Editing comes in different forms.

1. Copyediting
   

At all levels of copyediting—light, medium, and heavy—the copyeditor corrects errors, queries the author about conflicting statements, requests advice when the means of resolving a problem is unclear, and prepares a style sheet. The copyeditor may also incorporate the author's replies to queries; this work is known as cleanup editing and may be done for an extra fee.  

    Light Copyediting

          o Correcting faulty spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

          o Correcting incorrect usage (such as can for may).

          o Checking specific cross-references (for example, "As Table 14-6 shows...").

          o Ensuring consistency in spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts, and capitalization.

          o Checking for proper sequencing (such as alphabetical order) in lists and other displayed material.

          o Recording the first references to figures, tables, and other display elements.

            A light copyedit does not involve interventions such as smoothing transitions or changing heads or text to

            ensure parallel structure. The editor checks content only to detect spots where copy is missing. A light copyedit

            may include typemarking.

    Medium Copyediting 

          o Typemarking the manuscript.

          o Flagging ambiguous or incorrect statements.

          o Performing all tasks for light copyediting.

          o Changing text and headings to achieve parallel structure.

          o Flagging inappropriate figures of speech.

          o Ensuring that key terms are handled consistently.

          o Ensure that vocabulary lists and the index contain all the terms that meet criteria specified by the publisher.

          o Ensuring that previews, summaries, and end-of-chapter questions reflect content.

          o Tracking the continuity of plot, setting, and character traits.

          o Querying discrepancies in fiction manuscripts.

          o Enforcing consistent style and tone in a multi-author manuscript.

          o Changing passive voice to active voice, if requested.

1. Substantive editing (heavy copyediting)
   

All that is done in copyediting, plus: eliminating wordiness, triteness, and inappropriate jargon.

          o Smoothing transitions and moving sentences to improve readability.

          o Assigning new levels to heads to achieve logical structure.

          o Suggesting--and sometimes implementing--additions and deletions,

             noting them at the sentence and paragraph level.

1. Proofreading
   

A proofreader marks typeset copy word for word against a manuscript, identifies deviations for correction, and queries editorial errors. Proofreaders may also check copy for conformity to type specifications, create a style sheet, and ensure attractive typography by checking kerning, margins, word spacing, repetitive word breaks, and the like. If a proofreader is not given copymarked manuscript to refer to when proofing final materials, it can be referred to as "blind" or "cold" proofreading.

An editorial proofreader combines proofreading with some copyediting tasks, if they are needed late in the production process. This can include correcting errors such as misspellings, typos, misnumbering or mislabeling, subject-verb disagreement, word usage (such as the use of imminent for eminent), and identifying incorrect or outdated cross-references. If copy is missing, the proofreader requests the copy. Editorial proofreading may also involve typemarking, and making marginal notes to show the first citation of illustrations, tables, and other display elements. If instructed, single quotation marks are changed to double quotation marks as needed in running text and in displayed extracts. When the manuscript consists of typeset text, the proofreader checks for incorrect word breaks.

1. ✦ Definitions drawn from www.editorsforum.org
   

2. ✦ Levels of Copyediting (jpg)