Copyediting ?

[Carol]

Tonks wrote:
> 
> I am rather curious as to exactly what a copyeditor does? It is just
proof reading to catch mistakes in grammar, puntuation, and spelling?
Helping to make the subject clear to the reader or ????
> 
<snip>

Carol responds:

First, let me make a quick distinction between proofreading and
editing of any kind. "Page proofs" are test copies of the type-set
text, IOW, loose pages that look exactly like the pages in the printed
book but with wider margins so that the proofreader can mark any
mistakes. 

Editors, in contrast, work with the author's manuscript before it's
set in type. 

Here's a comparison of a manuscript page and a page proof of the same
page:

https://authornet.cambridge.org/images/XML_workflow_manuscript.gif

https://authornet.cambridge.org/images/XML_workflow_typescript.gif

(Most page proofs don't have all that gunk in the margins, but I can't
find a decent image online.)

Manuscripts used to be hand written, as the etymology ("manu" = "by
hand"; ""scriptus" = "writtten") indicates, then typewritten. These
days, they're mostly composed on a computer and can either be printed
out and edited by hand or edited on a computer using Word or a similar
program--far and away the best method for detecting "accidental"
plagiarism (as in passages cut-and-pasted from the Internet with no
attribution, a growing problem because a lot of people think that
Internet sites are in the public domain--wrong!).

The copyeditor *does* correct the author's grammar, punctuation,
spelling, and capitalization, as well as misused words ("infer" for
"imply," for example), but also checks for consistency in everything
from endnote format to the spelling out of numbers. (Copyeditors
generally follow style guides, such as "The Chicago Manual of Style,"
in matters of hyphenation, comma use, capitalization, endnote format,
and so on.) Unless the publisher requests a "light edit," the
copyeditor also improves the sentence structure, for example,
eliminating dangling modifiers and changing passive voice to active
voice (unless there's a good reason not to do so). The copyeditor also
queries apparent factual errors and contradictions and points out
confusing passages, "accidental" plagiarism, etc. 

The copyedited manuscript is returned to the author, who is supposed
to accept or reject the edits (much easier with a manuscript edited on
a computer) before giving it to the publisher to be set in type (or
sending it to an agent, if it hasn't been accepted for publication). 

Once the author's corrections are in place, the proofreader checks the
proofs against the manuscript to make sure that all needed corrections
have been made and to correct or query any new problems that have been
created during the process of editing or typesetting, such as new
typos, extra spacing between words, two words that have been jammed
together, words accidentally left out, etc., as well as any mistakes
in the manuscript (such as "miniscule" for "minuscule") that the
copyeditor missed.

Proofreaders use a special set of marks on the printed pages, such as
a caret to insert a word or letter and # to indicate a needed space. 

http://www.brookwood.edu/dodgeWritingCenter/images/proofing.gif

Copyeditors who work by hand use a similar but not identical set of
marks (usually in red pencil or pen, as this site doesn't indicate). 

http://www.press.umich.edu/press/authinfo/editing.gif

Carol, who hopes that she hasn't confused you further!