10 Surprising Edits Copy Editors Make to Improve Your Writing

(That You Might Never Notice)

When most people think of copy editing, they imagine spotting typos, fixing spelling mistakes, or correcting grammar—and yes, that’s certainly part of the job. But copy editors do so much more behind the scenes to bring polish, consistency, and clarity to your writing.

Here are ten surprising things a copy editor might change or amend—many of which you may never have noticed if we’ve done our job well!

1. Straight quotes to curly quotes 

You might not notice them, but straight quotes (also called dumb quotes) are the default in many programmes such as MS Word and Google Docs. Copy editors change them to curly quotes (also called smart quotes), which are the typographic standard for published writing. It’s a small but professional touch that improves readability and presentation.

2. Consistency in hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes 

Not all dashes are created equal! Copy editors ensure that hyphens (-), en dashes (–), and em dashes (—) are used correctly. For example, an en dash is used in number ranges (e.g. 1999–2004), while an em dash sets off a thought—like this.

3. Spacing around punctuation 

We remove rogue double spaces after periods (a hangover from typewriter days) and make sure there’s no extra spacing before punctuation marks. Clean, consistent spacing helps text flow naturally.

4. Number formatting 

Should it be ten or 10? That depends on the style guide. Copy editors make sure numbers are written consistently—whether spelled out or as numerals—based on rules such as those in The Chicago Manual of Style or Oxford Style Manual.

5. British vs. American English 

If you're writing for a specific audience, a copy editor will make sure the spelling, punctuation, and even idioms match the appropriate version of English. It’s colour vs. color, organise vs. organize, and learned vs. learnt.

6. Serial commas (a.k.a. the Oxford comma) 

Ah, the great comma debate! Some style guides insist on a comma before the final item in a list (bread, milk, and eggs), while others skip it. Copy editors apply the correct version consistently throughout your manuscript.

7. Repetitive sentence structures 

Writers often fall into patterns without realising—starting several sentences the same way or repeating a phrase. Copy editors gently rework or highlight these repetitions to keep the writing engaging and varied.

8. Dialogue punctuation 

From making sure commas and full stops are inside the quotation marks to adjusting tag placement, copy editors fine-tune dialogue so it flows naturally and matches industry standards. You can find out more about this in a previous blog post by clicking this link.

9. Rivers and ladders

This is usually fixed at the proofreading stage, and most commonly with PDF documents, but I had to pop this one in! Rivers are spaces in words over a number of sentences that create an obvious gap. Ladders are three or more hyphenated words on top of one another at the end of a line that create an effect of the rungs of a ladder.

10. Style sheet creation 

One of the quietest but most helpful parts of editing! A copy editor will build a style sheet—a reference document that tracks decisions about spelling, hyphenation, character names, timelines, and more. It ensures consistency across your manuscript and can be shared with future editors or designers. This is something that I feel sets excellent editors apart from the rest.

The Bottom Line? A good copy editor doesn’t just correct your words—they refine your voice, while maintaining it, smooth out bumps in the road, and help your story shine. Much of what we do happens quietly behind the scenes, but it makes a world of difference when your book lands in readers’ hands.

Would you like to know what a copy editor might spot in your writing? I offer a free sample edit—let’s see if we’re a good fit.

– Deborah, The Blue Pencil