Editing versus revising is not a minor distinction. It’s the difference between fixing the right problems at the right time and wasting hours polishing drafts that still don’t work. Strong writing improves through layered review, starting with big-picture revision, moving through clarity-focused editing, and ending with technical proofreading. Key takeaways:

• Revising fixes structure, purpose, and content
• Editing improves clarity, flow, and tone
• Proofreading ensures correctness and credibility
• Separating these stages saves time and improves results
• Clear revision processes help teams produce better documents faster

Your first draft should never be the last. Revision is as essential to the writing process as are brainstorming and drafting. Or, as William Strunk Jr., co-author of the classic writing guidebook The Elements of Style, said, “Good writing means good revising.” 

What we mean by revising, however, may be a little more nuanced than many people realize. Editing a document, for example, is not quite the same thing as revising it, although many writers use the terms interchangeably. 

For our part, we would argue that clearly defining different kinds of document review, such as revising, editing, and copyediting/proofreading, is important because it takes the right tool (the right type of review) to tackle the precise challenge with the document. Plus, approaching document review in the wrong way is a huge time-waster; it’s one of the fastest ways to stall a draft, miss critical problems, or waste hours polishing sentences (editing) that should never have survived (revision) in the first place.

Strong writing is built in layers. Each layer addresses a different type of problem, and each one works best when handled on its own terms. Purdue University offers a useful way to think about these layers. If drafting a document is like building a house, then 

• Revising is like remodeling or renovating it.
• Editing is like redecorating or refurnishing, and
• Proofreading is like tidying up. 

Let’s tackle each layer.

The Foundation: Revising for Purpose, Structure, and Meaning

In revising, writers step back and re-envision the entire project. At this stage, the focus is not wording. It’s about direction, impact, and looking at the work on a structural level to ensure the document delivers on its implicit or explicit promises. 

In particular, this is the time to check the draft against its goals or objectives. The University of Toronto Engineering Communication Program offers a detailed guide to revising, editing, and proofreading in layers for technical documents. Their guide argues (and we agree) that the “first step in the revision process is to confirm that the draft actually serves [its] purpose.” 

Business documents, reports, and technical materials exist to drive a specific outcome. Revision is the time to verify that every major section moves the reader toward that outcome instead of drifting into unnecessary detail.

During the revision stage, ask yourself big-picture questions like:

• Does the document contain all the information and/or arguments it needs to achieve its goals?
• Are all major claims supported by evidence, reasoning, or explanation?
• Does content need to be added, removed, moved around, or reworked?
• Will the intended reader be able to understand the document with its existing vocabulary, level of detail, and organization?
• Do the structure and organization of the document serve its purpose (for instance, does it successfully build up to a powerful, persuasive, and inarguable conclusion)?

This layer is the foundation of editing versus revising. Without strong revision, editing cannot save the document. It’s also the most creative of the forms of review, requiring critical thinking skills as well as writing know-how. 

The Middle Layer: Editing for Clarity and Consistency

Once the structure is sound, writers move into editing. Editing focuses on language choices, sentence flow, and tone. This is the stage to focus on issues such as clarity and conciseness. The revision stage is when the writer cements what to say; here, we try to determine if we’re saying it optimally. This is the time, for example, to try to catch redundancy, vague or unnecessarily complicated text, and overly long constructions.

As you edit, ask yourself:

• Do the document’s message, tone, and style remain consistent throughout?
• Do paragraphs and sentences flow in a logical, coherent manner from start to finish?
• Have unnecessary words, filler phrases, or redundancies been removed without losing meaning?
• Do sentence lengths vary enough to keep the writing readable and engaging?
• Are key terms used consistently throughout the document?

The Top Layer: Proofreading for Mechanical Accuracy

Proofreading (sometimes referred to as copyediting) addresses surface-level correctness. It’s a critical element of any document review process because your document can be brilliant in its construction and formulation, but simple grammar errors will immediately erode the reader’s trust in you. 

In fact, research shows that:

“Texts that exhibit poor spelling and grammar, or lack compelling arguments and clear structure, are perceived as lower quality. Moreover, the authors themselves may be perceived as less intelligent, creative, hardworking, or trustworthy. 

In other words, readers won’t just think less of the document when they encounter errors; they’ll think less of the authors. 

Worse, it turns out that business writers are particularly prone to certain types of errors that really bother readers. Another study found that business professionals “had the highest average score [note: in this context, higher is worse] for the wrong word and run-on sentence errors.” When asked to rate their reactions to all their team’s errors, the average response was “I am embarrassed for my company and want the employee’s writing skill deficit to be rectified.” 

Even tiny errors, such as a misplaced period in this, can make an otherwise strong document look careless and unprofessional.

Here, the writer should be focused less on creative questions and more on mechanical correctness. Questions to ask at this stage are straightforward:

• Are words misspelled? 
• Is punctuation correct? 
• Does the formatting match the document type? 
• Are word choices correct, especially commonly confused words such as “their,” “there,” and “they’re”?
• Are headings, lists, citations, and formatting consistent throughout the document?

Why Getting Editing, Revising, and Proofreading Right Matters

The reason to distinguish editing versus revising, and proofreading so carefully, is strategic. Each layer requires a different mindset and solves a different set of problems. Trying to do everything at once often creates confusion, and missed problems, and wastes time.

Be wary of trying to combine all forms of document review into a single pass or, worse, trying to revise at the same time as drafting. Some writers think this will save time; it won’t. 

“There are two potential problems with revising as you go,” warns the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “One is that … you never get to think of the big picture. Another danger … is that you may short-circuit your creativity. If you spend too much time tinkering with what is on the page, you may lose some of what hasn’t yet made it to the page.” 

The best strategy is to establish a clear, repeatable set of document review processes that fit the organization’s needs. A team collaborating on complex documents requires a different workflow than a solo writer producing internal reports. In both cases, the goal is the same: effective documents produced efficiently. 

Outside guidance can be a game-changer here. Writing experts can assess your existing processes and provide a roadmap toward solving any communication or writing issues they uncover. For a professional hand in guiding your team’s review and revision processes, consider an expertcommunication audit or learn more about Hurley Write’s Better Reviewing Techniquesworkshop.

FAQs

What’s the difference between editing and revising in writing?

Editing versus revising refers to different stages of improving a draft. Revising focuses on structure, purpose, and content, while editing focuses on clarity, tone, and sentence-level language. Understanding editing versus revising helps writers apply the right solution to the right problem, improving quality while reducing unnecessary rework.

Should I revise or edit first when improving a draft?

Revision should always come first. Editing before revising often wastes time polishing sections that may later be changed or removed. For some specific strategies and tactics, read our article “6 Revision Techniques You’ve Probably Never Heard of (or Used!).” 

Can teams combine editing and revising into one review step?

Combining them usually reduces effectiveness. Separating revision, editing, and proofreading creates clearer feedback and better outcomes for teams working under deadlines. For  more information about saving time during the review and revision process, read our in-depth guide “5 Ways to Reduce Time Spent Editing Your Team’s Writing.”