Editing: Process Tips
Editing: Process Tips
All editors have different processes, and they develop these processes over time. Though there are small variations, most veteran editors follow the same general process. We've broken down the process into the four following stages.
Before you begin
Your first pass
Your second pass
Finishing up
Let's look at each of these in detail.
Once you've got your document open, get a general idea of the kinds of issues you'll need to tackle.
Do all the pre-editing steps mentioned previously: check word count, change the language, gather style guides, scan the document, estimate time for completion, save the file to your preferred location, and run macros to fix minor errors, such as spacing, which we'll cover in a later lesson.
Fix major formatting issues according to the style guide (margins, cover pages, section titles/lengths, and query the author about missing information).
If the references require extensive work, fix them first, as it's easiest to catch these types of errors when your eyes are the freshest, although some editors prefer to fix these between the first and second passes. It's frustrating to feel like you've completed the document and then have to spend another large chunk of time reformatting the references. If there is missing information a quick Google search doesn't bring up, query the client in your notes back to him or her. Note: If no style guide is provided but the references are included in the word count, you are still responsible for checking that they are internally consistent.
You've outlined problematic areas. Now it's time to get your hands dirty.
Begin the first pass, which should be heavy, taking care of organizational issues, logic, clarity, style, grammar/language, flow, content, and inconsistencies; you should also fact check suspicious terminology and make author queries. Try to catch as much as you can here; some editors like to imagine this will be their only pass (and then, of course, they do another pass after that). If it's a fiction edit, make detailed, extensive notes on the flow, characters, scene, and so on. Note inconsistencies in hyphenation and spelling, and either immediately, or during a subsequent pass, use the Find function to find and manually replace all instances of any misspelled or inconsistent terms. Keep track of abbreviations, and again, use Find to make sure all terms have been defined and have not been spelled out again after the first instance (unless required to be, as in the abstract and introduction).
Between the first and second passes, proofread the headings; ensure they're consistent with regard to capitalization, numbering, and formatting. This would be a good time to fix the page numbering, headers/footers, and footnotes (though some find this easier to do as they go along). You could also check the tables/captions if you didn't do this during your first pass.
Cross-check the in-text citations with the reference list. There are a few ways to do this. You can print the reference list and then do a separate pass, checking the in-text citations against the list, checking them off as you find them, and leaving notes about any discrepancies (the hard way). You can do a Find for the opening parentheses, which will identify any in-text citations; these can be copied and pasted into a different document (time consuming) if you want to print them, or (better) you can just print out the reference list. Find will highlight all instances of the opening parenthesis, so you can just click Next to go to the next instance and check this against the reference list (the easier way). Or, you could run a macro that pulls all the in-text citations out of your document and cross-checks them against the reference list automatically (the easiest option, which we'll get to later in lesson Ms Word: Creating Macros).
You've finished your first pass. If time allows, you might want to take a break at this point. We'll talk more about breaks a little later. If that's what you choose to do, after your break, you'll begin your second pass.
Begin the second pass. This shouldn't take long, as most of the heavy editing has already been done (in the first pass). You're mostly checking for small grammar/punctuation errors and any introduced errors. Most editors do this in Final view (with the tracked changes invisible) so as not to miss the little things that all the red sometimes hides. If you haven't already, run the Scribendi Accelerator to catch errors you might otherwise miss.
If a document is particularly tough, or if you've made a lot of changes during the second pass, a third pass is advisable. The point of this pass is to ensure consistency and make sure no grammatical or introduced errors remain.
You're almost there. It's time to tie up all the loose ends and make sure everything is in order.
Read through your comments, both for grammar and content. Sometimes a comment you made during the first pass no longer makes sense and should be deleted. Be as diligent about checking your own writing as you are about checking the author's. The author trusts you to use correct grammar in the document, and it doesn't reflect well on you when there are errors in your comments.
Review the client's notes again to make sure you've fulfilled all the requests.
Perform a final spelling and grammar check. Check for extra spaces. An easy way to do this is to use Find and Replace. Click Replace on the Home tab. In the Find what box, type in two spaces. In the Replace with box, type in one space. Then click Replace All. This method usually works well, but if the author has manually spaced out parts of the document, it can upset the formatting. It may be better to use Find and Replace, but don't use Replace All. Use the Find Next button to navigate through the document and manually hit Replace.
Write some notes summarizing the changes you've made and your overall impressions of the document, and address any specific client concerns. If appropriate, include a few tips on the issues identified in the writing; politely suggest how the writer could improve in these areas. Return the files to the client. Then just wait for the amazing feedback to start rolling in!
Last Updated:10/01/2022