Honorary president: Judith Butcher Honorary vice-president: David Crystal OBE

FAQs: Proofreading

You may also find it helpful to have a look at FAQs: Using copy-editors and proofreaders.

• What is proofreading?
• What does a proofreader do?
• What does a proofreader not do?
• Would I be suited to this work?

What is proofreading?

Traditionally, an author's text is copy-edited (see FAQs: Copy-editing), typeset by a typesetter and then printed. 'Proofreading' in this instance means reading the results of the typesetter's work – a proof – and comparing it to the edited manuscript, ensuring that the editorial marks made by the copy-editor have been followed by the typesetter.

These days, however, proofreading is often performed 'blind' – that is, the proof is read on its own merits, without the edited manuscript being available to the proofreader. And the medium on which the text will ultimately be seen may not be paper but a computer screen.

In all these cases, the proofreader reads the proof for consistency in usage and layout, for accuracy in the text and references and for typesetting errors. However, the proofreader is acting only as a quality check, making sure that the copy-editor or typesetter has not missed something. He or she is not responsible for overall consistency and accuracy.

The terms of reference for a proofreader from a client should be agreed by both parties before the work is carried out. As you will see below, they can be quite broad.

What does a proofreader do?

Page proofs (or draft web pages or, increasingly, PDFs) represent the first, and usually the only, chance for authors and others involved in the work to see the words integrated with the other elements – e.g. design, illustrations, graphs – to become a coherent whole before publication (or before 'going live'). From the relatively 'fluid' state of raw copy, where changes can be made easily by the copy-editor, the work is now relatively 'fixed' and production is now well advanced.

The proofreader's role is to check that the editor, designer and typesetter have each done a satisfactory job, and to use good judgement in marking amendments, to minimise costs and delays.

Professional proofreaders will undertake the following tasks:

• Compare the proofs with the edited copy line by line (known as 'reading against copy'). Alternatively, the work may have to be proofread 'blind' (i.e. not read against copy).
• Check that page numbers are consecutive and that page headings are correct.
• Ensure consistency – particularly of alternative spellings and hyphenation – by following a style guide if one is supplied or by compiling their own.

• Identify necessary changes and mark them on the proof with the appropriate British Standards Institution (BSI) marks. This is generally done on hard copy (that is, text printed on paper), and most errors will be picked up in this way. If proofs come in electronic format as PDFs, they can be printed out and marked up in the usual way. Page proofs, draft web pages and PDFs can also be read on-screen, but this is usually less successful than proofreading hard copy.

  Professional proofreaders will not be tempted to re-edit the work at this stage. Acceptable changes are corrections to editorial or typesetter errors, clarifying ambiguous grammar and dealing with inconsistencies, but not restructuring or rewriting.

• Mark amendments accurately and consistently, taking into consideration the budgetary implications of any changes. Adding or removing just one word may, in some circumstances, have a knock-on effect that drastically alters page layout, resulting in unacceptable costs and delay.
• Watch out for typographical and design inconsistencies as well as textual ones.
• Cross-check chapter titles with the table of contents. Check that the list of end matter – that is, appendices, index, etc. – corresponds to the text.
• Check or insert numbers in cross-references where feasible.
• Eliminate inelegant or confusing word, column and page breaks. 'Widows' and 'orphans' – i.e. short last or first lines of a paragraph that appear at the top or the bottom of a page, respectively – are undesirable. It may be necessary to adjust the text to correct for these.
• Ensure that illustrations and their captions and labels correspond with each other and with the text.
• Check that each page is aesthetically pleasing and logically arranged.
• Liaise with the copy-editor and/or the author to resolve queries or bring them to the client's attention.

• If required, collate the author's changes with their own, rationalizing or querying conflicting instructions if necessary.

  If extensive changes are needed at proof stage, proofreaders will discuss the situation with their clients before proceeding.

What does a proofreader not do?

• Copy-editing. Changes on proof are relatively expensive, so should be kept to a minimum. Corrections to grammar and spelling, application of house style and, especially, restructuring or rewriting should be tackled at the copy-editing stage, before typesetting and page layout.
• Indexing – the Society of Indexers can refer you to qualified indexers.
• Page layout. This is another specialist skill.
• Seeking permission(s) to use copyright material. Not only is this not a part of the proofreader's duties, but if permission is denied at this late stage, it can be costly. For example, if an illustration has to be withdrawn, this can have a serious effect on page layout. Permissions should be obtained before typesetting, if at all possible.

Many professional proofreaders have the skills to perform these services, if requested, but they require separate negotiation and briefing.

Would I be suited to this work?

Most people think of proofreading as largely consisting of checking spelling, punctuation and grammar. These are, of course, major elements of the work, and if you didn't get on well with grammar at school or if your spelling is poor, this is almost certainly not the job for you.

Even if your grammar and spelling skills are good, proofreading still might not be your cup of tea. If you find it frustrating to have to accept an author's style you don't like or a publisher's house style that you find sadly inadequate, or if you find it impossible to do a less-than-perfect job (if that's what the client wants), then again this probably isn't the job for you.

For a taster of what it's like to be a proofreader, try the SfEP course Introduction to proofreading.

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