Editing vs. Proofreading

After class today I was thinking about the differences between our copyediting marks and our proofreading marks. My question: If we are using proofreading marks do we always use them in addition to the copyediting marks? For example, you couldn't use the proofreading mark alone to transpose text. You need the copyediting mark to indicate which text is to be transposed and then you can include the proofreading mark in the margin to indicate that something needs to be transposed on that line.

Comments?


I also did some googling, and the title link is to an article that differentiates copyediting and proofreading.

Hard to believe...

SOUTH BEND — If you ever wondered how much difference just one letter can make when it comes to a message, ask the thousands of people who drove by a digital billboard near the intersection of Ironwood and Indiana 23 between Thursday and Monday morning.

The ad urged people to go to the “southbendon.com” website for a look at the “15 best things about our pubic schools.” That’s right, the billboard said “pubic” instead of “public” schools. The letter “L” had been left out of the word public.

Copy Editing vs. Proofreading

Hi Pat,

Could you please differentiate between Copy Editing and Proofreading?

Cindy

Paper and Ink

We learned in class that it is much more accurate to edit on paper than to edit on screen. When I check my own writing, however, I often find myself hesitating to print out a document just for proofreading. I’m always tempted to do my proofreading on screen to save paper and ink. I just hate finding one misspell on a page and having to reprint the whole page; I cannot help but be self-conscious about wasting paper and ink for careless mistakes.

Is it absolutely necessary to print out a document for accurate proofreading? Is it possible to master the art of screen proofreading to eliminate or minimize the need for proofreading on paper, thereby saving the office supplies? Is it ever possible to print out a flawless document through proofreading on screen alone?