Services · Copyediting Services
Copyediting services correct the grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage in your manuscript and make sure every detail stays consistent from the first page to the last. A copyeditor does not rewrite your book. The job is to remove the errors and inconsistencies that distract a reader and make a book look unprofessional. Copyediting is one level of our book editing services, included in the complete edit from $0.045 per word. You can get a free consultation and a free sample edit before you commit to anything.
Spell-check and grammar software catch some mistakes, but they miss a surprising amount: the character whose eyes change color in chapter nine, the term hyphenated three different ways, the date that does not match the timeline. A trained human reader catches those, and that is what you are paying for.
Copyediting is the technical, line-by-line correction of a manuscript after the content is settled. It sits after developmental and line editing and before proofreading, because it assumes the text is more or less in its final form. Your copyeditor works with the words you have, fixes what is wrong and queries you about anything that might be a deliberate choice.
Think of copyediting as quality control for the reader's trust. Readers forgive an unusual plot far more easily than a book full of small slips. Every inconsistent spelling or wrong word quietly tells them the author did not care, and that is the last impression you want to make with a first book. A clean copyedit lets your ideas, characters and voice do the talking.
A copyedit also protects your style. Rather than imposing a house voice, the editor learns how you write and enforces your own choices consistently. If you prefer a single spelling for an invented place name or a deliberately unusual phrase, the copyeditor records it and applies it every time.
What does that look like on the page? A copyeditor changes "its" to "it's" where needed, spots that the narrator says "Tuesday" in one paragraph and "Wednesday" in the next, and notices that "email" appears as "e-mail" in a third of the chapters. None of these is dramatic. Together, they decide whether your book feels finished.
A thorough copyedit works on four fronts at once. Here is what each one involves.
Subject and verb agreement, tense slips, misplaced modifiers, comma problems, confused words such as affect and effect, and awkward constructions that read as mistakes. Spelling is checked against a standard reference, and US or UK conventions are applied consistently, whichever you choose.
Character names and spellings, place names, timelines, ages, measurements, capitalization, hyphenation, numerals versus words, and the way you format headings, lists and quotations. This is where copyeditors earn their keep, since consistency is almost impossible to see in your own work.
Your editor builds a style sheet that records every decision: how you spell a recurring term, whether you use the serial comma, how numbers appear, which words are capitalized. Most trade books follow the Chicago Manual of Style, while news-style and some business writing follows the AP Stylebook. You receive the style sheet with your edited manuscript, and it is invaluable for a sequel or later edition.
A copyeditor is not a researcher, but a good one notices facts that look shaky: a date that conflicts with another date, a quotation that needs a source, a statistic with no origin. These are flagged in author queries so that you can verify them. You remain responsible for the accuracy of your book.
One more benefit is easy to miss. Because a single copyeditor reads the entire manuscript, the same rules are applied from start to finish. A team of several people tends to produce several slightly different standards, which readers feel even when they cannot name the problem.
Authors often ask where copyediting ends and the other passes begin. This table makes the differences plain.
| Edit | Main question | When |
|---|---|---|
| Line editing | Does the writing flow and sound right? | After structural revisions |
| Copyediting | Is the text correct and consistent? | After line editing, before layout |
| Proofreading | Did any errors survive into the final pages? | After typesetting |
Our complete edit combines all three passes into one quote, and you can read how in manuscript editing services. Not sure which you need? The free sample edit comes with a recommendation.
Almost every book that will be published needs one, and the earlier you book it after revisions, the cheaper it is to fix problems, whether it is going to bookshops, Amazon or your own shelf. It matters most for novelists managing a large cast and timeline, nonfiction authors with citations and numbers, and self-publishers who have no publisher's editor checking their work. If you have already had a structural edit and you are ready for the clean-up, this is your stage.
It is also worth booking if English is not your first language, if several people have revised the draft, or if you pasted chapters together from different files. Mixed-up styles and version leftovers are exactly what a copyedit cleans up. What it will not do is rebuild a chapter, so if the book still needs big changes, begin with developmental editing.
Several things move the quote up or down, and we explain each in writing before you approve it: total word count, the condition of the draft, genre and subject complexity, the number of revision rounds, whether you want US or UK conventions and how soon you need the work back.
Copyediting does not have a separate published price. It is included in the complete edit (line edit, copyedit and proofread) from $0.045 per word, and your project manager can quote a copyedit on its own. The final fixed quote depends on length, genre, how clean the draft already is, the number of revision rounds and your deadline. Heavy citations, technical terms and unusual formatting add time, while a draft you have already revised carefully usually moves faster.
| Manuscript length | Typical copyediting turnaround |
|---|---|
| Up to 5,000 words | 3 to 5 business days |
| 20,000 to 40,000 words | 1 to 2 weeks |
| 60,000 to 90,000 words | 2 to 3 weeks (copyediting and line editing) |
Exact dates are confirmed in writing at the start of each engagement and assume you return feedback within the agreed review windows. Rush schedules are available for an additional fee, quoted up front. Current pricing is on our pricing page.
We do not use your manuscript for anything beyond your project. Your pages are seen only by your editor and project team. You own 100 percent of your book, with rights confirmed in writing at the start of the project, and we keep no copyright, royalty or credit claim. For independent guidance on resources and practice, Copyediting.com is a helpful reference for authors who want to understand the craft.
Copyediting works on the manuscript before layout and fixes grammar, usage and consistency in depth. Proofreading is the last check on typeset pages and catches only remaining errors.
Only the text, meaning the grammar, usage, consistency and style of your sentences. A copyeditor may flag a plot or fact inconsistency as a query, but structure and style rewrites belong to developmental and line editing.
Chicago style for most trade books, and AP style where it suits your audience, such as news-style writing or some business books. We confirm your choice before the edit begins and record it in your style sheet.
It is included in the complete edit from $0.045 per word and can be quoted separately. Your fixed written quote depends on length, genre, condition of the draft and deadline.
A 20,000 to 40,000 word manuscript typically takes 1 to 2 weeks, and 60,000 to 90,000 words typically takes 2 to 3 weeks with line editing. Your date is confirmed in the quote.
Yes, in almost every case. Software cannot judge context, track continuity or apply a consistent style sheet. It is a useful first pass before you send the draft, but it does not replace a human editor who reads for meaning, consistency and the choices only you can make.
Good copyediting is invisible when it works, because readers simply enjoy the book. If you want copyediting services you can trust, start by seeing your own pages edited. Get a free consultation and ask for the free 1,000-word sample, or submit your manuscript directly. We will tell you honestly which kind of edit your manuscript needs, even if it is not this one.
Free consultation
Every enquiry is read by a publishing consultant, not a sales script. You'll get an honest view of your project, a recommended route and a fixed written quote.
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