Do I really need a proofreader after a line editor?

This is about knowing what a line edit is for and what a proofread is for. Yesterday, in my post about the difference between a developmental edit and a line edit, I already listed the many things that a line editor should be looking for after a developmental edit has been completed.

Proofreading is something else altogether. It is the final step in the editorial cycle before publication. It is the final review of the proof (the formatted, printed copy). It is meant to catch any typos, grammatical, spelling, punctuation and formatting errors or inconsistencies that have slipped through despite all vigilance by the editors and author.

Proofreading is not something that a writer should be doing on their own manuscript, because you‘ve read that story way too many times, and you don’t have the objectivity.

So, if you need to watch your budget, I would say (please forgive me, proofreaders everywhere) that this is an area where you could call in your trusted betas or critique partners and use them to help you.

Reading aloud is a great way to proofread and catch things. Playing it back on one those text-to-speech apps really helps too.

As a writer, we read our manuscripts many times, and you might be sick of it by the time you’re done with the developmental edit and then the line edit. If that’s the case, wait. You want fresh eyes, and your eyes will NOT be fresh unless you’ve spent weeks away from the story.

To conclude: Proofreading is the absolute last opportunity to correct any errors before publication.

Here’s the sequence:

Developmental Edit → Line Edit → Formatting → Proofreading

Development Edit = Heart Surgery (to make your story viable)

Line Edit = Corrective Surgery (to make your story readable and enjoyable)

Formatting = Major Cosmetic Surgery (to make your story look good)

Proofreading = Minor Cosmetic Surgery (to make your story look like you really cared)

P.S. Someone said they will forgo editing and just get a proofreader. This is like, as Daiva pointed out, covering up gaping holes in your walls with wallpaper. Not the wisest thing to do.