Copy edits can be done on the entire manuscript or in blocks of 10,000 words
Copy editing is what most people think of when they think of editing. It focuses on the mechanics, grammar and spelling of the material, ensuring that everything is correct, accurate and consistent. At this point in the editing process, the structure of the narrative should be complete. There shouldn't be any major rewrites or reformatting of ideas necessary.
Copy editing includes but is not limited to:
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Correcting errors in spelling, grammar and usage
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Ensuring consistency in spelling, numbers and abbreviations
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Flagging necessary citations, copyrights and permissions
Copy editing is done in Word using track changes. At the end of the process, two versions will be returned: a clean copy with all of the changes accepted and a marked-up copy with all of the changes visible.
I offer two levels of copy editing: light and heavy. A light copy edit only fixes mechanical errors in the the text. A heavy copy edit fixes errors in conjunction with a stylistic edit which clarifies meaning, ensures coherence and flow, and refines the language. A heavy copy edit may also include fact checking.
