Copyediting
Copy editing is the process of an editor making formatting changes and other improvements to text. Copy, in this case a noun, refers to matter (such as handwritten or typewritten pages) to be set (as in typesetting) for printing. The job is called sub-editing in U.K. newspapers.
Copy editing typically entails correcting spelling and punctuation mistakes and correcting grammatical, semantic, and other similar errors, as well as ensuring that the typescript adheres to the publisher's house style and adding standardized headers, footers, and headlines, and so on — all elements that must be addressed before the typesetter can prepare a final proof copy.
Traditionally, a copy editor reads printed or written text, such as a manuscript, and marks it with handwritten proofreader's marks for correction. A modern alternative is to read the text on a computer display in WYSIWYG form and enter the corrections directly into the computer. Increasingly, a copy editor marks up the text using XML or a similar coding scheme, and is involved in preparing text for online publication, not just for printing. The spread of pagination means that many copy editors do design and layout work that was once left to production crews for printed publications.
An important function of the copy editor can be to ensure that the text is not only grammatically correct and correctly spelled, but also makes sense and is clearly written for its intended readership. Copy editors also help ensure publications' accuracy and fairness. Newspapers copy editors often choose the wire service articles for their paper.
Traditionally, copy editing did not include major rewriting, which was left to those whose title is strictly "editor". This distinction is becoming blurred, however, especially as changes in technology alter traditional job descriptions. In many cases the copy editor may be the only person other than the author to read the entire text before publication. The copy editor helps writers say what they meant to say but didn't quite express properly!
A copy editor may also abridge text. This means to reduce the length of a novel, for publication or broadcast in a shorter form. It may involve simply cutting out parts of the text, but sometimes it is necessary to rewrite uncut parts to account for missing details, plot or otherwise.
Some abridged texts are only slightly shorter, whereas others may be reduced dramatically. This is particularly done to reproduce a classic in a form easier for children to read.
See also
proofreading, house style
