B, Begin J (1984).
452:Distributed Proofreaders
263:would be read aloud as "
859:Book publishing process
747:"Guide to Proofreading"
558:Encyclopædia Britannica
277:comma and to hurry bang
690:ProofreadingCamp.com.
578:Memory & Cognition
487:Press check (printing)
32:Proofreading (biology)
893:intellectual property
820:by John Wilson (1901)
643:"Proofreaders' Marks"
552:"Proof-Reading"
154:against the original
922:Developmental editor
917:Commissioning editor
889:Contract negotiation
499:Typographical syntax
204:typographical errors
69:improve this article
38:. For the song, see
901:rates, format, etc.
223:Alternative methods
883:Publisher's reader
698:on August 26, 2014
679:on April 29, 2010.
673:"Company timeline"
591:10.3758/BF03213351
421:, the protagonist
243:. "Bang" means an
183:Traditional method
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125:February 2009
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792:– via
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751:Editor World
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730:. Retrieved
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647:the original
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626:. Retrieved
618:Editor World
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464:Galley proof
446:Camera-ready
433:Galley Slave
429:Isaac Asimov
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343:copy editing
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67:Please help
62:verification
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963:Typesetting
932:Book editor
868:preparation
493:Style guide
413:James Joyce
323:publication
249:initial cap
241:parentheses
191:version of
168:typesetting
156:manuscripts
874:Submission
789:2021-09-10
761:2023-02-28
732:2021-09-10
702:August 25,
653:2009-06-16
628:2023-03-09
533:References
404:(1996) by
366:In fiction
347:commercial
317:Checklists
299:conversion
197:manuscript
172:publishing
95:newspapers
670:See 1983
525:software.
281:buluhvuhd
274:buluhvuhd
265:in a hole
210:. Unlike
18:Proofread
1026:Category
1006:Trimming
991:Printing
958:Indexing
946:Prepress
783:Archived
755:Archived
726:Archived
622:Archived
470:ISO 5776
440:See also
311:template
200:document
1011:Imprint
1001:Binding
996:Folding
907:Editing
899:royalty
778:Ulysses
600:6533431
481:Obelism
418:Ulysses
356:grammar
303:columns
271:central
189:typeset
109:scholar
953:Design
895:rights
598:
397:(1992)
307:tables
257:period
111:
104:
97:
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722:Enago
658:from
512:Notes
253:comma
236:codes
195:or a
116:JSTOR
102:books
866:Copy
704:2014
596:PMID
349:and
295:Word
193:copy
88:news
586:doi
393:'s
331:not
305:in
216:all
158:or
71:by
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