Copy Editing Live with Elizabeth d’Anjou: Notes by JJ Wilson

Reminders for copy editing:

  • exercise restraint
  • narrow the client’s definition: clear, consistent, correct
  • no rewriting
  • no restructuring

Clear – understand the audience

  • no logical gaps
  • avoid ambiguity

Consistent – spelling

  • capitalization
  • punctuation
  • terminology
  • abbreviations
  • number use
  • text treatment (bold, italics)

Correct – grammar

  • punctuation
  • spelling
  • editorial style: caps, numbers
  • basic facts
  • proper names (correct spelling)
  • general knowledge (also called common knowledge)

Differentiate between non-negotiable errors and suggestions

  • Do not change the tone.
  • Do not rework the sentences.
  • Remember: despite your best advice, the author may already have a preference!

Resources

(be sure to check our lending library!)

  • Canadian Oxford Dictionary (2nd edition)
  • Editing Canadian English
  • Chicago Manual of Style
  • Merriam-Webster Dictionary (online)
  • Elements of Indigenous Style
  • Track Changes in Word
  • House Style Sheet

Process

Prepare the manuscript to make an unformatted “vanilla text” that’s easier to read. Turn ON Track Changes in Word, allowing you to write or cross out in red text. Make notes and add entries to your House Style Sheet as you proceed through the document.

Layout
  • left justify only
  • double space (hard copy) or 1.5 space (electronic)
  • check for standard 1” margins
  • use standard font (Times New Roman)
  • check paragraph separation (use paragraph feature in Word – not tabs for indents)
Language
  • make tactful comments and suggestions, cognizant of:
    • author’s ego
    • improving clarity
    • watch for terms, phrasings, pronouns, or ways of thinking that are limited or exclusive (e.g. our”)
  • use the style sheet to record alternate and preferred spellings
  • Google search for proper names
  • check punctuation, particularly N-dash versus M-dash.
    • Use Search & Replace function to Find Next. Do NOT Replace All, just in case.
  • watch out for a pronoun switch (“Many people feel that writing helps us think better”)
  • sentence fragments and sentences beginning with “And” or “But” are OK
  • decide upon Canadian or American spellings based on the intended audience – consult your Style Sheet for consistencies
Fact-checking
  • know how deeply you should fact-check the document based on the author’s wishes. This should be defined and included in the original quote for the work. Fact-checking takes time.
  • check prominent names and general knowledge, anything you could look up in a dictionary or online within two minutes without leaving your desk.
Final Checklist
  • run spell check in Word to be sure you didn’t introduce new errors by mistake
  • hide Track Changes
  • reread the whole passage for sense & sensibility
  • review your comments to the author as a whole

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