Any writer sooner or later encounters such terms as text editing and proofreading. An experienced writer has learned the difference between these terms, but for the novice writer these terms are confusing because they both imply certain work with the text aimed at improving it. Searching for differences on special resources does little to help clarify the difference, offering lengthy explanations of the specifics of working with textual material.

Making edits involves tasks such as rethinking content, focus, talking points, and the overall structure of the text. It is conceived that after the work of an editor or proofreader, the text will become as correct as possible. In turn, “correct” punctuation, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, style and word choice are important to the reader, because they significantly affect the perception of content.

Yes, the goal is the same: after editing or proofreading, the text should get better. But the strategy for making edits differs depending on the type of work. For example:

– Editing means the editor reads the entire story out loud to get a comprehensive impression. He then proofreads the sentence one by one, noticing patterns (typical errors specific to a particular author) and correcting grammatical inaccuracies.

– Proofreading means that the proofreader puts himself in the reader’s shoes and tries to read the entire work at once without interruption. Then he or she makes edits, taking into account the author’s style and intent.

These strategies produce the same result, but have different execution. Therefore, professional editors are required to know different techniques to improve the finished author’s text.