Copyediting
Ensure your grammar, syntax, and style are impeccable and consistent throughout the book.
Module Status
Key Outcomes
- Grammar, syntax, and punctuation corrected throughout the manuscript
- A consistent style applied to spelling, hyphenation, capitalization, and numerals
- Continuity checks — character names, timelines, and facts verified for consistency
- A final proofreading pass on your formatted file, catching anything introduced during layout
- A style sheet documenting every decision, for reference by future editors or proofreaders
- A manuscript that's mechanically clean and genuinely ready for publication
Self-Publishing Consultant
Quick Answer
How does our Copyediting service work?
A copyeditor works through your manuscript line by line correcting grammar, syntax, and punctuation, and applying consistent spelling, capitalization, and formatting based on a recognized style guide. Once your manuscript is finalized and laid out, we also run a final proofreading pass over the formatted file itself, catching anything that may have been introduced during layout, so nothing goes to print or upload without a last check.
Market Thesis & Impact
Copyediting is the stage readers punish hardest when it's skipped. A well-written manuscript still loses credibility fast if a reader hits inconsistent spelling, a character's name changing between chapters, or a comma splice on the first page. These errors signal to readers and reviewers that the book wasn't professionally produced, which affects reviews and word of mouth. Bundling the final proofreading pass into this same service also means the last set of eyes on your book already knows the manuscript's style decisions inside and out.
Copyediting comes after substantive editing, once the prose itself is finished being shaped. Running copyediting too early means correcting sentences that may still be rewritten, so we sequence it as the mechanical pass after the creative work is locked in and before your manuscript moves toward publication.
Operational Protocol
1. Manuscript intake & style guide selection — you submit your manuscript and we confirm which style guide to follow. 2. Line-by-line correction — your copyeditor works through the full manuscript correcting grammar, syntax, punctuation, and spelling. 3. Consistency & continuity pass — names, timelines, and terminology are checked for consistency throughout, and a style sheet is built. 4. Final proofread — once your manuscript is formatted for print or ebook, we run a final proofreading pass over that exact file. 5. Query resolution & sign-off — a defined window to review tracked changes and resolve any queries before final publication.
Scale Strategy
Our objective is a text that reads as professionally produced from the first page to the last, protecting the credibility of everything else you've invested in the manuscript. That means: • Applying one consistent style throughout so nothing reads as amateur or inconsistent • Documenting every decision in a style sheet so consistency holds across future books or sequels • Catching layout-introduced errors with a final proofread that no earlier pass could have found • Protecting your review scores since typos and inconsistencies are among the most commonly cited reader complaints
Who This Is For
- Authors whose manuscript has been through developmental and substantive editing and is ready for a mechanical pass
- Authors self-publishing who want a professionally clean, error-free final manuscript
- Authors preparing a final formatted file for print or ebook who need a last proofreading check
- Authors working on a series who need consistency documented for future books
Frequently Asked Questions
Is proofreading included in this service?
Yes, our copyediting service includes a final proofreading pass on your formatted file once layout is complete.
How is this different from substantive editing?
Substantive editing shapes how the prose reads, clarity, flow, and voice. Copyediting corrects the mechanics, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and consistency, once that prose is finished.
How long does it take?
Most copyediting projects take 2-4 weeks, with the final proofreading pass added once your formatted file is ready.
Which style guide do you use?
We typically work with Chicago Manual of Style or AP style, and can follow a custom house style if you have one.
What do I receive at the end?
A corrected manuscript with all changes tracked, a style sheet documenting consistency decisions, and confirmation that your final formatted file is ready to publish.