Right Line Editing & Design Services ~ Editing
to Edit
“1 a : to prepare an edition of : select, emend, revise, and compile (as literary material) to make suitable for publication or for public presentation”(1)
Right Line Editing Services
Basic copyediting ~ focus on word-for-word details of a document including:
- correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and word usage
- check for and impose a consistent style format throughout
- cross-check references, art, tables, equations, etc. for consistency and applicability to textual content
Proofreading ~ check for textual or typographical errors or inconsistencies; also, verify the accuracy of changes previously made to a document or cross-check a proof against typsetting specifications
Substantive copyediting ~ focus on details involving content, organization, and standards of style including:
- identify, organize, and rewrite text to establish clarity, coherency, consistency, and flow throughout a work; may be confined to paragraphs, sections, or chapters or applied to a whole document
- check for overall clarity and unity of voice
- assist with development of style
- prepare a style sheet
- verify the purpose of communication is achieved from the viewpoint of the intended audience
- rewrite segments of text to improve readability and flow of information and to improve presentation: note that this would be limited in scope; Copywriter rates may be applied if work extends to larger portions of a project
Production copyediting ~ focus on the project as a whole from early in the conceptualization process through publication including:
- check page layout, pagination, numbers, etc. for accuracy and completeness prior to prepress stage
- check for correct information on title page, headers and footers, page numbers, footnotes, endnotes, tables and charts, Table of Contents, Index, and formatting details
- check for accuracy of prepress files prior to final printing
Also see Desktop Publishing or Prepress Publishing for additional assistance with production of your project.
For further reading:
The Process & A Sample Timeline
Sample Pre-Project Worksheet (39 kb pdf)
(1)"edit." Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (24 Mar. 2007).
