Why enroll in a course on Editing and Proofreading? Job opportunities for Editing and Proofreading include Writers, Editors and Proofreaders. Proofreaders take home around $19,080 - $51,110 annually, while Editors are paid about $49,990 - $95,490. And here’s the best part, Writer’s get paid about $53,070 - $106,630. All opportunities are afforded for freelance work but let us not discount the fact that the office environment pays better especially when you work full time for a well established company.
Let us have a bird’s eye view of what it takes to be an editor or a proofreader. By definition and function, editing is different from proofreading. Editing is often times called revising. This entails that the sentence has a clear thought or content and the message one has to convey with the sentence and the paragraph would be understood. Sentences should be coherent and should have a continuous flow. Editing ensures that thoughts and points are interrelated and that the topics do not jump from one thought to the other. If there are several points or thoughts to stress, then there should be words, clauses and sentences showing the interrelation of such points. Else the reader would not be able to understand what is being stated or being delivered.
Proofreading on the other hand is more technical in nature. After editing and revising the essay or paragraph for thought content, proofreading would mean that the sentence, paragraph or essay does not contain grammatical errors, spelling errors and punctuation errors. The subject should agree with the verb. Should you need to use clauses commas and semi-colons should be used in accordance to what is sought for, as wrong punctuation may give a sentence a different meaning.
Both, proofreading and editing have the same aim which is to make sure that the document is free of errors and it reads better. Despite that, the difference in function may mean a difference of when both or either has to be done. Editing or revising is usually done after the document has been written to ensure that expression of the thought process and ideas convey what they are supposed to. Editing is but a continuous process needed throughout writing. This is done as words are carefully chosen and changed for sentences to be clear and concise. Proofreading is done at a later stage or more often than not at the last stage of writing. This is when all editing and revisions have been done. Proofreading is done when minor changes as to spelling and punctuation are the only thing left to do.
When it comes to the office setting, the degree of difficulty is afforded to both processes, unlike regular freelance editing where the degree of difficulty lies on the editing stage. Why is this so? It is easier to check documents for technical errors such as grammar and punctuation rather than check documents for content and thought continuity.
On the other hand, in the office setting, proofreading entails changing the words or should I say finding the right words to suit the audience intended to read the document and at the same time choose words that would not change the meaning of the content. This difference spells the difficulty of each process as defined by their function. Either way, one could not be without the other. Both processes work hand in hand to ensure that the document serves its purpose.
With new technology where computers have replaced typewriters (electronic and manual at that or even pen and paper if you wich) one does not have to re-write drafts and documents from scratch. Computers have also advanced so much that spelling, grammar and punctuation are done so with a click of a mouse. The world of writing, editing and proofreading has only the imagination as its limitations and constraint. Should you want to learn more about such processes or even learn more about writing styles either for career advancement or for additional skill set, Editing and Proofreading courses are available both online and in schools offering formal educational courses. Remember though that in this field of expertise, reading is not only an advantage but it also is the best way for one to develop a broader knowledge of words, ideas, and thoughts. Writing, editing and proofreading is a skill enhanced by reading.
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