Text Compare for Proofreading & Editing | Rune

Proofreading and editing are meticulous tasks. Every change must be intentional, and nothing should be overlooked. Text comparison tools give proofreaders and editors a powerful way to verify their work and communicate changes to authors.

The Editor's Challenge

Verifying All Changes

After hours of painstaking edits, how do you confirm you caught everything? Comparing the original with your edited version shows every modification.

Communicating with Authors

Authors want to understand what was changed in their manuscript. A comparison view makes this clear without lengthy explanations.

Maintaining Consistency

When editing a long document, early decisions must be applied consistently throughout. Comparison helps verify this.

Quality Assurance

Before returning a document to a client, compare one more time to ensure no accidental changes slipped through.

How to Use Text Compare for Editing

1. Open Rune's Text Compare.
2. Paste the author's original on the left.
3. Paste your edited version on the right.
4. Use Word Level for prose editing.
5. Enable Ignore Whitespace unless formatting is critical.
6. Review and verify each change is intentional.

Editing Workflow Example

Phase 1: Copy Edit

Focus on grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

• Compare: Original → Copy-edited version.
• Verify: Only grammar changes, no content alterations.

Phase 2: Line Edit

Focus on style, flow, and clarity.

• Compare: Copy-edited → Line-edited version.
• Verify: Stylistic improvements are consistent.

Phase 3: Final Review

A final pass for any remaining issues.

• Compare: Line-edited → Final version.
• Verify: Minimal changes, only catching stragglers.

Pro Tips for Proofreaders

Tip	Benefit
Always save the original	You can never over-archive
Compare after each editing phase	Catch issues early
Use word level for prose	Balance detail and readability
Export the diff for client reports	Professional documentation

Creating an Editing Report

After editing, you can:

1. Run a comparison.
2. Copy the diff output.
3. Include it in your editing report to the author.

This shows professionalism and builds trust with clients.

Common Editing Mistakes Caught by Comparison

• Accidental deletions: A sentence removed by mistake.
• Unintended additions: Copy-paste errors.
• Inconsistent changes: Applied a style in one place but not others.
• Over-editing: Changed content that should have remained.

Conclusion

For proofreaders and editors, text comparison isn't optional—it's essential. Use Rune's Text Compare to verify your work and deliver polished results.