Proofreading, copyediting, etc.*

[In reference to a another post here having to do with  reduction in demand for people-type translators . . . these people/roles below are still needed. AI and automation can't perform this work, yet. I don't think developing technologies will any time soon if ever.]

Copywriting and proofreading are two distinct activities in the realm of writing and editing. Here's an overview of their differences.

Copywriting

Copywriting refers to the process of crafting written content, typically for advertising or promotional purposes. The primary goal of copywriting is to engage the audience, persuade them, and drive them to take a specific action. Copywriters create content for various mediums such as advertisements, websites, brochures, social media campaigns, and more. They focus on conveying a compelling message, highlighting the benefits of a product or service, and employing persuasive techniques to capture attention and elicit desired responses. Copywriters often work closely with marketing teams to align their writing with the overall brand strategy and target audience.

Proofreading

Proofreading, on the other hand, involves reviewing and correcting written material to identify errors and ensure accuracy, consistency, and clarity. Proofreaders examine text for grammatical mistakes, spelling errors, punctuation issues, and typographical errors. They also check for proper formatting, adherence to style guidelines, and overall readability. Proofreading is typically done after the writing phase to polish the content and make it error-free. Proofreaders have a keen eye for detail and possess strong language skills, enabling them to spot errors that might have been overlooked during the writing process. 

In summary, copywriting focuses on creating persuasive and engaging content for marketing and promotional purposes, while proofreading concentrates on reviewing and correcting written material to eliminate errors and enhance readability. Both copywriting and proofreading play essential roles in producing high-quality written content.

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What is the difference between a copyeditor and editor?

The terms "copyeditor" and "editor" are often used interchangeably, but there are subtle differences between the two roles. Here's an explanation of their distinctions.

Copyeditor

A copyeditor is responsible for reviewing written material, such as articles, manuscripts, or documents, with a focus on improving the overall quality, accuracy, and consistency of the text. Copyeditors meticulously examine the content line by line and make corrections or revisions to ensure clarity, coherence, and adherence to grammar and style guidelines. They pay attention to grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, and usage errors. Additionally, copyeditors may suggest improvements in sentence structure, word choice, and overall readability. They work closely with the author to maintain the author's voice and intent while enhancing the presentation of the material.

Editor

An editor, in a broader sense, can encompass various roles and responsibilities depending on the context. Editors can be involved in different stages of the writing process, including content development, structural editing, copyediting, and proofreading. They often oversee the entire editing process and collaborate with writers to shape the content In essence, a copyeditor primarily focuses on improving the technical aspects of the written material, such as grammar and style, while an editor encompasses a broader role, often involved in guiding and shaping the content's structure, organization, and overall impact. 

However, it's important to note that the specific roles and responsibilities can vary across different contexts and publications.and ensure its effectiveness. Editors may provide feedback on the overall structure, organization, and flow of the material. They may also address issues related to tone, audience engagement, and narrative consistency. Editors have a comprehensive understanding of the target audience and the publishing industry and may contribute to decision-making regarding content selection and overall direction.

In essence, a copyeditor primarily focuses on improving the technical aspects of the written material, such as grammar and style, while an editor encompasses a broader role, often involved in guiding and shaping the content's structure, organization, and overall impact. However, it's important to note that the specific roles and responsibilities can vary across different contexts and publications.

It matters

The prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, "his" Peace Prayer, among its titles over the years, became my go-to for meditation in the 1980s, and often still is. However, when I learned passage meditation and began practice, the version of the prayer was not as I knew it growing up in a rather strict Catholic family and my fourteen years of parochial* schooling. With the new version I adopted and use, the last line has given me pause, and acts as distraction, in my modest attempts at ascendancy.

The line I knew was: "and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." The line as given by my spiritual teacher was: "It is in dying to self [or Self] that we are born to eternal life."

The difference makes a difference, for when I think back, two members of my family held dear the version we knew, and no doubt they prayed with those words. One of those people wished for death to come soon, and I thought she expressed that wish by embracing that prayer. This is conjecture or opinion, I admit. Perhaps this difference is only significant in my own mind.

The difference is different, however, because both versions are incomplete translations of the French original. (To complete the deception, there is no evidence it was a prayer we can attribute to the historical St. Francis.)

Am I too old or stuck to learn by heart the original in French or its English translation? I can give it a try, as I reflect on the importance of getting words/meanings as close to correct as possible from the start. It is important to translate accurately with meaning and intent the full original source to the target language of choice and text's adoption for use. Agree?

In short, it matters. Interlinear translations quickly reveal whether or not meaning and intent have been faithfully rendered if one knows the target language and is familiar with or is more than comfortable reading in the source language. And even if this is not the case, it matters whether for Christians the Virgin Mary was a virgin and in what sense.

EN >> EN

One objection to interlinear translations is that it encourages other-language learners to translate when trying to use/learn the target language, to wit, best to think in the target language, not your native tongue. What to do? not use interlinear translations as one of your tools to comprehend/acquire the foreign language?

I think not, with an exception or two.

No one (of the rest of us) suggests reading whole books that have been translated and displayed in interlinear form. At least no language teacher should promote this. [objection coming soon] The object of learning is to take what you don't know perfectly and work with it until you do. This translates into bite-sized bits, or bytes if you prefer.

Which suggests offering what I and others more proficient than I do, provide language-learner friendly EN-to-EN translations. This is not interlinear but the intermediary step between being lost or almost lost in the target language to seeing in simpler target language what was lost/almost lost when grappling with an unfamiliar passage or short document presented in that target language, English here being only an example.

How can this transition be accomplished? Here is one way.

Have English practice conversations online for intermediate and above conversation partners. In process, correct, clarify, and expand or enhance the language that is or can be used with whatever topic is being discussed. Note these words, phrases, expressions, and potential uses of the language used or encountered. After the conversation has ended, take those notes, clean them up, perhaps augment with examples, and offer them to your conversation partners. Here is what that might look like in an email message as follow-up to an online conversation.

tooth pulled/extracted = removed from his/her mouth by surgeon or dentist or in your dog's case, the vet
pendant = a charm or jewel on a chain or cord worn around the neck
cremate = burn a dead body
urn = where the ashes of the cremated body are kept, sometimes
camping stove = portable gas stove
backpacking = to go overnight in the mountains or somewhere with a backpack . . . you carry everything you need, including water, food and chocolate
picnic = to eat outside somewhere other than your backyard, something special not just grabbing a sandwich and eating it on the park bench

If you are providing such online conversation practice sessions long term with a partner, about Christmas or another time make an e-book of all the notes and send it as a gift or resource. The recipient can use the book for study and review, or even search the book after conversations have long since ended. Here is an example in e-book format.

Chat notes epub example

You were waiting for the exceptions, weren't you? 

Well, one is a case I am very familiar with. In struggling with Latin for six years, I used interlinear translations that my father bought for me at the University of California bookstore. These were, for example, the speeches of Cicero. Given an assignment by my Latin teacher, I would look up the speech and use the interlinear translation to help me work up something I flipped as my own translation and handed it in. Survival but not thrival, you might say.

I don't know anyone, but there is at least one, who can think in Latin, or speak it. [https://www.alexanderarguelles.com/academy/ includes a circle on speaking Latin]] In other words, the goal of learning Latin for most of us is not to think in the language nor speak it. Interlinear translations, even of longer works, works that is that have practical value in helping to decode what was said long ago.

An aside having to do with a younger, er less mature, me. I took the interlinear Latin translations and tried to come up with my way of saying the same thing as the English lines provided. I could not produce my own, better English to English other than what appeared in the interlinear book. I was too inexperienced in my own language to do same. What are the implications of this for the EN-to-EN language learner? If the translation to easier to understand language is not very good, well that's a problem, if we assume we have a basic understanding of the target language. Hopefully for my students and conversation partners today, I am better at this "translation" skill. They will judge, after all I have had almost a lifetime to work on my abilities.  But I never know without direct feedback, which I get if I ask.

The next exception is that there are some, for example biblical scholars, translators, and linguists, who want the full monty, interlinear translations and glosses of important or critical texts that have ramifications beyond the scholar's personal understanding and gratification. Longer interlinear translation displays have a place, but for the rest of us? not so much in my opinion.