Thanks, Nicola. I find that in real life the boundaries between proofreading and copy editing often get blurred. Quite often a client will ask me to proofread something and “make it read better”, which is of course editing! Interesting point you make about finding it harder to work with someone else’s copy rather than your own. I am not entirely sure I agree, but I do accept that when editing someone else’s work you have to walk a thin line between making the text as good as it can be while also respecting the author’s personal style.

Thanks for your comment. Yes, proofreading and editing skills can certainly be useful when checking and polishing your own work as well.

Thanks, Nayna. It’s particularly hard to proofread your own work, as it’s perilously easy to see what you expect to see rather than what is actually there! Personally I try to leave it at least a week before proofreading my own stuff, so it’s less familiar to me when I come to do so. But ideally it’s best to get a fresh pair of eyes to look at your work as well.