Comprehensive edit

≠ Rewriting

Most people rewrote

• There is little original text left. Would you like this if you were the author?

Use comments

• Extensive rewriting takes over from the author.

• It also takes too long. These assignments are short, but think about rewriting the book copyedit assignment. That would take you days.

• Think of how you would comment if not doing an online edit.

Think of it looking more like this

Specific comment

• Use comments rather than rewriting

Suggest removing text

• From one letter During the revision process, I eliminated certain

paragraphs that I felt were not pertinent to the issue (e.g. the historical information). Please check the brochure for content and accuracy to ensure that the content was not altered during the process.

• It is not your job as the editor to remove paragraphs. Only the author should do that. On the other hand, you should have put in a comment explaining why they paragraph was not needed.

Keep big view

• Do not just edit the text that is there. • A copyeditor works with existing text. A

comprehensive edit needs to ensure the text is appropriate.

• For example, the open heart surgery – Audience focus is wrong. There is too much extra detail of stuff

the patient doesn’t care about.– Need graphics. Most people did not suggest them.– Needs headings. Maybe half suggested them.

End