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I'll gloss over the fact I've been incredibly shoddy at keeping up with this blog (okay, I abandoned it completely in favour of spending my time watching True Blood, drinking cab sav and building Duplo towers for my son to knock down), and will move swiftly on to Perfectly Write's news.

Last year I set up a dedicated book critique website at www.bookcritique.co.uk, which once more challenged my skills in Dreamweaver to the point of rage/tears/despression.

And amid such web design efforts (quite literally) and a great range of projects - from ghosting the memoirs of a phone sex worker to developing books like Anger Management For Dummies (handy!) – I've finally started work on my book: the co-authored title How to Succeed as a Freelancer in Publishing (published by How To Books, autumn 2010). I'm enjoying the writing process, and the experience of co-authoring with the lovely Emma Murray. No doubt I'll share plenty more about the book in future blogs.

The difference between proofreading and copy-editing

I write a column for InPrint, the magazine of the Society of Young Publishers. The following is a column from earlier this year that explains the difference between proofreading and copy-editing in the world of publishing.

Freelance glance

I’m commonly asked to explain the difference between a copy editor and a proofreader and my answer is this: A proofreader ensures accuracy and style consistency; a copy editor goes one step further and also improves the text. Clear as mud? Read on.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the last stage in a book’s editorial process - the final check-through before it’s handed over to the typesetter/printer. To ensure effective proofreading, the book should be in pretty good shape when it arrives on the proofreader’s desk, having been professionally copy-edited beforehand. Thus the proofreader focuses on spotting those odd mistakes that have slipped through the net, rather than being inundated with a sea of errors that overloads the eyes, making it much harder to spot each and every problem.

Proofreaders look at two areas as they read: accuracy and consistency. Firstly, proofreaders correct errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar: catching all the misspellings, spotting that misplaced apostrophe and sorting dodgy verb agreements. We also check things like page numbers, headings, formatting and references, and may be asked to verify facts and indexes as well.

Secondly, proofreaders are sticklers for consistency. We bring the text neatly into line, ensuring a consistent style is applied in areas such as capitalisation, italicisation, hyphenation, punctuation, spelling styles and formatting. Elements such as numbers, abbreviations, titles, bulleted and numbered lists, and tables and figures must adhere to one global style, usually laid down by the publisher.

Copy-editing

A copy editor improves text, as well looking at accuracy and consistency in the same way as a proofreader. There are varying levels and styles of copy-editing, and a copy editor must be flexible and edit according to the publisher’s preferences. Work on the text may be light or intensive, restrained or hands-on. When I copy-edit, a publisher may give me free rein to roll my sleeves up and undertake major restructuring and rewriting, or I may correct only the most awkward phrasing and diplomatically suggest larger improvements in separate comments.

So what exactly does a copy editor focus on? Well, it varies depending on the style and level of edit, but the job typically includes looking at the overall consistency and effectiveness of the plot, characterisation and structure; considering the author’s voice and its interpretation by the reader; watching out for anything that may be offensive, inaccurate or on a shaky legal footing; and, of course, addressing any weak areas of writing. A copy editor may also be expected to take on jobs like laying out material; liaising with designers and typesetters; choosing artwork and arranging permissions; and managing budgets - it all depends on how the publisher defines the scope of the role.

Different publishers expect different things from their freelance copy editors, and an editor must carefully follow the publisher’s instructions. This means that if the publisher commissions me to do a light edit only, that’s exactly what I do - even if I’m itching to rework sections that I can see could be improved. Editing with restraint is hard work at times, but just as the customer is always right in business, so the publisher is king in the world of editorial freelancing.

Keeping to editorial guidelines, however, doesn’t preclude intelligent copy-editing, by which I mean discussing with the publisher any major issues you can see that fall outside the remit of your edit. Most publishers appreciate perceptive copy editors who flag up important issues. Laying out exactly when and how a copy editor should do this is impossible: intelligent copy-editing is about intuitively adapting to each publisher’s style and knowing where the boundaries lie. It’s about effective communication and, above all, a careful and sensitive approach.

Proofreading and copy-editing sound like cushy numbers - reading books for a living. The reality is not all that easy - knowing the English language inside out; reading material several times over at an eye-wateringly slow pace; being permanently unable to turn off ‘editor mode’ when you want to read for yourself, for pleasure; and understanding when to change something, and when to steer well clear.

Both copy editors and proofreaders are writers at heart - they have to know how to write and what constitutes good writing in order to spot mistakes and improve others’ words. But this improvement must be made with sensitivity and respect for the author’s voice, and this is the true challenge of proofreading and copy-editing. Both proofreaders and copy editors must be chameleons – matching their style to the author’s as they work and always taking care not to tread on the author’s toes and impose their personal preferences and style on the text. We must know when to step back, when to respect the creativity of the writer, when to simply let go.

Proof of my SEO writing skill . . .

Several months ago, I rewrote the copy and meta tags on my website to improve SEO for my site. Today, I was thrilled to see my hard work had paid off and Perfectly Write had climbed high in search engine rankings.

On Yahoo, I was either second or first for UK searches on the following terms: proofreader, copy editor, proofreader editor, proofreader London, proofreader Kent, copy editor London, copy editor Kent and copywriter Kent. On Lycos, I was first for three of these terms, second for three, and fourth for two. On Google, my page rank for these terms ranged from first to 20th. For almost every result on the three search engines, I was placed above any other commercial website that offers copywriting, copy-editing and proofreading services.

So clearly the SEO writing that I employ on my website and its code does the trick. I'm glad, because this helps reassure my clients that my formula for SEO copywriting is tried, tested and proven.

Now I'm off for some fish and chips to celebrate . . .

Should a copy editor only edit copy?

In a nutshell, no. A copy editor also needs to think about the content of what they read, and look for inconsistencies or inaccuracies. Often, I find problems with text that my client missed entirely, and even if they hire me simply to tidy language, I always feel it's part of my job to flag up other stuff that jumps out at me. So although 'All women hate chocolate' is grammatically fine, I'd still be writing a note for this sentence that says something along the lines of 'Really? Are you sure? Is this a fact?'

Think editor, think detective

Being a copy editor is much more than just looking for spelling mistakes or rephrasing an awkward sentence. Copy-editing is about being a detective and tracking down mistakes and inconsistencies and flights of pure fantasy (in a non-fantastical genre).

I confess, it's an element of the job I rather enjoy: getting to page 67 and declaring Ah-ha, why is this character casually eating peanuts when on page 22 we're told he's allergic, or Hang on, how can she be admiring the sunset when she's just finished lunch?

Such detective work is a key element of an expert copy-editing service - your words may be beautifully crafted and free from typos, but a reader will be frustrated by inconsistencies and factual errors (such as setting a book in the Peak District but describing flat-as-a-pancake vistas throughout).

Professional copy-editing demands high levels of concentration, an enquiring mind, the ability to retain snippets of information from many pages ago and cross-reference against the current page, and having and building upon general knowledge so factual inaccuracies jump out.

It's all in a day's work for a freelance copy editor.

Proofreading/copy-editing before approaching publishers . . . it's essential.

Occasionally, I'll come across an author who'll tell me the following: I don't need to have my book proofread or edited before I send it out to agents and publishers. I know it's great, and I've proofread it myself and caught all the mistakes. Besides, there's no point doing too much to the text as the publisher will have an in-house copy-editor and proofreader who will do all that for me. Why should I pay to have someone work on the story or style and weed out any mistakes when the publisher will do it for me? It's a waste of time and money.

Gently, I have to break it to them that this approach is very, very, very unlikely to result in a published book. Firstly, you're unlikely to get past the slush pile if the publisher's reader is faced with typos, inconsistencies and issues in the style and content. A rare few may get through this on the basis of being a fabulous idea, but not many - what publisher wants to spend the time (and money) weeding out all those basic problems? If your book is littered with mistakes and problems, these will stand out a mile to the publisher and put them off greatly.

Secondly, you want the publisher to be impressed by both you and your book. They want to deal with a professional writer, and presenting an error-free manuscript is the ideal way to convey this. It's true that some books you see on the bestseller lists have been heavily edited and proofread in-house, but if you want to sell your book to a publisher, why not save them much of that effort?

Finally, no matter how well you think you've edited and proofread your book, unless you are a professional writer and editor, I can assure you there will still be mistakes and problems. You're too close to your own book to see the issues, and a professional proofreader and copy-editor will be looking for things you may never have thought of.

By all means edit and proof the book as much as you can, but if you are serious about getting that book published, let an expert take a look as well.

Should copywriters, copy-editors and proofreaders be experts in the material?

This is a common question. Clients often feel reassured hiring a writer, editor or proofreader with a background in the genre of the material.

Obviously, this makes the process easier, but I'm always keen to show clients that any copywriter, copy editor and/or proofreader worth their salt will be flexible and practised in researching their subject matter. Thanks to the Internet, checking facts and reading up on particular areas is easier than ever, and most editorial and writing professionals refer to a bulging shelf of reference books, dictionaries and style guides.

You'll often be hard-pushed to find a freelance writer or editor with an exact background that matches your material, and for that very reason freelance writing and editing is all about adaptability and learning new things daily. Part of the make-up of a successful professional editor and writer is their research ability, and their willingness and commitment to making the effort to learn about new things.

For copywriting there are, of course, some areas where a specialist writer may be required, but the majority of copy can be provided by a skilled and flexible copywriter. For copy-editing and proofreading, there are few limits on the type of material suitable. Editing and proofreading is a process applicable to all material, and as long as a thorough dictionary or glossary is available, there is no reason why a professional copy editor and proofreader can't effectively and efficiently check the material.

Flexibility creates variety, and it is this essential component of the editor and writer's job that I enjoy most. This year alone I've gained a wealth of knowledge, an eclectic mix that demonstrates my adaptability as a freelance proofreader, editor and writer. Here's a snapshot: Romans, parenting, animation, property investment, drugs awareness, GCSE curricula, pesticide testing, anxiety, gardening, environment, economics, grammar, Doctor Who, football, muses, digital marketing. And that's just the non-fiction . . .

The difference between copywriting, copy-writing and copy writing

This is where most of my clients come unglued - hyphenated (copy-writing), spaced (copy writing) and compound (copywriting) words.

If you look at my website, you'll see my three key services are exactly these sorts of tricky words: copywriting (copy-writing, copy writing), copy-editing (copy editing, copyediting) and proofreading (proof-reading, proof reading) - and this includes permutations like copywriter, copy editor and proofread.

Sometimes, this is a matter of style and is open to interpretation; sometimes there is a right style and a wrong style. So how do you know the difference? Two words: the dictionary.
Copyediting, for example, is not correct, but copy editing and copy-editing are, although most dictionaries agree the correct style is copy-editing.

Because there are no clear rules governing styles such as these, you're only hope of getting it 'perfectly write' is to pick a dictionary, and then stick with its particular style. I use Oxford style (although you may go with Chambers or Penguin), which means I style my services copywriting, copywriter, copy-editing, copy editor, copy edit, proofreading, proofreader, proofread.

The golden rule, however, is consistency. Pick a style for a word or phrase, check it in a dictionary, then stick with it in your writing. Nothing is more off-putting for a reader than a copywriting service by a professional copy-writer.

My favourite kind of phone call

There’s nothing that brightens my day more than a call from an author I’ve worked with telling me a publisher is interested in their book. Today one of my authors has been contacted by three reputable publishers asking for more, more, more material and meetings.

I know from my own writing that books are often your babies, and it’s very hard to let someone else in to offer advice or improvements. This particular client is a real gem who welcomes my comments, changes and creative ideas, and trusts my expertise.

She had already sent these stories to the publishers in question before working with me, and been rejected. Which just goes to show the benefits of letting a copy-editor and proofreader help – publishers are interested in books that are accurate, consistent and properly laid out, as well as being well-written, of course.

I share her excitement and pride and wish her much luck in her journey ahead.

What's your style based on?

One of the most important jobs for a proofreader and copy-editor is to ensure text is consistent. So if on page one of my website I’m a proofreader, copy-editor and copywriter, on page two I can’t be a proof-reader, copyeditor and copy writer (note the spacing and hyphenation).

That’s why it’s essential to stick to one style of writing.

When I started proofreading and editing, I bought myself some lovely huge reference books – now well thumbed and somewhat tatty. I chose Oxford because I particularly like their style, and they publish a wealth of guides answering just about every language question under the sun. They’ve been about a very long time, they know their stuff and their style is popular in printed material.

So when I’m writing or editing, I base my style on Oxford. I have a style sheet I’ve built up over the years with notes on grammar, punctuation and spelling, and I add to this pretty much daily.

There’s only one element of Oxford style I don’t apply – the use of z rather than s as in realise and realize. My feeling is that British English isn’t quite ready for this development – I’ve tried it out once or twice and invariably the response from my client is, ‘But it’s American!’

Although my personal taste is for Oxford style, I also edit within other styles for clients when they ask. One of my clients prefers using Chambers, which is fine – as long as your style is consistent, it’s not important which dictionary you work from.

Invest in a big dictionary – when you’re not using it to help with your writing, it will come in very useful as a step for changing lightbulbs (so that’s why mine are so tatty!).