Yes! Definitely.
“Proofreading” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Publishing companies, for example, use proofreaders very late in the production process, after the copy-editing. These proofreaders conduct final checks at the end.
At publishing companies, the copy-editor’s job begins sooner and is much wider in scope than that of the proofreader. Take a look:
Professional proofreaders:
Above all, a proofreader’s job is to ensure material is clear, concise and accurate. |
Professional copy-editors do all the tasks in the list on the left, AND:
The copy-editor looks at the big picture, including style rules and legal issues, project length and technical matters. |
For most businesses, however, “proofreading” involves everything in BOTH lists above. In reality this in-depth operation is “editing”. It can include suggesting structural changes and scrutinising format, facts and graphics.
For in-depth details about how these roles usually work, check out the SfEP’s descriptions of proofreading and copy-editing.