Copyeditors

Copyeditors are publishing professionals who prepare text for release by ensuring clarity, consistency, and correctness. They review manuscripts, articles, books, and other materials for grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax, and usage, and verify adherence to a defined style. Their work may include improving sentence structure, tightening prose, and ensuring logical flow while preserving the author’s voice. In addition to surface edits, they may perform line editing, fact-checking, and consistency checks for terminology, capitalization, and house style.

Copyediting is distinct from proofreading and broader editing. Proofreading is typically the final pass to catch remaining errors, while editing can involve substantive changes to content and structure. Copyediting sits between these tasks, focusing on style, accuracy, and readability. Work is often guided by style guides such as Chicago, AP, MLA, or house conventions, and may involve querying authors about unclear points or disputed facts. Some copyeditors also check figures, references, and citations to ensure reliability.

Common duties include tracking changes, using editorial software, and collaborating with authors, editors, and designers. Technical copyeditors may handle field-specific terminology in legal, medical, scientific, or technical writing. Skills important to the role include strong language proficiency, attention to detail, critical thinking, and time management. Many copyeditors hold a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, or related fields and work as freelancers or in publishing houses, media companies, or corporate communications.