A draft can feel maddening when everything on the page seems like the same kind of issue. There’s a strange word in this sentence. That comma should be there. That heading looks too big. That caption needs more room from its image. And so on. It’s very easy to see and want to act on every single one of those problems, but things can be simpler if you have the right name for the job.
Editing generally concerns the content of the manuscript. At its simplest, editing asks whether a book is saying what it means to say and how well it is saying it. Editing can involve sentence structure, repeated phrases, the sequence of chapters, the clarity of explanations, inconsistent tone, and inconsistent use of terminology. At a micro level, copyediting concerns the mechanics of language, including usage, grammar, capitalization, and style. If you are asking whether a sentence should be deleted, revised, or clarified, you are probably editing.
Proofreading takes place when a manuscript is in stable form and usually after a book is edited. It is not the right time to think about rewriting paragraphs or rearranging chapters. Proofreading identifies mechanical mistakes, such as repeating words, dropped or repeated punctuation marks, missing or double spaces, inconsistencies in headings, incorrect page numbering, spelling errors, and formatting errors. Proofreading requires careful attention, since the most common errors are the smallest ones to miss if you are reading quickly.
Layout is distinct from these two tasks. Layout concerns how the text looks on a page. Page layout can include margins, line and paragraph spacing, hierarchy of title levels, placement of captions and other text features, page breaks, widows and orphans, image placement, trim size, and the layout of the table of contents. A layout problem does not always signal a problem with the written text. Instead, it signals that the text may need adjustment so that the page layout will be pleasant for readers. Sometimes layout problems can be avoided with good preparation, but when the text itself changes during the production of page proofs, layout issues are to be expected. Layout is also more than cosmetic, since the size and placement of elements on the page impact readability.
Try this exercise with one sample page. Review it three times, each time with just one focus. When reviewing your first pass, identify any issues that require editing, questions like wording that seems unclear, information that is repeated, terms that are inconsistent, and content that seems out of sequence with its section. On your second pass, focus on identifying any proofreading errors, such as missing or incorrect punctuation, double spaces, misspellings, and inconsistent use of heading styles. Finally, when looking for layout concerns, assess the placement of lines of text, headings, images, and captions and their relationship to page edges. When doing this, be aware of how much white space is in a paragraph and whether a heading is visible at the bottom of the page. In other words, look for issues on this page that concern page layout. The same page should reveal three different types of problems on these three different reviews.
New people involved in the publishing process may have a hard time with proofreading a book before it has been edited. If a chapter is still being reorganized, proofreading fixes will be lost in the next round of editing. Beginning layout with a book that is not finalized means that every edit can create the need for new layout work. Beginning the editing process when the page proofs have already been prepared means the proofs will have to be reviewed again. This does not mean the different stages must be done in a rigid order, but mixing the work without good reason will just result in more work.
The distinction between the tasks of editing, proofreading, and layout can be made clearer through clear instructions. Rather than write “please fix this page,” be specific and indicate which type of work is required: edit, proofread, or layout. If you feel a paragraph is too confusing, note it to the editors. If there’s a punctuation mark that was left off, send a proofreading note. If a heading is left at the bottom of a page, send a layout note. With each different note, the next step of the process is clearer.
Before making the changes to a book, consider this one more question: Are you editing the manuscript, proofreading the finalized manuscript, or identifying a layout issue? This one question will slow your thinking enough that it helps to protect the time you are spending on that review process. It will also keep you from rewriting sentences during the final layout review, editing paragraphs when the proofs are out, or approving a manuscript page that still has editing concerns.