What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
- Editing changes the manuscript; proofreading catches what remains.
- Proofreading is the final read of the typeset book.
- Proofreading does not change prose — it catches errors only.
- Typical proofreading budget: $500-$1,500 for a 90,000-word novel.
- Industry sequence: developmental → line → copy → typeset → proofread → publish.
Editing changes the manuscript; proofreading catches what remains. Editing covers developmental, line, and copy passes — each making substantive changes. Proofreading is the final read of the typeset book to catch typos, formatting errors, and last-mile issues no editor caught. Proofreading does not change prose; it catches errors. The two roles are not interchangeable.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Authors who hire a "proofreader" expecting line-edit-quality feedback are disappointed, and authors who skip proofreading after copy editing publish books with typos that copy edit missed. The two roles have different job descriptions, different price points, and different deliverables. Treating them as the same is the most common terminology mistake in indie publishing.
Chapter ii·What to include
- Editing: substantive changes across developmental, line, and copy passes.
- Proofreading: the final read of the typeset book for residual errors.
- Editor deliverable: marked-up manuscript with suggestions.
- Proofreader deliverable: a list of typos, formatting issues, and last-mile catches.
- Cost: editing runs $2,000-$10,000 total; proofreading runs $500-$1,500.
- Sequence: proofread comes after typeset, never before.
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publishing author finishes copy edits on her 80,000-word novel, formats the interior in Vellum, and then hires a proofreader for a final pass. The proofreader catches eleven typos that the copy editor missed plus three formatting issues — a chapter heading on the wrong page, an em-dash converted to a hyphen, and a quote with mismatched curly marks. Total cost: $850, four days. The published book has no visible errors.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom holds editorial passes, copy notes, and proofreader handoff materials in one project, so each stage delivers to the next with the right context.
See the Edit studio