Difference between copy editing and proof reading?

How do we differentiate between the two....

[contentmaster]

I was wondering what exactly differentiates copy editing from proof reading...and when are the two really needed?

What needs to be kept in mind while doing the two...

are their any proofreading guidelines that are available?

[hunderdown]

Traditionally, the two are very different. Copy editing involves working with a manuscript, "fixing" the grammar, punctuation, spelling, and so one, but ALSO bringing it into conformity with a publishing house's "style" and doing some basic markup of headers and such.

The manuscript is then typeset, and then comes proofreading. The proofreader checks the proofs provided by the printer against the marked-up manuscript. Their proofreader looks to see that the manuscript was set accurately, and that all the instructions of the copyeditor were followed. The proofreader may also correct errors that the copyeditor missed, but that's not a big part of the job.

There's a tremendous amount involved in both jobs, but copyediting is generally to be better-paying because it is more demanding.

For more information, consult books such as The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, and Words Into Type.

And good luck! Many web sites suffer from a complete lack of either copyediting or proofreading, so if you plan to copyedit and proofread your content you may find that it helps your site stand out.