What is Editing?

Think of editing as the big picture process. The translation is compared to the original (source) text, and the translated text is reviewed as a whole. The editor should check for things like word choice, clarity, conciseness, consistency, jargon, and register. This editing process should answer a few simple questions:

1. Does the translation accurately convey the meaning of the source text?
2. Does the translation use the appropriate terminology and style for its intended audience?
3. Is the translated text consistent? (This is especially important when more than one translator was involved.)

What is Proofreading?

If editing is looking at the big picture, proofreading is like getting out the magnifying glass and doing a careful inspection. At this stage, the goal is to clean up the text; the source text is forgotten and the translated text must stand on its own. Issues to consider:

1. Style Guides: In-house guide and/or professional guides (such as The Chicago Manual of Style)
2. Mechanics: Spelling, capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations, numbers
3. Sentence Structure: Run-on sentences, comma splices, sentence fragments
4. Regional Differences: UK v. US English spelling and punctuation

A proofreader may have specific duties that depend on the kind of document or the client.

Who is the Editor/Proofreader?

So who do you contact for editing, proofreading, or both? Most translators include some amount of editing and proofreading in their workflow.

The editor should be an expert in both languages, while the proofreader may be monolingual. The editor should also know the subject matter deeply—nothing wastes your money like having errors introduced in the editing stage after paying top dollar for an expert translator. Proofreaders may or may not be experts on the subject, but they should be experts on the writing style guide used in-house and in your field. Read the full article.

See: McRoberts Translations