Copy Editing

Copy edits are probably what people think of when they think of editors. It’s an edit that examines a text at the word and sentence level: punctuation, spelling, capitalization... that kind of thing. With a copy edit, I’ll only make or suggest changes when something is unclear or doesn't fit the style guide for your project. If you don't have a style guide, I can also help you to choose or develop one.

In a copy edit, I’ll be looking at the following:​

• mechanics (e.g., spelling, capitalization, punctuation)

• language (e.g., grammar, usage, and diction)

• basic content (e.g., flagging any obvious factual errors and checking that proper nouns are spelled correctly)

What is it?

Who is it for?

A copy edit is great when you’re an experienced writer with a high amount of confidence in your writing or if you’ve already been through at least one round of editing at the word and sentence level (such as a stylistic or line edit) and you’re just looking to polish things up.