Copyediting

What Is Copyediting?

Copyediting (or copy editing) is what usually comes to mind when editing is brought up. It’s the revision of written material, such as novels, short stories, research papers, etc. Copyeditors (or copy editors) cannot rewrite any part of the text or add new text, as that counts as ghostwriting. Copyeditors can, however, make suggestions, point out inaccuracies, and fix small grammatical mistakes. This is done to improve upon the material's quality and readability, and to ensure that the text does not contain any errors.

All this may sound easy enough, but as with many things, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. Copyeditors must have a variety of skills in their repertoire, some of which are less obvious than others.

Knowledge of Proper Grammar

This one is fairly obvious. Sometimes writers get so focused on the content of their work and the message they want to convey that they will neglect smaller details such as commas and capitalization. It’s the copyeditor’s job to mark these errors for correction, usually with the help of a style guide. A style guide is a set of standards for writing and formatting that written material must follow. You may have heard of some of them: MLA, APA, Chicago, etc. Which style guide a copyeditor uses is determined by the client or organization they work for. Most literary publications will use Chicago. There are also in-house style guides, which are specific to individual publishers. It’s important for copyeditors to familiarize themselves with the style guide their employers want to implement, even if the style guide goes against prior grammatical knowledge they may have.

Education

As with every field, having a college degree helps considerably. Most copyeditors will have degrees in communications, journalism, or the language they want to edit in (e.g., English). Copyeditors may also seek additional degrees or certifications pertaining to certain fields if they think it will improve their ability to spot inaccuracies or misinformation. This is especially helpful for copyediting research papers, as some background knowledge in the subject of the paper would help in verifying information and data. Again, the copyeditor is not responsible for fixing these mistakes, but for pointing them out and making suggestions.

Other Skills

These are those less obvious, but no less significant skills. Knowledge of different software programs, such as Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and Adobe Suite, goes a long way. Copyediting was traditionally done on paper, but the advent of computers pretty much made that practice obsolete. Technology is constantly updating and changing, so staying on top of it is highly beneficial. Copyeditors must also be detail-oriented and have critical thinking skills. These help in spotting errors and recognizing when something isn’t worded as clearly as it could be. Once again, no fixing, just suggesting. Interpersonal skills are also key. As they work, copyeditors must keep three parties in mind: the author, the publisher, and the readers. Authors can get defensive over their works, publishers want the content they produce to follow certain standards or present a certain image, and the readers will be purchasing and consuming the finished product. Copyeditors are in contact with authors and publishers the most, ensuring that any edits and changes are in line with both of their visions for the publication. It’s important to think of the readers, too, as they are the ones for whom the publication is being produced. Copyeditors improve upon a work’s readability so that the readers can comprehend the message that the author and/or publisher wants to convey.

---

About the author: Bhagwati Narwate is working towards an English degree at Kennesaw State University. They have been published in their campus’ undergraduate literary magazine, Waymark. Their favorite genres to read and write are fantasy and romance. Once in a blue moon they will try their hand at poetry. Currently they are endeavoring to complete a novel while getting sidetracked by various short stories and side projects. You can find them on Instagram: @nar.writes.