Proofreading, copyediting and copywriting – what’s the difference?

In a nutshell, quite a lot! To understand the difference between proofreading, copyediting and copywriting we first need to take a look at the content creation process.  

Think of your content as being on a journey. In the beginning there is the spark, the great idea. Then comes the detail and finally the finishing touches. Let’s delve a bit deeper into each skill…

Copywriting

The role of the copywriter is to create original, persuasive and engaging copy from scratch for a specific audience and purpose. There are many reasons you may wish to create copy, from website pages, blog posts and social media content through to newsletters, email campaigns and advertisements. Your copywriter will take your idea and transform it into effective content that resonates with your audience.

There are several elements to creating great copy that works. Fundamentally, it is knowing WHO your audience is, HOW to speak to them and understanding WHAT problem needs solving. From here, your copywriter can develop a strategic message that delivers consistency while aligning with your brand values.

A quick word on tone of voice and style guides…

If copywriting is the ‘WHAT’ of your message, then tone of voice is the ‘HOW’. When we talk about ‘tone of voice’ we are referring to the specific ‘personality’ behind the words, setting the emotional feel of your message. A consistent tone of voice will add depth and clarity to your writing, building trust and connection with your target audience.

You may be thinking what is a style guide and if so, why do I need one? Quite simply, a style guide focuses on the written aspects of communication and sits within your brand guidelines. By providing rules for grammar, punctuation, formatting and vocabulary your style guide will ensure consistency across all written content.

Now that you’ve created your raw copy you can continue on your writing journey to the copyediting and proofreading stages, where writing is elevated and refined.  

Copyediting

With your blank page filled, you can now begin refining your message. It is during this stage in the content creation process that the core quality of your writing will be addressed. Your copyeditor will refine your writing for clarity, flow and readability while ensuring consistency in tone and style, making sure your message lands with impact.  

Working alongside your brand guidelines and tone of voice you can expect your copyeditor to elevate your content to ensure consistency is achieved across all communication touch points, reflecting your brand’s personality. Your copyeditor will pick up on inconsistencies in the tiniest of details such as names, titles, dates and the use of abbreviations and acronyms. When a consistent approach is applied to writing it gives a professional touch, avoids the reader from being distracted and builds brand trust. Your writing will be refined so that your message not only reaches your audience but really resonates with them.  

This stage of the editing process will go beyond checking for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar and will focus on improving sentence structure and word choice, making your message more impactful. Text may be restructured so that it flows more smoothly and passages may be revised for clarity and concision. The aim here is to ensure your writing flows well for its intended purpose and is clear, consistent, credible and of course, error free. Expect content to be thoroughly reviewed for awkward phrasing, jargon and confusing sentences to improve readability and ensure the writing fits its intended purpose.

This stage of the editing process can really vary and could involve anything from a deep dive, picking up on factual inaccuracies and clunky sentence structure to a lighter edit to identify the odd typo.

Proofreading

Cue quality control! This is where the beady-eyed proofreader takes centre stage to perform a final quality check to catch any remaining errors that may have slipped through the net at the editing stage. As well as being on the lookout for errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar your editorial partner will also identify inconsistencies in formatting such as mixed fonts across headings and page numbers.

A fresh pair of eyes at this stage can be crucial to find those hidden errors which can be easily overlooked, no matter how many times you have checked the content. Working with your style guide, your proofreader will achieve consistent standards across all content, eliminating errors to result in flawless, professional content.  

 At a time when brands face increasing pressure to produce high quality, engaging content across multiple platforms, a skilled proofreader can be an invaluable addition to your team. Working with a professional proofreader means you no longer need to compromise on quality for the sake of quantity. The result? A brand that looks polished and professional.

The support of an editorial partner

Often the roles of copywriter, copyeditor and proofreader can become blurred. A trusted editorial partner will help you identify where you are on your writing journey and help define what support you need.

 If you think you may need support in creating, editing or polishing your content, I’d love to hear from you at heidi@copyperfect.co.uk