Business editing, a complete guide
Learn about how business editing services can help your organization. Find out about the process of reviewing, revising, and enhancing business content including reports, website copy, ebooks, documents, emails, marketing materials, advertising, social media posts, company blog posts, and more
Business editing is a professional service that will edit, revise, rewrite, and review your business writing so it’s perfect for your audience. Business editing is ideal for multiple types of copy including reports, website copy, ebooks, documents, emails, marketing materials, advertising, social media posts, company blog posts, and more.
A writer provides content to a business editing service. A business editor will strengthen the writing, enhance key points, ensure readability and consistency, remove duplication and ambiguity, and improve understanding and organization.
Business editing will:
Enhance accuracy and readability for your audience.
Remove errors and mistakes and enhance trust in your company.
Improve focus and sharpen your key points.
Make your content easier to understand.
Explain your business ideas, products, and services in an effective way.
Here are the questions we’ll answer in this comprehensive guide to business copy editing:
What’s included in a business editing service?
What’s not typically included in business editing?
Will business copy editing fix all the errors in my copy?
Can you explain the benefits of editorial services for business?
What is the difference between business editing and business proofreading?
How can business editing improve my work?
What are the main principles of editing for business?
What is the business editing process?
Will business editing completely change my work?
Can I edit my own business content?
How much does business editing cost?
Shouldn’t I get the cheapest option when choosing an editing service for my business?
The terms business copy editing and business editing are interchangeable, and we’ll use both in this guide.
Get an instant quote for my business editing services
What’s included in a business editing service?
Business copy editing ensures that your written content presents your business in the best possible way. This means reviewing and editing your content from the end reader’s perspective and making changes to enhance and polish the writing.
Business editing can be used for many different types of your company’s content including web copy, presentations, marketing materials, business documents, blog articles, case studies, white papers, emails, newsletters, advertising, social media, policies, processes, procedures, RFPs, training materials, staff manuals, and much more.
The work a copy editor completes when they’re providing editorial services for your business can include:
Carrying out minor rewriting of sentences, paragraphs, and sections to highlight your most important messages like your business ideas, products, services, and other areas.
Moving around sections of text so your business content flows logically from point to point.
Understanding the positioning and context of your writing and your audience so that the copy will “land” with the right people in the right way.
Reviewing your business copy for any confusing or ambiguous language and explaining jargon, acronyms, or other unusual terms.
Ensuring the clarity and conciseness of your writing by eliminating unnecessary wording.
Strengthening the outline of the piece and carrying out copy editing so it covers all of the areas that your business readers are interested in.
Updating headings and formatting to make the content easy to scan and understand.
Editing your work to a style or brand guide, whether that’s in-house or an established style guide, like Associated Press.
Working and communicating with you so you always know what’s happening with your business content.
Meeting deadlines for business editing and returning your work.
Using a flexible, friendly, expert approach that meets your business and content needs.
Having the right experience and expertise to provide you with high-quality business editing and add value to the finished content.
What’s not typically included in business editing?
Business copy editing doesn’t typically include the following activities:
Arranging or “flowing” content into new formats or designs. Business copy editing will generally format certain areas including headings, bullet point lists, and line spacing, but will not normally incorporate content into a design template or other style. For these areas, you can use a freelance designer.
Localizing content for another language or region (e.g. U.S. English to Australian English). For business localization, you’ll need a specialist localization editor.
Fact checking. Business copy editing normally assumes you’ve already checked the facts in your business copy.
Writing from scratch. Business copy editing is designed for content that’s already written and needs polishing or enhancing.
Checking for copyright or plagiarism. Most business copy editors will assume you have not copied writing from elsewhere and will not generally check for plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Indexing of content.
Making large scale changes to business content like moving entire chapters or sections.
Assisting you in major development of your work. That requires the skills of a business developmental editor.
Why do you need business copy editing services?
When you start your business, your content and marketing materials are a vital part of differentiating your company from the competition. Whether it’s the monthly issue of the company newsletter, your sales pages, a presentation, or an internal report, you need to present your business in the best possible way.
Of course, if you’ve spent hours writing content, it’s easy to overlook errors. Professional business copy editing will review your content objectively and make improvements so it’s perfect for your audience.
What is the difference between business copy editing and business proofreading?
Business copy editing and business proofreading offer slightly different services for your business content:
Business copy editing will focus on the overall intent of the piece through editing and rewriting business content so it meets the needs of your audience and gets all of your points, ideas, benefits, and features across.
Business proofreading will focus on removing mistakes by checking and correcting grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation to ensure business content is error-free.
Both business copy editing and business proofreading are designed to build trust with customers, stakeholders, and readers by clearly explaining your business in an error-free way.
My business copy editing services include business proofreading as part of the editing service.
Will business copy editing fix all the errors in my copy?
Business editing ensures that your written content is perfect for your company’s audience and that it’s ready for publication. Although a business editing service will look for and fix mistakes, a copy editor will mainly focus on “big picture” changes to the style and structure of your writing.
If you want typos, spelling, grammar, or other errors fixed, you may need to:
Hire a business proofreader who can review and fix those mistakes, or
Look for a business editing service that includes proofreading.
Please note that if you request business copy editing from me, I will also proofread your work at no extra charge. You can be confident your content will read well, land with your audience, and that it’s been checked for grammar, spelling, typos, and other issues.
Can you explain the benefits of editorial services for business?
When you start your business, your content and marketing materials are a vital part of differentiating your company from the competition. Whether it’s the monthly company newsletter, your sales pages, a presentation, or an internal report, you need to present your business in the best possible way.
Of course, if you’ve spent hours writing content, it’s easy to overlook errors. Professional business editing will review your content objectively and make improvements so it’s perfect for your audience.
A business editing service offers you several significant benefits as a content creator:
Context: A business editor will read your work thoroughly and carry out copy editing so it makes sense to your company’s internal or external audience.
Accuracy: A business editor will check that the terminology, wording, and other aspects of your writing meet standard English rules.
Clarification: A business editor will remove duplication and ambiguity and explain complex business, industry, and sector terms or jargon.
Focus: A business editor will strengthen and highlight the most important content and key points in your writing.
Consistency: A business editor will make your company’s copy consistent by ensuring similar word usage and formatting both within and across your content.
Action: A business editor will help to guide your readers to specific conclusions, outcomes, and actions, like purchasing a product or service or getting in touch with you.
What is the difference between business editing and business proofreading?
Business editing and business proofreading offer slightly different services for your business content.
Business copy editing will focus on the overall intent of the piece through editing and rewriting so it meets the needs of your audience and gets all of your points, ideas, benefits, and features across.
Business proofreading will focus on removing mistakes by checking and correcting grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation to ensure business content is error-free.
Both business copy editing and business proofreading are designed to build trust with customers, stakeholders, and readers by clearly explaining your business in an error-free way.
My business copy editing services include business proofreading as part of the editing service.
I also provide some additional services that you may not find elsewhere:
Comments and advice on how to improve your content.
Localization editing services between different types of English, like U.K. and U.S.
U.K. English and international English copy editing services.
Aftercare services, so if you update your work due to my editing, I will check your changes, free of charge.
How can business editing improve my work?
Business copy editing will enhance your business content across many types of writing.
Advertising copy editing
Your advertising is one of the most important ways you present your business to the world. Advertising copy editing will review your content to check that it reads correctly and doesn’t contain any errors. A business copy editor may also suggest small tweaks that can help it land better with your audience.
Blog post and article editing
Content marketing through articles and blog posts is becoming increasingly important to building authority, boosting SEO, and getting noticed online. A business editing service will review and enhance your online content to make it easy to read, understand, and act on. This will help your articles share your most important concepts in a way that enhances trust and gets people to share your writing.
Business document editing
Business copy editing can ensure that your memos and internal business documents are consistent and share your key thoughts and insights with other stakeholders. Business copy editing can help your business documents make an impact with your peers, partners, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Business letter editing
If you’re sending out a letter from your business, business copy editing will ensure your correspondence is easy to read, understand, and act on.
Business plan editing
Copy editing for your business plan will tweak your startup document so you share the most important facts and information about your business in a clear and concise way.
Business report editing
Business report copy editing helps your information stand out. Business editing will sharpen your report, focus your supporting information, ensure that the context of the report makes sense, and help the report flow from point to point. Report editing will highlight your key points and present information so that stakeholders can understand the facts and statistics and use them to inform their decisions.
Case study editing
Case studies are a great way to show how your products and services have helped previous clients. Business copy editing will strengthen your case studies, make sure they read well, and show you have the right solutions for your clients’ needs.
Company profile editing
Business copy editing will help you present your organization in the most positive way. Whether you’re creating a website, updating a LinkedIn page, or writing a company profile elsewhere, business copy editing ensures it is easy to read and understand, and highlights what makes you different.
Marketing materials editing
If you produce marketing and promotional materials, business copy editing can help. This service can polish and enhance your traditional advertising, marketing collateral, lead magnets, and more—so everything reads perfectly. Well-worded, pristine copy will build trust in your brand and encourage people to try your products and services.
Newsletter and email editing
Business copy editing will improve your direct-to-customer marketing by ensuring your business content is easy to read and error-free. This service will review your email campaigns and newsletters to strengthen your copy, get your points across, and ensure everything reads well. This all builds trust and encourages your reader to follow the call to action.
Policy and process editing
If you’re defining and documenting your policies and processes for employees, partners, or external customers, you want to ensure everything is easy to read and understand. Business copy editing services will review your policies, processes, and procedures, then edit with the user in mind. The result will be clear, concise wording that makes the statement you need.
Presentation and slide deck editing
Business copy editing will tighten and focus your presentations and slide decks. These services will tweak your presentation copy so it clarifies your most critical points and creates interest with your audience.
Press release editing
Press releases can be an excellent channel to share your latest developments, products, and services with media outlets. Business copy editing can ensure that your press release grabs the interest of a busy journalist and makes it as easy as possible for them to publish your information.
Product description editing
Business copy editing will help you share the features and benefits of your products and services in the most feature-rich, compelling way possible to give you an edge over your competitors in traditional retail or eCommerce. Business copy editing ensures that your product descriptions read well, explain the benefits, and present your business offerings so your potential customers click “buy.”
Proposal and tender editing
Proposals and tenders need to be flawless if you want the best chance of winning the work. Business copy editing will strengthen the way you put your business across and offer suggestions to enhance your proposal to stand out over your competitors and increase your chances of appearing on the shortlist.
Request for proposal (RFP) editing
When it comes to requesting proposals, business copy editing can help you to provide a high-quality RFP so that organizations and vendors responding to the RFP can understand exactly what you need and update their proposals and tenders with accurate pricing and services.
Social media editing
Social media marketing is a vital part of the marketing strategy for most businesses. Business copy editing ensures that your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other posts are well-written to share your brand, products, and services effectively. Whether you’re using paid ads or relying on organic reach, copy editing will sharpen your wording and help your social media content resonate with your audience.
Staff and employee handbook editing
Business copy editing makes your employee handbooks easier to read, understand, and use. These guides contain your most important staff policies, practices, processes, and procedures. Copy editing will remove confusion, duplication, and ambiguity, so staff know exactly what’s expected of them.
Training material editing
You need training materials that are easy to understand and use, and copy editing can help. When it comes to learning new skills, you want your support materials to be as clear and straightforward as possible. Business copy editing will review your training information, lesson plans, and courses, then edit them to make them clear, compelling, and concise.
Web content editing
Business editing will enhance your website and help you persuade your audience. You want to ensure every web page is perfect, from your home page to your about us, mission statement, product pages, and more. Website copy editing refines your online content so that it reads perfectly, is internally consistent, and shares what makes your business unique and able to meet the needs of your customers.
White paper editing
White papers can be excellent lead magnets to attract potential clients to your business. It’s important that a white paper reads well, covers all of your key points, and has a logical and easy-to-understand structure. Business copy editing can sharpen and strengthen any white paper.
Are there other areas where a business editing service can help?
You can find more information on my business editing services across several areas:
What are the main principles of editing for business?
A professional business editor will review and update your content in a specific way and apply various editorial principles. They will read your business writing several times and use their skills to modify it from a draft to a final, polished piece. A business copy editor is not a ghostwriter, and they may request that you make substantive changes or major revisions to ensure your content is perfect.
An editor will look at several aspects of your work, asking questions and making changes to satisfy the following principles:
Purpose and context: What is the overall intent of your business content? What are the key points that you want to highlight? What is the context of your work?
Audience: Who are the intended readers of your content? How are you sharing your business writing with them? How do you want your audience to act once they have read the copy?
Introduction: Is your writing interesting enough to draw a reader in and does it provide context and position the rest of your business content? Can the introduction be strengthened to engage the reader on a deeper level?
Organization and flow: Is your business text well organized and does it flow logically and smoothly from one part to the next? Is it easy for the reader to move through the copy so they know where they are in your content?
Concise versus extraneous: Does your business content need to be sharpened to strengthen understanding? Can the business copy editor reign in unruly text, get rid of fluff, eliminate industry jargon, and reduce flowery or overwrought language?
Focus and clarity: Does your writing get the most important business ideas across in the most efficient way so that the reader has a good understanding of all key points? Is the piece as focused as it could be?
Tone and style: Is the use of first-, second-, or third-person consistent throughout? Are past, present, and future tenses used correctly? Does the writing feel like it’s been created by multiple authors? A business editor can create a streamlined approach, tone of voice, and style for the work.
Content length: Is the length of your business content appropriate? Are individual sentences and paragraphs the right size to share information?
Wrap up and conclusion: Does your business copy end with an appropriate call to action? Does the work feel complete?
Guidance, advice, and feedback: Will additional feedback be useful to help you enhance your work further?
What is the business editing process?
A good business copy editing service will follow some version of this process:
Communicate with you to understand your business editing requirements and what you want from the edited content.
Gather any special instructions for business editing, including your intended audience.
Read through your business writing to understand its positioning, context, and key points from the perspective of your intended reader.
Complete a first pass of your writing, copy editing as they go. Your business copy editor is looking to make changes to enhance and strengthen your content, so it reads well and achieves its purpose.
Ask questions as needed to help clarify the meaning and intent of your work.
Provide advice and comments for your work, where needed.
Proofread your work as part of a second read, correcting for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other areas. Note that not all business editors provide proofreading as part of their service.
Track all changes to your business content, normally using “Track Changes” in MS Word.
Keep you updated on progress with your work.
Return your content to you by your deadline.
Please note that I do provide a combined business editing and proofreading service as standard and at no extra charge. I also offer an “aftercare” service, which means if you make a change to your business content as a result of my comments and questions, I will re-check those parts. There is no additional fee for aftercare.
Will business editing completely change my initial work?
No. Business editorial services are designed to enhance your existing content so it reads better and flows well. A good business copy editor will strengthen your piece while retaining your unique brand, tone of voice, style, and approach.
Can I edit my own business content?
If you’re confident of your business writing, editing, and proofreading skills, then you can copy edit your own work. In most cases, though, it’s always wise to have a professional look over your content. A business copy editor has likely worked on hundreds or thousands of pieces and can provide editing, guidance, and feedback. Hiring a business copy editor will be money well spent.
How much does business editing cost?
You might wonder how much you’ll pay for business copy editing services. Here are the answers you need.
What factors affect the price of business editing?
The fees for business copy editing services vary depending on several areas. Business editors with higher qualifications and more advanced skills will charge a little more. Likewise, copy editors with plenty of experience may be priced higher. Business editors may also charge higher fees depending on what you need them to do. For example, I charge slightly more if you need some types of specialist editing like localization or working to a style guide.
Some business copy editing services will also charge more depending on your deadlines. I don’t charge extra for returning work quickly, and always return your business editing as soon as I complete it.
How much should I expect to pay for a business editing service?
As a guide price, most business copy editing services (mine included) charge between $30 and $50 per hour, depending on the type and depth of work you need. Most business editors won’t actually invoice you by the hour, but instead they’ll price depending on several factors, including:
How many words are in your business content.
The type and depth of business copy editing you need.
How quickly you want your work returned.
Whether you need business proofreading as well.
This allows a business copy editing service to provide a fixed quote for completing specific pieces of work. It also means you can budget more effectively, so it’s better for everyone.
Shouldn’t I get the cheapest option when choosing an editing service for my business?
When it comes to good editing, the cheapest is definitely not the best. A good business copy editor will have experience and insight into editing for businesses, including understanding what their readers are looking for. You will pay a little more for that expertise, but you’ll get more polished work which will work better for your audience.
This all sounds great, how do I get you to edit my business content?
I’m glad you asked. You can get an instant quote here, or head over here to get in touch. Thanks!
Other terms related to business editing: Business copy editing, business writing, business copy editor, business proofreading, business proofreader, business writing, business editor.
Business editors, a complete guide
Learn about what business editors do, including how they enhance and polish your written business content so it’s perfect for your audience. Find out how a business editor reviews your work from the reader’s perspective and improves it so it gets your key points across, shows the benefits and features of your business, products, and services, and builds trust with customers, users, and stakeholders.
A business editor is a professional, trained individual who will enhance and polish your written business content so it’s perfect for your audience. Your editor will review and edit your work from the reader’s perspective and improve it so it gets your key points across, shows the benefits and features of your business, products, and services, and builds trust with users and stakeholders.
A business editor can work on many types of business copy including reports, website copy, ebooks, documents, emails, marketing materials, advertising, social media posts, company blog posts, and more.
A business editor will:
Enhance accuracy and readability for your audience.
Remove errors and mistakes and enhance trust in your company.
Improve focus and sharpen your key points.
Make your content easier to understand.
Explain your business ideas, products, and services in an effective way.
Here’s what’s covered in this in-depth guide to business editors:
What does a business editor do?
What’s outside the scope of what a business editor does?
Will a business editor fix all the errors in my copy?
What are the benefits of hiring a professional business editor?
What are the differences between business editors and business proofreaders?
How can a business editor help you improve your work?
What are the main principles that a business editor follows?
What process does a business editor follow?
What skills, experience, and approach does a business editor need?
Will business editing completely change my initial work?
Can I edit my own business content?
How much do business editors cost?
Shouldn’t I just go for the cheapest option when it comes to hiring a business editor?
The terms business copy editor and business editor are interchangeable, and we’ll use both in this guide.
Let’s get into it.
Get an instant business editing quote
What does a business editor do?
Business copy editors can work on any type of business content, including documents, reports, plans, articles, blog posts, emails, newsletters, presentations, web content, marketing, advertising, social media, processes, policies, procedures, product descriptions, proposals, RFPs, training materials, and other copy. As part of the editing process, a good business copy editor will:
Move around sections of text so your business content flows logically from point to point.
Carry out minor rewriting of sections and paragraphs to strengthen how you share your business ideas, products, services, and other areas.
Understand the overall context of the piece so they can position your business copy for your audience.
Review the piece for any confusing terms and explain or remove industry jargon, acronyms, or other unusual language.
Ensure your business content is clear and concise by eliminating unnecessary wording.
Strengthen the outline of the piece so it covers all of the areas that your business readers are interested in.
Help you explain important business features, functions, ideas, or other key points.
Polish your formatting and headings so readers can scan the piece and know where they are.
Align your work with a style guide, whether that’s in-house or an established style guide like Associated Press.
Collaborate and communicate with you throughout so you always know what’s happening with your business content.
Meet the deadlines they have agreed with you for editing and returning work.
Use a professional, friendly, flexible approach that meets your business and content needs.
Have the right experience and expertise to provide high-quality business editing and add value to the finished content.
What’s outside the scope of what a business editor does?
Although business copy editors provide extensive services, they will not typically do the following:
Arrange or “flow” content into a specific design or format. Although business copy editors will carry out formatting like headings, bullet point lists, and white space, they are not designers and don’t typically have the skills to incorporate content into a design template or other style.
Localize content into another language or region (e.g., U.S. English to Australian English). For localization, you’ll need a specialist localization editor.
Fact checking. A business editor will assume you’ve already checked the facts in your business copy.
Writing from scratch. Business copy editors will generally only work on content that’s already written.
Check for copyright or plagiarism. Most business copy editors will assume you have not copied content from elsewhere and will not generally check for plagiarism or copyright infringement of other work.
Provide indexing of business content as indexing is a specialist skill.
Make large scale structural changes to your business writing, like moving entire chapters around.
Assist you in major development of your work. That requires the skills of a developmental editor who specializes in business copy.
Will a business editor fix all the errors in my copy?
A business copy editor will edit your content so it’s perfect for your company’s audience and ready for publication. Although a business editing service will look for and fix mistakes, a copy editor will mainly focus on “big picture” changes to the style and structure of your writing.
If you want any possible typos, spelling, grammar, or other small content errors fixed, you may need to:
Hire a business proofreader who can review and fix those mistakes, or
Look for a business editor who also provides proofreading.
Please note that if you request business copy editing from me, I will also proofread your work at no extra charge. You can be confident your content will read well, land with your audience, and that it’s been checked for grammar, spelling, typos, and other issues.
What are the benefits of hiring a professional business editor?
When you start your business, your content and marketing materials are a vital part of differentiating your company from the competition. Whether it’s the monthly company newsletter, your sales pages, a presentation, or an internal report, you need to present your business in the best possible way.
Of course, if you’ve spent hours writing content, it’s easy to overlook errors. Professional business editing will review your content objectively and make improvements so it’s perfect for your audience.
A business editing service offers you several significant benefits as a content creator:
Context: A business editor will read your work thoroughly and carry out copy editing so it makes sense to your company’s internal or external audience.
Accuracy: A business editor will check that the terminology, wording, and other aspects of your writing meet standard English rules.
Clarification: A business editor will remove duplication and ambiguity and explain complex business, industry, and sector terms or jargon.
Focus: A business editor will strengthen and highlight the most important content and key points in your writing.
Consistency: A business editor will make your company’s copy consistent by ensuring similar word usage and formatting both within and across your content.
Action: A business editor will help guide your readers to specific conclusions, outcomes, and actions, like purchasing a product or service or getting in touch with you.
What are the differences between business editors and business proofreaders?
Business copy editors and business proofreaders offer slightly different services:
Business editors focus on the big picture by editing and rewriting business content so it meets the needs of your audience and gets all of your points, ideas, benefits, and features across.
Business proofreaders focus on removing mistakes by checking and correcting your grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation to ensure your business content is error-free.
Both services are designed to build trust with customers, stakeholders, and readers by clearly explaining your business in an error-free, understandable way. I offer both business copy editing and proofreading as part of my editing services.
I’m a professional business editor, and I also provide some other services you may not find elsewhere:
Comments and advice on how to improve your business content.
Localization editing services between different types of English, like U.K. and U.S.
U.K. English and international English copy editing services.
Aftercare services, so if you update your work due to my business editing, I will check your changes, free of charge.
How can a business editor help you improve your work?
Business copy editors can improve almost every type of business content.
Advertising copy editors
You need to get your advertising spot on. Although business editors don’t normally write advertising copy, they will review your content to check that it reads correctly and doesn’t contain any errors. They can also suggest small tweaks that may help it land better with your audience.
Article and blog post copy editors
Many businesses are realizing the importance of content marketing and blog posts to enhance their readership and get visitors to their website. A business editor can review and enhance all of your online content to make it easy to read, understand, and act on. They’ll ensure your articles share your most important concepts in a way that builds trust and gets people to share your writing.
Business document copy editors
Internal business documents and memos are an excellent way to share key thoughts and insights with other stakeholders, and to ensure everyone is working to the same information. An editor will review and edit your business documents so they get your points across in the best possible way and make an impact with your peers, partners, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Business letter copy editors
Some correspondence is too important to leave to chance. An editor can review all your communications and help you edit and polish them so they’re perfect for the recipient.
Business plan copy editors
Your business plan sets out how you’re going to start and run your organization to make sure it succeeds. A business editor will help you tweak and rewrite your business plan to share the most critical facts and information with the people who can make that happen.
Business report copy editors
It’s easy for business reports to become just background information. A good editor can enhance your reports by editing supporting information and helping you with the overall context of the report. They’ll sharpen your key insights and make it easier for stakeholders to take action based on the statistics and facts you’re sharing.
Case study copy editors
A business editor will enhance the case studies you use to showcase previous engagements for your business. Your copy editor will help you explain how your products and services have assisted previous clients, make sure they read well, and show you have the right solutions for their needs.
Company profile copy editors
You want to present your company in the most powerful and positive way. Whether you need a polished “About” page for your website, a good overview for LinkedIn, or a company profile, a business editor will help you present your business in the best possible way.
Marketing materials copy editors
Your business probably produces a wide range of marketing and promotional materials. From traditional advertising to lead magnets like white papers and ebooks, you need to make sure everything reads perfectly. Well-worded, pristine copy will build trust in your brand and encourage people to try your products and services.
Newsletter and email copy editors
Direct-to-customer marketing relies on your business content being easy to read and error-free. An editor will review your email campaigns and newsletters to strengthen your copy, get your points across, and ensure everything reads well. This all builds trust and encourages your reader to follow the call to action.
Policy and process copy editors
If you’re documenting policies and processes for employees, partners, or external customers, you want everything to be easy to read and understand. A good business editor will review your policies, processes, and procedures, then edit with the end user in mind. The result will be clear, concise wording that makes the statement you need.
Presentation copy editors
No one wants to suffer from death by PowerPoint! A smart business editor will help you tighten your presentation so it focuses on your most important points and maintains interest with your audience.
Press release copy editors
Press releases are a popular way to share your latest business developments, products, and services with an increasingly wide range of media outlets. You want to ensure that your press release grabs the interest of a busy journalist and makes it as easy as possible for them to publish your information. A business editor will edit your press release so it gets details across in the most efficient way and has the greatest chance of making it to publication.
Product description copy editors
There’s plenty of competition in traditional retail and eCommerce. You want to present the features and benefits of your products and services in the most feature-rich, compelling way possible. An editor will ensure all your product descriptions read well, explain the benefits, and present your business offerings so your potential customers click “buy.”
Proposal and tender copy editors
If you’re responding to an RFP with a proposal or tender of your own, you want to maximize your chances of success. A business editor can review your RFP, strengthen the way you put your business across, and offer suggestions to enhance your proposal. You’ll have the confidence of knowing your proposal reads perfectly and highlights your business capabilities.
Request for proposal (RFP) copy editors
If you’re requesting proposals from several organizations and vendors, they’ll need high-quality information to provide the right type of proposal and pricing. An editor can look through your RFP, remove any confusion or ambiguity, and strengthen your wording to ensure that proposals meet your expectations.
Social media copy editors
Regularly posting to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is an essential part of your online marketing strategy. Whether you’re using paid ads or relying on organic reach, you want to ensure your copy is correct, interesting, engaging, and compels users to click through. A business editor can sharpen your wording and help your social media content land with your audience.
Staff and employee handbook copy editors
Employee handbooks contain your most important staff policies, practices, processes, and procedures. A business editor will make sure your employee handbooks are written well and easy to understand. They’ll remove any confusion, duplication, and ambiguity, so staff know exactly what’s expected of them.
Training material copy editors
Training materials are essential for teaching your staff how to perform specific tasks. When it comes to teaching new skills, you want your support materials to be as clear and straightforward as possible, so they’re easy to follow and implement. An editor will look at your training information, lesson plans, and courses, then edit them to make them clear, compelling, and concise.
Web content copy editors
Your website is your most vital asset for persuading online consumers. You want to ensure every web page is perfect, from your home page to your about us, mission statement, product pages, and more. A website content business editor will tweak your web content so it reads perfectly, is internally consistent, and shares what makes your business unique and able to meet the needs of your customers.
White paper copy editors
A business editor will ensure that your white paper reads well, covers all of your key points, and has a logical and easy-to-understand structure. This helps to make your white papers an important lead generation tool for your business.
Are there any other areas where business editors specialize?
You can find more information on my business editing services across several areas:
What are the main principles that a business editor follows?
A professional business editor will review and update your content in a specific way and apply various editorial principles. They will read your business writing several times and use their skills to modify it from a draft to a final, polished piece. A business copy editor is not a ghostwriter, and they may request that you make substantive changes or major revisions to ensure your content is perfect.
An editor will look at several aspects of your work, asking questions and making changes to satisfy the following principles:
Purpose and context: What is the overall intent of your business content? What are the key points that you want to highlight? What is the context of your work?
Audience: Who are the intended readers of your content? How are you sharing your business writing with them? How do you want your audience to act once they have read the copy?
Introduction: Is your writing interesting enough to draw a reader in and does it provide context and position the rest of your business content? Can the introduction be strengthened to engage the reader on a deeper level?
Organization and flow: Is your business text well organized and does it flow logically and smoothly from one part to the next? Is it easy for the reader to move through the copy so they know where they are in your content?
Concise versus extraneous: Does your business content need to be sharpened to strengthen understanding? Can the business copy editor reign in unruly text, get rid of fluff, eliminate industry jargon, and reduce flowery or overwrought language?
Focus and clarity: Does your writing get the most important business ideas across in the most efficient way so that the reader has a good understanding of all key points? Is the piece as focused as it could be?
Tone and style: Is the use of first-, second-, or third-person consistent throughout? Are past, present, and future tenses used correctly? Does the writing feel like it’s been created by multiple authors? A business editor can create a streamlined approach, tone of voice, and style for the work.
Content length: Is the length of your business content appropriate? Are individual sentences and paragraphs the right size to share information?
Wrap up and conclusion: Does your business copy end with an appropriate call to action? Does the work feel complete?
Guidance, advice, and feedback: Will additional feedback be useful to help you enhance your work further?
What process does a business editor follow?
A good business copy editor will work to some version of this process:
Communicate with you to understand your business editing requirements and what you want from the finished content.
Gather any special instructions for business editing, including your intended audience.
Read through your business writing to understand its positioning, context, and key points from the perspective of your intended reader.
Complete a first pass of your writing, copy editing as they go. Your business editor is looking to make changes to enhance and strengthen your content, so it reads well and achieves its purpose.
Ask questions as needed to clarify the meaning and intent of your work.
Provide advice and comments for your work, where needed.
Proofread your work as part of a second read, correcting for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other areas. Note that not all business editors provide proofreading as part of their service.
Track all changes to your business content, normally using “Track Changes” in MS Word.
Keep you updated on progress with your work.
Return your content to you by your deadline.
Please note that I provide a combined business editing and proofreading service as standard and at no extra charge. I also offer an “aftercare” service, which means if you make a change to your business content as a result of my comments and questions, I will re-check those parts. There is no additional fee for aftercare.
What skills, experience, and approach does a business editor need?
If you’re looking for a business copy editor who can help your organization, it’s worth looking into their background to check they have the right talent, background, and attitude to meet your needs. Here are some areas to focus on.
An academic degree in English, communications, journalism, or a related field
Although a degree isn’t strictly necessary to become a business copy editor, finding a copy editor with a higher qualification in communications or a similar field means they take their work seriously. Studying for three to four years in a field related to writing and editing means they’ve got an excellent grounding for editing, proofreading, and similar tasks and should give you confidence to hire them.
Note that many copy editors or proofreaders may have just taken a quick online course before offering services, so it’s always worth asking what formal qualifications your business copy editor has.
English as their native language
You’ll want to make sure your business copy editor speaks English as their first language in order to be sure they understand the subtle nuances, syntax, and context of your work.
A deep understanding of the English language and how to connect with readers
A business editor’s job is to help your content resonate with your audience, whoever they are. They achieve that through editing and minor rewrites of your work. They need a deep understanding of how to use the English language. A first step to see if an editor is right for you is to look over their website and see how they explain themselves through the writing.
A fantastic eye for detail in grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Even though a business editor may not be a business proofreader, they should still have an excellent understanding of English rules and conventions. This will help them edit your work.
A relentless focus on your business content
Being a great business copy editor requires plenty of concentration. Your editor will spend hours with your work, checking through every single word, sentence, and idea. Focus and a distraction-free approach are essential.
A good knowledge of style guides
Many businesses work to either industry-standard or brand-specific style guides. A business editor will review any style guide you provide and edit your content to that guideline. Most copy editors should have a good working knowledge of the popular style guides: AP, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style.
The right balance of editing business content and preserving your tone and style
You want an editor to strengthen your content to put your business across in the best possible way, but you don’t want to lose the tone of voice that makes you unique. A good business editor will edit with that in mind.
A wide portfolio of business editing and related work
You’ll want to hire an editor who has some experience in your business field. Although editors don’t need deep knowledge of every field to do good work, a high-level understanding will give them some useful context, both in terms of your work and your audience. Although business editors probably can’t share specific pieces of work with you (due to confidentiality clauses), you should get an idea of the type of subjects they work on.
An excellent communicator who keeps you in the loop
Running into a communications black hole can be frustrating! A good business editor will keep you informed, let you know if they run into any problems, and meet all their commitments and deadlines. Look for business copy editors who are responsive to your emails and other communications.
A professional, friendly, and expert approach
Most business editors take their own freelance business seriously. They understand the challenges you face and can be flexible and accommodating in how they work with you. This may include:
Collaborating closely with you on specific content.
Providing details of fees and pricing up front.
Timely communications, especially if they run into questions or problems.
A polite and professional approach to both you and your work.
Agreeing reasonable deadlines with you and always meeting them.
Building a positive, trusting relationship with you.
Will business editing completely change my initial work?
No. Business editors will tweak and polish your existing content so it reads better and flows well. A good editor will strengthen your piece while retaining your unique brand, tone of voice, style, and approach.
Can I edit my own business content?
If you’re confident of your business writing, editing, and proofreading skills, then you can copy edit your own work. In most cases, though, it’s always wise to have a professional editor look over your content. A business editor has likely worked on hundreds or thousands of pieces and can provide editing, guidance, and feedback. Hiring an editor will be money well spent.
How much do business editors cost?
You might wonder how much you’ll pay for a business copy editor. Here are the answers you need.
What factors affect how much a business editor charges?
Fees for business copy editors vary depending on several factors. Editors with higher qualifications and more advanced skills will charge a little more. Likewise, business editors with plenty of experience may be priced higher. Editors may also charge higher fees depending on what you need them to do. For example, I charge slightly more if you need some types of specialist editing like localization or working to a style guide.
Some business editing services will also charge more depending on how quickly you need the work returned. I don’t charge extra for returning work quickly, and always return your business editing as soon as I complete and check it.
How much should I expect to pay for a business editor?
As a guide, most business copy editors (myself included) charge between $30 and $50 per hour, depending on the depth of editing you need. Most editors won’t actually invoice you by the hour, but instead they’ll price depending on several factors including:
How many words you need copy edited.
The type and depth of business copy editing that you need.
How quickly you want the work returned.
Whether you need proofreading as well.
This allows a business editing service to provide a fixed quote for completing specific pieces of work. It also means you can budget more effectively, so it’s better for everyone.
Shouldn’t I just go for the cheapest option when it comes to hiring a business editor?
As you can imagine, cheapest isn’t always best. A good business copy editor will have experience and insight into editing for businesses, including understanding what their readers are looking for. You will pay a little more for that expertise, but you’ll get more polished content which will work better for your audience.
This all sounds great, how do I hire you?
I’m glad you asked. You can get an instant quote here, or head over here to get in touch. Thanks!
Other terms related to business editors: Business copy writing, business copy editing, business editing services, business proofreading, business proofreader, business writing, business copy editor.
Copy editing, a complete guide
Learn about how copy editing works in our complete guide to how copy editors will review, revise, edit, and rewrite your content. Find out about what a copy editing service does, benefits, types of editing, principles, processes, pricing, and more.
Copy editing is a professional service, often carried out by a freelancer, that will review, revise, edit, and rewrite copy and content. The word “copy” is a general term for any written work including blog articles, websites, journal articles, documents, theses, reports, and other types of written content, especially if it’s shared with the public.
Copy editing services will:
Enhance accuracy and readability for your audience.
Remove errors and mistakes and enhance trust.
Improve focus and sharpen your key points.
Make the content easier to understand.
Here are the questions we’ll answer in this comprehensive guide to copy editing:
What’s included in a copy editing service?
What’s not included in copy editing?
Will copy editing fix all the areas of my copy?
What are the benefits of copy editing?
What are the different types of copy editing?
What are the main principles of copy editing?
What is the difference between proofreading and copy editing?
Can I copy edit my own writing?
Will copy editing completely change my work?
How much does copy editing cost?
How much should I expect to pay for copy editing?
Should I choose the cheapest copy editing option?
Do you have any other tips for finding the right copy editing service?
What’s included in a copy editing service?
Copy editing corrects, enhances, and focuses your content so that you’re presenting your work in the best possible way. A copy editor will review your writing and edit your work so that it makes sense to your audience and presents your concepts and key points clearly and correctly.
Copy editing services will typically include the following:
Rewriting to clarify your work, including making changes to sentences, paragraphs, and sections.
Moving sections of text within the content, so your writing flows to guide the reader through the piece.
Establishing the context and positioning of your content to engage your audience.
Reviewing the piece for any confusing or ambiguous language and explaining jargon, acronyms, or other unusual terms.
Ensuring the clarity and conciseness of your content by eliminating unnecessary or duplicated wording.
Strengthening the outline and structure of your work so it covers all the areas your readers are interested in.
Updating headings and formatting to make the content easy to scan and understand.
Editing your work to a style or brand guide, whether that’s in-house or an established style guide, like Associated Press.
Communicating with you so you always know what’s happening with your writing.
Meeting your deadlines so you get beautifully edited work back in time for publication.
Using a flexible, friendly, expert approach that meets your content needs.
Having the right experience and expertise to provide high-quality copy editing that adds value to the finished content.
Please note that copy editing services will be language-specific. I offer English copy editing services and can edit to U.K. and U.S. English.
Get an instant copy editing quote
What’s not included in copy editing?
Copy editing services won’t typically provide the following:
Arranging or “flowing” content into new formats or designs. A copy editor will carry out general, simple formatting within the document itself, including headings, bullet point lists, and line spacing, but will not normally incorporate content into a design template or other style. For these areas, you can use a freelance designer.
Localizing content for another language or region (e.g. U.S. English to Australian English). For localization, you’ll need a specialist localization editor.
Fact-checking. A copy editor will normally assume you’ve already checked the facts in your copy.
Writing from scratch. Copy editing is designed for content that’s already written and needs polishing or enhancing, so editors are not typically freelance writers.
Checking for copyright or plagiarism. Most copy editors will assume you have not copied content from elsewhere and will not generally check for plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Indexing of content.
Assisting you in major development of your work, which requires the skills of a developmental editor.
Will copy editing fix all the errors in my copy?
Copy editing ensures that your written content is perfect for your audience and that it’s ready for publication. Although an editing service will look for and fix mistakes, a copy editor will mainly focus on “big picture” changes to the style and structure of your writing.
If you want possible typos, spelling, grammar, or other errors fixed, you may need to:
Hire a proofreader who can review and fix those mistakes, or
Look for a copy editing service that includes proofreading.
Please note that if you request copy editing from me, I will also proofread your work at no extra charge. You can be confident your work will read well, land with your audience, and that it’s been checked for grammar, spelling, typos, and other issues.
Can you explain the benefits of copy editing?
Of course. A copy editing service offers you several significant benefits as a content creator:
Context: An editor will read and copy edit your work so it makes sense to your audience and let you know if adding information might be helpful.
Accuracy: An editor will check that the terminology, wording, and other aspects of your content meet standard English rules.
Clarification: An editor will remove duplication and ambiguity and explain complex terms or jargon.
Focus: An editor will understand and sharpen the highlights and key points in your content.
Consistency: An editor will help to make your copy consistent by ensuring similar word usage and formatting.
Action: An editor will help to guide your readers to specific conclusions, outcomes, and actions.
Are there different types of copy editing services?
Yes, copy editing services do vary depending on expertise and experience. Copy editors can work across a variety of content, including:
Academic editing for personal statements, theses, dissertations, coursework, essays, and other education-related content.
Business editing for advertising, blog posts, articles, case studies, documents, memos, reports, correspondence, newsletters, plans, profiles, marketing materials, policies, processes, emails, staff handbooks, presentations, press releases, product descriptions, proposals, RFPs, tenders, social media, training materials, white papers, and other business content.
Website and online editing for websites including home, about, and landing pages, product descriptions, blogs, articles, and other online content.
Non-fiction editing for other content like manuscripts, ebooks, white papers, and other writing.
Fiction editing for novels, short stories, and other creative writing.
There are other, specialist types of professional editing including developmental editing, line editing, in-depth reviews, localization editing, and more.
I offer business, academic, website, online, and non-fiction editing. I do not edit fiction.
I also provide some additional services that you may not find elsewhere:
Proofreading as standard and at no extra cost when you use my copy editing services.
Comments and advice on how to improve your content.
Localization editing services between different types of English, like U.K. and U.S.
U.K. English and international English copy editing services.
Aftercare services, so if you update your work due to my editing, I will check your changes, free of charge.
What are the main principles of copy editing?
A professional editor will read and review your work in a specific way and apply various copy editing principles. They will typically read your content several times, using their skills to modify it from a draft to a final piece of writing. The copy editor is not a ghostwriter, and they may request that the original author makes substantive changes or major revisions.
An editor will look at several aspects of the writing, asking questions and making edits to satisfy the following copy editing principles:
Purpose and context: What is the overall intent of the content? What are the key points that the writer wants to explain? What is the context for the work?
Audience: Who are the intended readers of the content? How will the writing be shared with them? How does the writer want the audience to act once they have read the content?
Introduction: Is it interesting enough to draw a reader in and does it provide context and position the rest of the work? Can the introduction be strengthened to engage the reader on a deeper level?
Organization and flow: Is the text well organized and does it flow logically and smoothly from one part to the next? Is it guiding the reader through the copy so they can identify where they are in the content?
Concise versus extraneous: Does the content need to be sharpened to strengthen understanding? Can the copy editor reign in unruly text, get rid of fluff, eliminate jargon, and reduce flowery or overwrought language?
Focus and clarity: Does the writing get the most important ideas across in the most efficient way so that the reader has a good understanding of all key points? Is the piece as focused as it could be?
Tone and style: Is the use of first-, second-, or third-person consistent throughout? Does the writer use past, present, and future tenses correctly? Does the writing feel like it’s been created by multiple authors? Can the editor create a streamlined approach, tone of voice, and style throughout the work?
Content length: Is the length of the content appropriate? Are individual sentences and paragraphs the right size to share information?
Wrap up and conclusion: Does the copy end with something thought provoking or worth remembering? Does the work feel complete? Is there a call to action, if needed?
Guidance, advice, and feedback: Will additional feedback be useful to help the writer enhance the work further?
Is there a difference between proofreading and copy editing?
Yes. A copy editor might catch a few mistakes when they’re editing your content, but that’s not their main function.
The copy editor ensures your work is readable and memorable by helping with sentence and paragraph structure, word choice, tone, style, and consistency. Proofreading generally takes place after editing, and is a word by word check for misspellings, grammar mistakes, word choice, punctuation usage, and other errors.
You might ask if you need both a copy editor and a proofreader. It all depends on how polished you need your final work to be. It can be helpful to have a separate proofreader to find and correct any mistakes that the editor may have missed. Some copy editors will also complete a proofread of your content once they’ve finished editing so it’s perfect for publication.
Please note that all of my copy editing services also include proofreading at no extra charge.
What is the copy editing process?
A good copy editing service will follow some version of this process:
Communicate with you to understand your editing requirements and what you want from the finished work.
Gather any special instructions for editing, including who the content is intended to target.
Read through the writing to understand its positioning, context, and key points from the perspective of the intended reader or audience.
Complete a first pass of your writing, copy editing as they go. Your copy editor is looking to make changes to enhance and strengthen the content, so it reads well and achieves its purpose.
Ask questions as needed to help clarify the meaning and intent of your work.
Provide advice and comments in the work, where needed.
Proofread your work as part of a second read, correcting for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other areas. Note that not all copy editors provide proofreading as part of their service.
Track all changes to your content, normally using “Track Changes” in MS Word.
Keep you updated on progress with your work.
Return your work to you.
Please note that I do provide a combined copy editing and proofreading service as standard and at no extra charge. I also offer an “aftercare” service, which means if you make a change to your work as a result of my comments and questions, I will re-check those parts. There is no additional fee for aftercare.
Can I copy edit my own writing?
It’s not a good idea for a writer to copy edit or proofread their own work. The person who wrote the copy will have a hard time seeing their own mistakes. A good copy editor has special skills and training to look for specific flaws, and an editor will also use their experience to strengthen the content in ways you may not have thought of. Most writers are not trained editors or proofreaders, so it’s worth hiring someone with the right approach and expertise. Copy editors will read your work as your audience will, and polish it to connect with them in the best possible way.
Will copy editing completely change my initial work?
No. Copy editing services are designed to enhance your existing content so it reads better and flows well. A good copy editor will strengthen the piece while retaining your unique tone of voice and approach.
How much does copy editing cost?
You might wonder how much you’ll pay for copy editing services. Here are the answers you need.
What factors affect the price of copy editing?
The fees for copy editing services vary depending on several areas. Copy editors with higher qualifications and more advanced skills will charge a little more. Likewise, copy editors with plenty of experience may be priced higher. Copy editors may also charge higher fees depending on what you need them to do. For example, I charge slightly more if you need some types of specialist editing like localization or working to a style guide.
Some copy editing services will also charge more depending on how quickly you need the work returned. I don’t charge extra for returning work quickly, and always return your edited work as soon as I complete it.
How much should I expect to pay for copy editing?
As a guide, most copy editing services (mine included) charge between $30 and $50 per hour, depending on the depth of editing you need. Most editors won’t actually invoice you by the hour, instead the price will depend on several factors, including:
How many words you need copy edited.
The type and depth of copy editing you need.
How quickly you want the work returned.
Whether you need proofreading as well.
This allows a copy editing service to provide a fixed quote for completing specific pieces of work. It also means you can budget more effectively, so it’s better for everyone.
Shouldn’t I just go for the cheapest option when it comes to finding copy editing services?
When it comes to good editing, the cheapest is definitely not the best. A good copy editor will have experience and insight into editing, including understanding what their readers are looking for. You will pay a little more for that expertise, but you’ll get more polished work which will work better for your audience.
Do you have any final tips for finding a good copy editing service?
So many people are offering freelance copy editing services that it can be hard to select the perfect freelancer. Here are a few tips for finding the best copy editor for your work:
Copy editing isn’t cheap: Don’t base your search on how low the prices are. We all want to save money but detailed work by an experienced copy editor is worth the extra cost. Some of the cheaper copy editors may not be native English speakers, or they may be offering proofreading instead of copy editing.
Good copy editing takes time: Copy editors can do basic work at 5-10 pages per hour but more detailed work can mean 3-5 pages per hour. Make sure you plan for the time an editor needs and hire an editor who will give your content their full attention.
Check for credentials and experience: Look at the copy editor’s portfolio of work to see if they have expertise and experience in your topics. Find out about any degrees or professional qualifications that your copy editor might have. See if the copy editor lists examples of work, clients, or publications for whom they have provided services.
See if they specialize in specific areas: Copy editors who have an understanding of your topic are more likely to provide quality work.
Read reviews or testimonials: Find out what other people think of the copy editor you want to use. Word of mouth is a good indication of the quality of work, and can help you select the right editor.
This all sounds great, how do I get you to edit my content?
I’m glad you asked. You can get an instant quote here, or head over here to get in touch. Thanks!
Other terms related to copy editing: Copy editor, editing, proofreading, line editing, copy editing service
Copy editors, a complete guide
Find out how a professional copy editor will review your writing and carry out changes to strengthen the copy, make it easier to understand, ensure you’re explaining all your key points, and remove confusion or ambiguity.
A copy editor is a highly trained professional who uses their skills and expertise to transform written work into content that’s perfect for your audience. A professional copy editor will review your writing and make changes to strengthen the copy and make it easier to understand, ensure you’re explaining key points, and remove confusion or ambiguity.
Copy editors often work in close collaboration with writers to polish their draft into a finished piece. Writing and editing are different skills, so if you’re a writer, it's often a good idea to have an expert copy editor review and enhance your work.
Editors will work on all types of written content, including academic writing and theses, business documents and content, websites, articles, and more.
A copy editor will carry out copy editing to:
Improve readability and accuracy for your audience.
Resolve issues with the content to enhance trust.
Focus the piece so it flows and highlights your key points.
Clarify the content to make it easier to read.
Get an instant copy editing quote
The basics of being a copy editor
Here are the questions we’ll answer in this comprehensive guide to copy editors:
What does a copy editor do, exactly?
What won’t a copy editor do?
Will a copy editor fix all the errors in my copy?
What are the benefits of hiring a copy editor?
Do copy editors specialize in particular types of editing services?
What principles does a copy editor use?
Is there a difference between a proofreader and a copy editor?
What process does a copy editor use?
What is the difference between proofreaders and copy editors?
What skills, experience, and approach does a copy editor need?
Can I copy edit my own writing?
Will a copy editor completely change my initial work?
How much does it cost to hire a copy editor?
Shouldn’t I just go for the cheapest option when it comes to finding a copy editor?
What does a copy editor do, exactly?
A copy editor is a professional with one purpose: to review and improve your written content so it’s perfect for your audience. It’s vital that your work “lands” with your readers, and a copy editor is the person you trust to make that happen.
A copy editor will carry out the following editing services on your content:
Make changes to sentences, paragraphs, and sections to strengthen accuracy and clarity.
Help your writing flow and guide people through the content by moving sections of text.
Engage your readers by expanding the context and positioning of your piece.
Remove confusion by getting rid of ambiguous language and explaining jargon, acronyms, or other unusual terms.
Eliminate unnecessary or duplicated wording to make your content more concise.
Make your writing easier to understand through strengthening the outline and structure of your work.
Format your headings, lists, and more to make the content easy to understand and read through.
Edit your work to a style or brand guide, whether that’s in-house or an established style guide, like Associated Press.
Keep you informed about what’s happening with your work through regular communications and updates.
Meet your deadlines.
Use a flexible, friendly, expert approach that meets your content needs.
Have the right experience and expertise to provide high-quality copy editing that adds value to the finished content.
What won’t a copy editor do?
Copy editors typically won’t do the following:
Directly put your content into new formats, templates, or designs. A copy editor will format within your original document for consistent spacing, headings, line spacing, lists, and the like but will not normally incorporate content into a design template or other style. For these areas, you can use a freelance designer.
Localizing content for another language or region (e.g. U.S. English to Australian English). For localization, you’ll need a specialist localization editor.
Fact-checking. A copy editor will normally assume you’ve already checked the facts in your copy.
Writing from scratch. Copy editing is designed for content that’s already written and needs polishing or enhancing, so editors are not typically writers.
Checking for copyright or plagiarism. Most copy editors will assume you have not copied content from elsewhere and will not generally check for plagiarism or copyright infringement.
Indexing of content.
Assisting you in major development of your work. That requires the skills of a developmental editor.
Will a copy editor fix all the errors in my copy?
A professional copy editor will edit your content so it’s perfect for your audience, whoever they are. A copy editor will look for and fix mistakes, but editors generally focus on “big picture” changes to the style and structure of your writing.
If you want any typos, spelling, grammar, or other small content errors fixed, you may need to:
Hire a proofreader who can review and fix those mistakes, or
Look for a copy editor who also provides proofreading.
Please note that if you hire me as your copy editor, I will also proofread your work at no extra charge. You can be confident your content will read well, land with your audience, and that it’s been checked for grammar, spelling, typos, and other issues.
What are the benefits of hiring a copy editor?
A professional copy editor will provide you with several significant benefits as a content creator:
Context: An editor will read and copy edit your work so it makes sense to your audience and let you know if adding information might be helpful.
Accuracy: An editor will check that the terminology, wording, and other aspects of your content meet standard English rules.
Clarification: An editor will remove duplication and ambiguity and explain complex terms or jargon.
Focus: An editor will understand and sharpen the highlights and key points in your content.
Consistency: An editor will help to make your copy consistent by ensuring similar word usage and formatting.
Do copy editors specialize in particular types of editing services?
Yes. Copy editors can specialize across various areas, including:
Academic copy editors for personal statements, theses, dissertations, coursework, essays, and other education-related content.
Business copy editors for advertising, blog posts, articles, case studies, documents, memos, reports, correspondence, newsletters, plans, profiles, marketing materials, policies, processes, emails, staff handbooks, presentations, press releases, product descriptions, proposals, RFPs, tenders, social media, training materials, white papers, and other business content.
Website and online copy editors for websites including home, about, and landing pages, product descriptions, blogs, articles, and other online content.
Non-fiction copy editors for other content like manuscripts, ebooks, white papers, and other writing.
Fiction editing for novels, short stories, and other creative writing.
There are other, specialist types of professional editors including developmental editors, line editors, in-depth reviews, localization editors, and more.
I am a business, academic, website, online, and non-fiction copy editor. I do not edit fiction.
I also provide some additional services that you may not find elsewhere:
Proofreading as standard and at no extra cost when you hire me as your copy editor.
Comments and advice on how to improve your content.
Localization editing services between different types of English, like U.K. and U.S.
U.K. English and international English copy editing services.
Aftercare services, so if you update your work due to my editing, I will check your changes, free of charge.
What principles does a copy editor use?
A professional copy editor will read and review your work in a specific way and apply various copy editing principles. An editor will typically read your content several times, using their skills to modify it from a draft to a final piece of writing. The copy editor is not a ghostwriter, and they may request that you make substantive changes or major revisions.
A copy editor will look at several aspects of your writing, asking questions and making edits to satisfy the following principles:
Purpose and context: What is the overall intent of the content? What are the key points that you want to explain? What is the context for the work?
Audience: Who are the intended readers of the content? How will you share the writing with them? How do you want the audience to act once they have read the content?
Introduction: Is it interesting enough to draw a reader in and does it provide context and position the rest of the work? Can the introduction be strengthened to engage the reader on a deeper level?
Organization and flow: Is the text well organized and does it flow logically and smoothly from one part to the next? Is it guiding the reader through the copy so they can identify where they are in the content?
Concise versus extraneous: Does the content need to be sharpened to strengthen understanding? Can the copy editor reign in unruly text, get rid of fluff, eliminate jargon, and reduce flowery or overwrought language?
Focus and clarity: Does the writing get the most important ideas across in the most efficient way so that the reader has a good understanding of all key points? Is the piece as focused as it could be?
Tone and style: Is the use of first-, second-, or third-person consistent throughout? Do you use past, present, and future tenses correctly? Does the writing feel like it’s been created by multiple authors? Can the editor create a streamlined approach, tone of voice, and style throughout the work?
Content length: Is the length of the content appropriate? Are individual sentences and paragraphs the right size to share information?
Wrap up and conclusion: Does the copy end with something thought provoking or worth remembering? Does the work feel complete? Is there a call to action, if needed?
Guidance, advice, and feedback: Will additional feedback be useful to help you enhance the work further?
Being a copy editor also means having a collaborative relationship with authors. Because the editor doesn’t normally carry out extensive rewriting, the document may get passed back and forth between the editor and author several times. A good copy editor must also have good written and verbal communication skills, meet all their deadlines, and provide excellent customer service to their clients.
What process does a copy editor use?
A good copy editor will follow some version of this process:
Communicate with you to understand your editing requirements and what you want from the finished work.
Gather any special instructions for editing, including who the content is intended to target.
Read through the writing to understand its positioning, context, and key points from the perspective of the intended reader or audience.
Complete a first pass of your writing, copy editing as they go. Your copy editor is looking to make changes to enhance and strengthen the content so it reads well and achieves its purpose.
Ask questions as needed to help clarify the meaning and intent of your work.
Provide advice and comments in the work, where needed.
Proofread your work as part of a second read, correcting for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other areas. Note that not all copy editors provide proofreading as part of their service.
Track all changes to your content, normally using “Track Changes” in MS Word.
Keep you updated on progress with your work.
Return your work to you.
Please note that I do provide a combined copy editing and proofreading service as standard and at no extra charge. I also offer an “aftercare” service, which means if you make a change to your work as a result of my comments and questions, I will re-check those parts. There is no additional fee for aftercare.
What is the difference between proofreaders and copy editors?
A copy editor might catch a few mistakes when they’re editing your content, but that’s not their main function. The copy editor ensures your work is readable and memorable by helping with sentence and paragraph structure, word choice, tone, style, and consistency. A proofreader will provide services after editing, and is a word by word check for misspellings, grammar mistakes, word choice, punctuation usage, and other errors.
Many people will wonder if they need both a copy editor and a proofreader. It all depends on how polished you need your final work to be. It can be helpful to have a separate proofreader to find and correct any mistakes that the editor may have missed. Some copy editors will also complete a proofread of your content once they’ve finished editing so it’s perfect for publication.
Please note that I am both a professional copy editor and proofreader and that all of my editing services include proofreading at no extra charge.
What skills, experience, and approach does a copy editor need?
If you’re looking for a copy editor, it’s worth looking into their background to check they have the right talent, background, and attitude to meet your needs. Here are some areas to focus on.
An academic degree in English, communications, journalism, or a related field
Although a degree isn’t strictly necessary to become a copy editor, finding someone with a qualification in communications or a similar field means they take their work seriously. Studying for three to four years in a field related to writing and editing means they have an excellent grounding for editing, proofreading, and similar tasks and should give you the confidence to hire them.
Note that many copy editors or proofreaders may have just taken a quick online course before offering services, so it’s always worth asking what formal qualifications your business copy editor has.
A deep understanding of the English language and how to connect with readers
A copy editor’s job is to help your content resonate with your audience, whoever they are. They achieve that through editing and minor rewrites of your work which means they need a deep understanding of how to use the English language. A first step to see if an editor is right for you is to look over their website and see how they explain themselves through the writing.
A fantastic eye for detail in grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Even though a copy editor may not be a proofreader, they should still have an excellent understanding of English rules and conventions.
A relentless focus on your content
Being a great copy editor requires plenty of concentration. Your editor will spend hours with your work, checking through every single word, sentence, and idea. Focus and a distraction-free approach are essential.
A good knowledge of style guides
Many individuals and organizations work to either industry-standard or brand-specific style guides. A copy editor will review any style guide you provide and edit your content to that guideline. Most editors will have a good working knowledge of the popular style guides: AP, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style.
The right balance of editing content and preserving your tone and style
You want a copy editor to strengthen your content to put your business across in the best possible way, but you don’t want to lose the tone of voice that makes you unique. A good copy editor will edit with that in mind.
A wide portfolio of editing work
You’ll want to hire a copy editor who has some experience in your field. Although editors don’t need deep knowledge of every topic to do good work, a high-level understanding will give them some useful context, both in terms of your work and your audience. Although editors probably can’t share specific pieces of work with you (due to confidentiality clauses), you should get an idea of the type of subjects they work on.
An excellent communicator who keeps you in the loop
Running into a communications black hole can be frustrating! A good copy editor will keep you informed, let you know if they run into any problems, and meet all their commitments and deadlines. Look for editors who are responsive to your emails and other communications.
A professional, friendly, and expert approach
Most copy editors take their own freelance business seriously. They understand the challenges you face and can be flexible and accommodating in how they work with you. This may include:
Collaborating closely with you on specific content.
Providing details of fees and pricing up front.
Timely communications, especially if they run into questions or problems.
A polite and professional approach to both you and your work.
Agreeing reasonable deadlines with you and always meeting them.
Building a positive, trusting relationship with you.
Can I copy edit my own writing?
It’s not a good idea for a writer to copy edit or proofread their own work. The person who wrote the copy will have a hard time seeing their own mistakes. A good copy editor has special skills and training to look for specific flaws, and an editor will also use their experience to strengthen the content in ways you may not have thought of. Most writers are not trained editors or proofreaders, so it’s worth hiring someone with the right approach and expertise. Copy editors will read your work as your audience will, and polish it to connect with them in the best possible way.
Will a copy editor completely change my initial work?
No. A copy editor will enhance your existing content so it reads better and flows well. They will strengthen the piece while retaining your unique tone of voice and approach.
How much does it cost to hire a copy editor?
You might wonder how much you’ll pay for a copy editor. Here are the answers you need.
What factors affect the price of a copy editor?
The fees for a copy editor vary depending on several areas. Editors with higher qualifications and more advanced skills will charge a little more. Likewise, copy editors with plenty of experience may be priced higher. Copy editors may also charge higher fees depending on what you need them to do. For example, I charge slightly more if you need some types of specialist editing like localization or working to a style guide.
Some copy editors will also charge more depending on how quickly you need the work returned. I don’t charge extra for returning work quickly, and always return your edited work as soon as I complete it.
How much do copy editors charge?
Most copy editors, including myself, charge between $30 and $50 per hour depending on the depth of editing you need. Most editors won’t actually invoice you by the hour, instead they’ll price depending on several factors, including:
How many words you need them to edit.
The type and depth of copy editing you need.
How quickly you want the work returned.
Whether you need proofreading as well.
This allows a copy editor to provide a fixed quote for completing specific pieces of work. It also means you can budget more effectively, so it’s better for everyone.
Shouldn’t I just go for the cheapest option when it comes to finding a copy editor?
When it comes to finding a professional editor, the cheapest price is definitely not the best. A good copy editor will have experience and insight into editing, including understanding what their readers are looking for. You will pay a little more for that expertise, but you’ll get more polished content which will work better for your audience.
Do you have any final tips for finding a good copy editor?
There are many people offering copy editor services and it can be hard to choose the perfect freelancer. Here are a few tips for finding the best copy editor for your work:
Pay a fair price for a copy editor: Don’t base your search on how low the prices are. We all want to save money but detailed work by an experienced copy editor is worth the extra cost. Some of the cheaper copy editors may not be native English speakers, or they may be offering proofreading instead of copy editing.
Good copy editing takes time: Copy editors can do basic work at 5-10 pages per hour but more detailed work can mean 3-5 pages per hour. Make sure you plan for the time an editor needs and hire an editor who will give your content their full attention.
Check for credentials and experience: Look at the copy editor’s portfolio of work to see if they have expertise and experience in your topics. Find out about any degrees or professional qualifications that your copy editor might have. See if the copy editor lists examples of work, clients, or publications for whom they have provided services.
See if they specialize in specific areas: Copy editors who have an understanding of your topic are more likely to provide quality work.
Read reviews or testimonials: Find out what other people think of the copy editor you want to use. Word of mouth is a good indication of the quality of work, and can help you select the right editor.
This all sounds great, how do I get you to edit my content?
I’m glad you asked. You can get an instant quote here, or head over here to get in touch. Thanks!
Other terms related to copy editors: Copy editing, editor, editing, copy editor services, proofreading, proofreader, line editing
Proofreaders, explained
A proofreader is a professional who reviews text to correct errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Proofreaders will fix individual word and sentence issues within a piece of writing. Once content has been proofread, it should not contain typos, spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation, or grammar issues.
Other terms related to proofreaders: Proof reader, proofreading, proof reading, proofing, proofread, proof read, freelance proofreader, copy editing, developmental editing, substantive editing, grammar, punctuation, spelling, proof.
A proofreader is a professional who reviews text to correct errors in punctuation, grammar, and spelling. Proofreaders will fix individual word and sentence issues within a piece of writing, rather than copy editing for overall approach, clarity, consistency, or nuance—for that, you would hire a copy editor. Once a piece has been proofread, it should not contain typos, spelling mistakes, incorrect punctuation, or grammar issues.
Proofreading is a fundamental step in the process of reviewing and editing a piece of text or content before it's finalized. This step in the process is less concerned with style, flow, narrative, or clarity as it is with basic correctness in word, sentence, and paragraph structure. In some cases, a proofreader will ensure consistency between different versions of documents. For example, they might compare an author’s manuscript with a publisher’s galley proof. Another example would be validating that an article is the same between the physical and online version of a magazine.
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Proofreaders, copy editors, and fact checkers
Freelance proofreaders perform slightly different roles than copy editors or fact checkers. Copy editors will take time to understand the narrative and purpose of the piece of writing and will edit and polish it with that in mind. Fact checkers will verify facts against outside sources of knowledge.
For example, a fact checker would see the sentence “Barack Obama was, ellected President in 2009” and check outside sources and change 2009 to 2008. A copy editor would evaluate the sentence for how it fits into the purpose of the larger piece of writing and might change it accordingly. A proofreader would see the faulty comma and the misspelling of “elected” and fix them.
Proofreader training and education requirements
A good education in the English language is a prerequisite for amateur or professional proofreading. At a minimum, this means 12 years of education in English. This will include grammar, spelling, vocabulary, critical reading, writing, and literature. Most professional proofreaders will need a college degree in English, communications, journalism, or a related field. Although there are courses and certifications available for proofreading, if you want to hire a high-quality proofreader, look for someone with a degree and a wide base of knowledge.
Due to their training and experience, freelance proofreaders find it easy to identify grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues. Expertise in proofreading relies on time, study, and exposure to a wide variety of documents and texts.
The amount of time it takes to proofread content does vary. Longer documents means it takes more time to ensure a high-quality proofread. Additionally, not all proofreading jobs are created equal. Proofreading a first grade math textbook is different from proofreading a 100,000 word novel. Proofreading speed and accuracy should improve over time, as will confidence.
Proofreaders staying current with an evolving language
A freelance proofreader will understand both the context of the writing and specific guidelines or style guides. In theory, a proofreader’s job will never change. Punctuation is punctuation, and a misspelled word is misspelled whether in a novel, tweet, or blog post. In practice, proofreaders may be employed differently based on many factors, including line of business, industry, communication and marketing channels, and the style of writing required.
For example, a proofreader employed by an online content site specializing in memes may allow the misspelling of certain words or the improper punctuation of certain sentences. A proofreader may even have to validate that some words are spelled incorrectly on purpose.
The English language is changing fast, and proofreaders must stay current. Five decades ago, grammar, spelling, and punctuation rules were standard across writing style and medium. Writing in books obeyed the same rules as newspapers or office memos, but that’s not true today. The internet has infinite, unique “content spaces,” so the writing on NYTimes.com will be different from a celebrity’s blog post, and both of those will be different from a company website or dissertation.
If you’re hiring a freelance proofreader, it’s important to find an expert who has the right qualifications, skills, and experience, and who specializes in particular niches. They will then have the right approach and instinct to ensure your work is flawless.
FAQs about proofreaders
Can I proofread my work myself?
Yes, although you may not be the best person to do so. For example, we are often “blind” to mistakes in our own writing. Another professional looking at the work will help to ensure it’s completely free from errors. Proofreaders are also trained to spot issues you may not, and can help to ensure consistency, correct word usage, and perfect spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
What is the difference between a proofreader and a copy editor?
A freelance proofreader focuses on correcting the “mechanics” of the text, areas like grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Proofreaders ensure that content is error-free. Freelance copy editors will look at the overall intent of the piece and make edits and rewrites to enhance clarity, understanding, approach, and other areas. Copy editors ensure that your work is perfect for your audience. Some copy editors will also provide proofreading as part of their services.
How long does it take for a proofreader to proofread work?
Proofreading speeds do vary, but a good ballpark figure is to assume a proofreader can proofread around 1,500-2,000 words an hour, or around 10,000-14,000 words a day.
How many times will a proofreader go through a piece of work?
It depends on the proofreading service. Some proofreaders will go through a piece of work just once, others will read it through twice or more.
Do I need to hire a proofreader in a particular niche?
It can help. For example, a fiction proofreader will understand more about how to proofread dialogue and narrative, whereas a non-fiction proofreader might focus on how facts are laid out and formatting. Ideally, you will look for a proofreader who has experience in specific topics.
Proofreading, explained
Proofreading checks and corrects spelling, grammar, word usage, and punctuation errors in both the main body of the text and within captions, indexes, footnotes, and reference lists.
Other terms related to proofreading: Proof reading, proofreader, proof reader, proofread, proofreading services, copy editing, copy editor, freelance proofreading.
Once you’ve written content and had it copy edited, you should next arrange for proofreading. Proofreading checks and corrects spelling, grammar, word usage, and punctuation errors in both the main body of the text and within captions, indexes, footnotes, and reference lists. A final proofread gives you confidence that your writing is free from mistakes and will position your content in the best possible way.
Proofreading should be used for any written content including articles, academic papers, marketing materials, reports, blog posts, website copy, and more.
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Tips for proofreading
If you’re proofreading your own work, you should leave a few days between the writing and proofreading process. This makes it easier to spot mistakes as it’s easy to overlook errors in content we’ve written ourselves. Giving yourself some time means you can review the content with fresh eyes.
Don’t rely solely on built-in spelling and grammar checkers in your writing software. These tools are not perfect and can miss common errors. In many cases, a spell checker will ignore words that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong way in a sentence, for example, the difference between bear and bare.
Make multiple passes through the material looking for different errors each time. For example, look only for comma usage, then look only for spelling mistakes and so on.
If a sentence seems awkward try reading it aloud. It will help you decide if the sentence is running on or needs additional punctuation to make sense.
If you’re not confident in your proofreading skills, consider hiring a professional proofreader to review and correct your content.
The difference between copy editing and proofreading
Copy editing and proofreading are different skills. While a copy editor does pay attention to spelling and grammar mistakes, their main focus is on the “big picture” and strengthening the work so it’s perfect for your audience. This means editing and rewriting for clarity, conciseness, comprehensiveness, tone, and structure. Copy editing is often a collaboration between the writer and the editor.
Proofreading is a final review of the document for any mistakes that may have been missed by writers and editors. Proofreading reviews the entire document, line by line, and is intended to correct every error. Writing intended for the public will normally need both copy editing and proofreading to ensure the best results.
FAQs about proofreading
What services fall outside the scope of proofreading?
In general, proofreading does not include fact checking, rewriting, changing structure or meaning, indexing, layout, design work, formatting, or anything outside checking and correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and word usage.
While copy editors will focus on enhancing written content, a proofreader will not be editing for understanding, tone, style, strength of writing, or content organization. Ideally, once copy reaches the proofreading stage, it should have already been through copy editing.
What types of errors does proofreading find and correct?
Proofreading ensures the final published document is free of incorrect punctuation, spelling mistakes, typos, grammar, and poor word choices. If the copy has to adhere to a specific style guide the proofreader will also be checking that these standards are met.
What skills does a person need for proofreading?
Proofreading requires a deep knowledge of spelling, grammar, word usage, and punctuation. A qualified proofreader may have a degree in writing, journalism, communication, or education. A professional proofreader will work in a distraction-free way, meet deadlines, and be good at communicating with writers and editors.
Style guides, explained
A style guide is a set of standards designed to help writers and other creatives compose, format, and design documents and other content meet the requirements of an organization's brand. Style guides are often mandatory, meaning that their instructions must be followed before a piece of content can be published.
Other terms related to style guides: Writer’s style guide, style sheet, style manual, tone of voice, Associated Press (AP), Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA).
A style guide is a set of standards designed to help writers and other creatives compose, format, and design documents and other content meet the requirements of an organization's brand. Style guides are often mandatory, meaning that their instructions must be followed before a piece of content can be published.
Style guides come in many varieties and can include specifications on logos, visual identity, colors, word usage, typography, and more. From a writing, copy editing, and proofreading perspective, style guides will often dictate grammar, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and the like.
How style guides are used by writers, publishers, and editors
Style guides are used by writers and publishers around the world to ensure consistency and clarity in documents since natural writing styles vary greatly from person to person. The way a writer formats dates, times, and headings will vary according to their preference, education, experience, and other factors, for example.
A style guide solves this problem by providing a specific set of standards so that everyone using that style guide creates consistent written work. For example, a specific guide may call for “Sentence case” in headings, to always write dates out in full, and to always use a serial, or Oxford, comma.
The importance of style guides
Style guides are vital across many areas including brands, businesses, publications, and other organizations. They promote consistency, strengthen brand identity, and make it easier for multiple workers to collaborate on a project.
Brand consistency
Style guides are essential for maintaining brand consistency. They allow multiple contributors to work on a project by ensuring everyone adheres to the same standards and guidelines. Businesses want to ensure everyone involved expresses the same message regarding their brand.
For example, if your company sells books it’s important that copywriters say “we sell books” instead of “we publish and sell the latest books.” In the second statement, the brand sounds like a publishing firm instead of a bookstore – a consumer reading both messages from the same brand will get confused, which can decrease trust in a business or brand.
Better marketing
Style guides create consistency in marketing so that positive branding is highlighted across all marketing channels. Copywriters working to a writing style guide can change the tone of a company’s content to match the desired brand image. They will know the type of language to use, correct formatting, word usage, tone and approach, the right keywords for SEO optimization, and more.
This particularly applies to advertising and promotional materials. Content creators and producers will understand the right audience to target, the channels used to share an ad, specific creative decisions, and other factors to maximize the effectiveness of branding in promotional materials.
Confidence in messaging
Customers love consistency. We subconsciously notice when something doesn’t “feel right,” and that can come from differences in style, wording, and other factors. Style guides ensure that messaging happens in the same way, each and every time. This helps to build up positive reinforcement and recognition.
Types of style guides
There are many types of style guides, depending on requirements. Organizations can create their own style guides, use existing guides, or combine the two.
Writing and prose style guides
There are many well-established style guides including: Associated Press (AP), Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), Modern Language Association (MLA), and American Psychological Association (APA). Each of them prescribes spelling, formatting, grammar, and other writing elements in slightly different ways. Most journals and newspapers have their own style guides.
Visual style guides
The content of visual style guides does vary depending on the organization. Visual style guides are essential when making logos, flyers, promotional graphics, and other visual design choices. They typically include instructions on fonts, color palettes, image use, typography, spacing, and more.
Editorial style guides
These are specific to the organization's approach and tone of voice. They may include instructions on slogans, tag lines, how to address readers, key messaging points, wording conventions, formalities, and more.
FAQs about style guides
We only have a small team, do we need a style guide?
While you’re a small team, working closely together, you probably don’t need a style guide. As you grow and take on more employees at your location or remotely, a style guide is often an excellent idea. It will get everyone up to speed quickly and ensure all employees are working to consistent style guidelines.
How can a style guide expert help me?
Style guide experts take away the hassle of forming your own or your company’s style guide by doing the work for you. They can analyze company behaviors and branding to start developing a style guide. They’ll collaborate with you, include your suggestions, and ensure it’s easy to follow your standards. Experts can also recommend published style guides that work with your overall messaging.
What are some examples of published style guides?
Here’s a list of popular style guides: ACS Style Guide, AMA Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, APA Style, The ASA Style Guide, The Business Style Handbook, The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, The Chicago Manual of Style, Citing Medicine, The Elements of Style, The Elements of Typographic Style, Fowler's Modern English Usage, IEEE style, ISO 690, MHRA Style Guide, The Microsoft Manual of Style, MLA Handbook, The New York Times Manual, The Oxford Guide to Style / New Hart's Rules, Scientific Style and Format (CSE style), The Sense of Style, Turabian: A Manual for Writers.
Website copy editing, explained
Website copy editing is the process of reviewing and rewriting the words and language used on your business, personal, or other website. Website copy editing focuses on eliminating errors, improving clarity and readability, and editing language so it’s suitable for an online audience.
Other terms related to website copy editing: Website copy editor, website copywriting, website proofreading, blog editing, blog proofreading.
Website copy editing is the process of reviewing and rewriting the words and language used on your business, personal, or other website. Website copy editing focuses on eliminating errors, improving clarity and readability, and editing language so it’s suitable for an online audience.
Website copy editing will enhance landing pages including the home, about, product, service, benefits, pricing, sales, and other important pages and can also improve blog articles, newsletters, and anything else connected to your online presence.
When editing for an online audience, a website copy editor will:
Reduce and simplify sentences to make content easier to read.
Edit for a shorter attention span, as visitors just scan through the page.
Think about people accessing the website on a phone or tablet.
Understand what the audience needs from your website and editing to those requirements.
Strengthen calls to action and similar areas.
A business website’s purpose is to share information and convert visitors into customers or subscribers. A website copy editor’s job is to help you create a powerful and professional message that convinces people to buy your products and services.
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Skills needed for website copy editing
Website copy editing requires a detail-oriented individual with specific skills in areas including analysis, grammar, spelling, and word usage. Ideally, a website copy editor will also have experience in reading and writing web content that can convert traffic into subscribers or sales. Most businesses have a website or online presence as an important sales channel, and a website copy editor will help the website generate revenue and look more professional.
It’s particularly difficult to edit your own website writing, as we all have a tendency to gloss over simple mistakes when we’ve created the words ourselves. This means even a smart, highly educated, or experienced writer will benefit from website copy editing.
The website copy editing process
The first level of website copy editing is to proofread a draft of website content for errors including misspellings, incorrect grammar or punctuation, and typos. A proficient website copy editor will also analyze the overall structure of the writing, check writing and language use, add clarity and consistency, and make sure that the words flow together naturally. Finally, the very best website copy editors will polish your web content so it gives you a competitive edge and draws in your audience.
Using the same website copy editor for your main website, related blogs, reports, guides, newsletters, and email campaigns will help you develop a clear voice that carries across all your communications. Enhancing and developing your web content will be a collaborative venture and a long-lasting, professional relationship as you make your website copy editor a valuable part of your team.
FAQs about website copy editing
What is the difference between a general copy editor and a website copy editor?
When hiring a copy editor, you should always look for someone who specializes in the type of writing you’re developing. An amazing fiction editor will not have the marketing skill set to effectively edit the copy of a branded website. Website content has a specific sales function and it helps if the editor understands the nuances of sales psychology and search engine optimization.
What skills should the perfect website copy editor have?
Great skills for a website copy editor include the basics: spelling, grammar, keeping to deadlines and being detail-oriented and focused. Higher levels skills will require knowledge of sales psychology, marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), writing for the web, and excellent general communication skills.
How can someone become a website copy editor?
A good website copy editor should have at least a bachelor's degree in English, marketing, communications, or a related field. In addition to education, copy editors need experience which they can gain through internships or by slowly building up a good base of business clients. Once a website copy editor has enough experience, they can sign up to work with an established company or take on freelance clients of their own.
How can I work with a website copy editor efficiently?
Once you’ve found the perfect copy editor for your website content, you should agree a schedule with due dates and milestones. Make sure you have clear and open communication with your website copy editor. Provide a rough draft, and be open to their revisions and suggestions. Remember that editing is a back and forth collaboration that helps you arrive at the perfect end product.
What key elements is a website copy editor responsible for revising?
Website copy editors will look closely at titles, making sure they are accurate and engaging. They will also look at subheadings for additional keyword opportunities. A website editor might also be involved with fact checking data, finding resources links, and necessary citations. Of course, all copy editing takes notice of spelling and grammar errors and website copy editing is no different. Additionally, website copy editors are specifically revising content to create a powerful story that engages the audience and makes them want to read more.
Website proofreading, explained
Website proofreading is a final, thorough review of your website content. Website proofreading finds and corrects any spelling, grammar, wording, or punctuation mistakes that might have been overlooked in the writing and editing process.
You’ve already built your website structure and navigation, the copy has been written, and you’ve had your website content edited by a professional copy editor. You’re almost ready to hit the “Publish” button and take your website public on the Internet. Are you certain everything is perfect? If not, then a final proofread of your website is the best choice you can make.
It’s clear that you’ve put a lot of thought into what you want your website to say, so you don’t want careless errors causing a distraction and making you look bad. Many people make the mistake of thinking that proofreading is as simple as quickly scanning the page and fixing any errors that jump out at them.
This type of unfocused approach, coupled with the fact that you just spent a lot of time writing and editing this document, can mean you miss errors on the page. Our brains work against us here, as it’s too easy to scan lines of text and make sense of the words regardless of small errors. Website proofreading can help.
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Why website proofreading matters
Think of your website as the digital representation of you, your business, or your organization. Getting your website proofread is the online equivalent of wearing smart clothes, brushing your hair, smiling, and putting your best foot forward. Website proofreading makes sure that your website copy is perfect, and builds trust and confidence with your audience as they read your content.
Why you should have a professional editor proofread your website
Customers might consider spelling, punctuation, or grammar mistakes on your website as a lack of attention to detail. Because there’s so much competition to get noticed online, even the smallest errors can result in your readers looking elsewhere. Correct website content is even more important if you work in a field like education, science, or other areas where accuracy is important.
Issues with your website content and copy might result in lost revenue, less confidence, or damage to your reputation. Fortunately, it’s easy to make sure these problems don’t happen in the first place. A professional website proofreader will go through every line of your content and make changes to ensure it reads perfectly.
If you’re about to launch your website, publish a new page or article, or make changes to your website copy, make sure your website is proofread thoroughly to find and correct mistakes.
What website proofreading does
Here’s what you need to know about website proofreading:
Website proofreading is a final, thorough review of your website content.
It’s normally completed after you’ve had your website content edited and before you publish it.
A website proofreader finds and corrects any spelling, grammar, wording, or punctuation mistakes that might have been overlooked in the writing and editing process.
They will highlight any changes to you, so you can update your website content before you publish.
Website proofreaders will review and correct any pages that you request. This could be your entire online presence, specific pages, or areas like product descriptions or sales copy.
Think of website proofreading as that final check to ensure everything reads perfectly.
You should have your website proofread before it goes live or after you’ve made any major changes to your website copy or content.
How the website proofreading process works
You or your proofreader will copy the content of each webpage into a document.
A website proofreader will carry out a quick, initial read of each page to understand the style, content, and tone of the website copy.
The proofreader will then read through each page in detail, completing a line-by-line edit.
Depending on the proofreader, they will be looking for:
Overall issues with the content, such as its style, tone, meaning, and whether it reads well.
Specific issues with the content, such as mistakes with spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, word choice, subject-verb agreement, etc.
The website proofreader will make changes to the content to ensure it’s correct, error-free, and reads well.
They will then complete a second read to ensure they have checked and corrected for all possible errors.
They will provide the proofread copy back to you.
You can paste the copy into your website content management system and hit publish.
FAQs about website proofreading
Can I use automated tools like software spelling and grammar checkers to proofread my website?
It’s best not to rely solely on the spelling or grammar checkers built into your writing application or website content management system.
Spell checkers can help you catch typos and misspellings as you write, but they have a limited dictionary and may not alert you to mistakes when you’ve used the wrong word, but it’s still spelled correctly. For example, if you type “to” or “too” instead of “two” there’s a chance your spelling software won’t detect that problem, whereas a human proofreader would.
Grammar checkers can be even worse. They work with a set of predefined rules, and the English language has far too many variations, contexts, and idiosyncrasies for grammar software to identify everything correctly. This can result in “false negatives” or “false positives” where the software tells you grammar is incorrect when it isn’t, or it doesn’t identify a problem with grammar when there is a genuine issue.
This is especially true in the case of website copy, which tends to be short, punchy, and to-the-point.
You can use spelling and grammar checking software as a starting point to detect and fix obvious errors with website content, then hire a professional website proofreader to ensure everything is absolutely correct.
What are some tips for proofreading my own website copy?
A good starting point with website proofreading is to check for one type of mistake before moving to another. Each time you read through your website content, look for a specific type of error. For example, the first time through you might look for correct word usage, the second time you could focus on commas, and the third time you’ll check for proper capitalization. This forces you to go through the copy repeatedly, meaning it’s more likely you’ll pick up on mistakes on each read.
Reading your copy out loud is also a powerful way to find mistakes. Reading every word forces you to slow down and look at each sentence individually. Website proofreading relies on a slow, thorough, and accurate reading of every word of your copy. That’s the only way to be sure that you’ve found and fixed all website content errors.
Should I proofread my own website or hire a professional website proofreader?
Because of how our brains work, it can be difficult to see errors in website content that we’ve written ourselves. That’s why it's best if the person who wrote the website content and the person who proofreads the copy are different people. Additionally, website proofreading is a unique skill that requires slightly different training and discipline to website content writing or publishing.
What is the difference between a website copy editor and a website proofreader?
A website copy editor will help your online content flow from point to point, tell a story, connect with your audience, and sell your products or services. They will improve formatting, SEO, clarity, understanding, and cohesiveness and ensure your website content reads well.
A website proofreader has a more focused task and looks for mistakes specific to spelling, word usage, grammar, and punctuation. A website copy editor will often identify and resolve mistakes as they’re editing copy, but they will not be as focused on this as a website proofreader.
How much do professional website proofreading services cost?
Costs will vary based on your choice to hire a freelancer or an agency, and the amount of expertise and experience the proofreader has. On average, you can expect to pay between $30 and $50 to have a thousand words proofread. You may also need to pay more if you want a faster turnaround, or if the website proofreader also provides website copy editing as part of their services, which is something that we do.
What skills do I need to become a website proofreader?
Are you constantly pointing out the errors in spelling and grammar online or in published works? Your friends might roll their eyes at you, but these skills are very useful for developing a career in professional website proofreading.
A degree in English, writing, or communications can also be very helpful. You will also need in-depth knowledge of spelling, grammar, and punctuation rules and usage. Although you’ll need to be very detail oriented, you also need to be great at communicating with clients, meeting deadlines, and providing a friendly and flexible approach.