Copyediting

You want to ensure your text is clear and coherent for readers, free of grammatical errors and inconsistencies. A copyedit does that while preserving your unique voice and writing style. In a copyedit, I will carefully read your text with an eye for the following:

• Mechanical elements like spelling, hyphenation, punctuation, capitalization, numbers, and more. I will ensure they conform to the desired editorial style (Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, or your house style guide).

• Language. I will correct objective grammatical errors, and, depending on your preference, either suggest or make revisions to awkward sentences, passive voice, wordy passages, gendered language, and jargon.

• Correlating parts. I will check that all the pieces of the text—table of contents, chapter headings, subheadings, illustrations, captions, footnotes, endnotes, bibliography, and more—work together logically and clearly.

• Basic fact-checking. Copyeditors aren’t fact-checkers, but I will confirm how names are spelled, whether hyperlinks work, and other basic elements.

• Permissions. Copyeditors aren’t permissions editors, but I will check that any copyrighted material that appears in your text has an appropriate credit line.