Congratulations! You’ve made the business decision to hire an editor or proofreader to get your written material in good shape. Now what? The next step is to put together a brief that will show them what it is you would like them to do. This will help you find the right person, and it will let them hit the ground running once you hire them.
How to brief your editor or proofreader
First things first: what exactly do you need – a proofreader or a copyeditor? My earlier blog post on what each does and at what stage of the process covers that. For now, we’ll use the term editor to mean both. Compiling your brief may help clarify this, so let’s get started.
There are 7 things that an editor will need to know before working on your documents. You don’t need to write a fancy brief on letterheaded paper; a simple email will do the job. Here’s what an editor would like to know to prepare an accurate quote for your job.
1. Level of editing required
Depending on where you are in the writing process, this could range from picking up typos and checking layout (proofreading) to reviewing flow, checking that it makes sense, and that there is no missing information (copyediting).
Other useful information is whether it has been written by more than one author. Often business reports are compiled with input from multiple authors (or team members). For some of your authors, English might not be their first language. If they have not been working in line with a particular style guide or template, you may also want your editor to look out for consistency issues.
2. Length of document
How long is your document? Are we talking about a short one – less than 15,000 words? Or something much longer? This will help your editor to know how much time they are likely to need and to make sure they have availability to fit in the work.
3. Type of document
Will you be sending your document as a Word document or PDF? The rule of thumb is that copyediting is done in Word and proofreading in PDF. This is because Word allows for Track Changes to be used. This can delete errors or typos and add corrections; it allows your editor to move text around to improve flow; and it enables your editor to apply correct formatting where it has gone wrong or is missing. You have final control over deciding which suggested changes to accept or reject.
Editing in PDF can be trickier as there is less opportunity for more significant editing. However, it is ideal if you are ready to print or publish and want to do a final run-through for typos or to check layout.
4. Style guide
Not every organisation works to a particular style guide. That is okay because your editor can create one for you. But if there is a style guide, then it’s good for the editor to know as it will mean that there are certain decisions that have already been made, such as whether it should follow US or UK English spelling, grammar, and punctuation conventions (or any other of English) or how to style headings.
5. Tables, figures, and references
Many academic and technical documents feature tables, figures, and references, and they are in many business reports too. It will help your editor to know if there are any (and approximately how many) in your document. Why? Formatting and checking tables and figures can take longer than reading a section of text. There will inevitably be some cross-referencing that needs to be checked. There will also be captions and numbering that need to be reviewed.
If you’re using references, footnotes, endnotes, or including a bibliography, knowing the preferred style will be important. Some of the most common ones are Harvard (author–date), Vancouver (numbering), and Chicago Manual of Style. Others include OSCOLA (law) and APA, or journal-specific styles.
6. Who is the audience?
Your audience determines how formal or informal your document should be. An academic article has a different style than a business or environmental report. A consumer report will be different still, as will material for a marketing campaign.
7. Your deadline
How quickly you need the edited document back will be key to making sure an editor has availability to take on the job. As with anything, the more time you can give them to get the work done the better. However, that’s not always possible and a quick turnaround may be necessary. If that is the case, you may find that your first choice of editor is booked up, and you should be prepared to pay a premium for an expedited turnaround.
Sending a sample
Ideally, you can send your shortlisted editor(s) a copy of the document together with your brief. This will help them get a better feel for it and gauge the level of editing required. If that’s not possible, then a sample is the next best thing – although not the introduction or conclusion but a section from the middle. This tends to be less polished and a more accurate representation of what may be required of your editor. Sending the best-written parts as a sample could result in the work taking longer or costing more if an editor doesn’t have the right information when preparing a quote.
Don’t be afraid to ask
If you have any questions about how to brief your copyeditor or proofreader, or you want to know more about working with an editor, please get in touch.
Get in touch
Christina Petrides is a proofreader and copyeditor who works with businesses, publishers, academics, and court reporters. She works across most industries and has a particular love for the environmental and travel sectors. She is an Advanced Professional Member of the CIEP and Affiliate Member of the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES). Connect with her on LinkedIn.
Post updated June 2025
