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The 3 Cs of Editing: Clarity, Consistency, and Correctness.

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By Devan Jensen

As editors, we focus on three Cs: clarity, consistency, and correctness.

Clarity

Clarify, but use a light touch. “A light editorial hand is nearly always more effective than a heavy one. An experienced editor will recognize and not tamper with unusual figures of speech or idiomatic usage and will know when to make an editorial change and when simply to suggest it, whether to delete a repetition or an unnecessary recapitulation or simply to point it out to the author, and how to suggest tactfully that an expression may be inappropriate. An author’s own style should be respected, whether flamboyant or pedestrian” (The Chicago Manual of Style, 2.48).

Fix or query ambiguous statements. Make sure the author has a clear sense of audience, purpose, and focus. Check thesis statements, topic sentences, and transitions.

Address excessive passive voice. You don’t need to fix every passive; about an 80 to 20 ratio of active to passive voice works well in most writing.

Consistency

Edit spelling, hyphenation, abbreviations, punctuation, number treatment (numerals or spelled out), table format, and citation format. Consult reference books and reputable websites for spelling of names, historical events, and terms.

Create a style sheet. As you go, make an alphabetical list of names and capitalization or hyphenation of terms.

Edit chapter titles and subheads for consistency. Read chapter titles and subheads in a separate pass. Make sure they are consistent, and get a basic understanding of organizational issues and pacing problems (too much or too little time on any one concept).

Correct capitalization. If authors neglect putting in subheads, add them or ask the author to do so. Subheads are the road signs to get from here to there; without them, the reader is lost.

Correctness

Check facts and figures. If the author claims that Uncle Heber was born in 1920 and died at age eighty, check the math. Write down the solution in the margin (so others will know that you checked).

Check sources. Ensure accuracy of quoted information and source citations. Watch for plagiarism (quoted information without quote marks). Query missing information.

Check notes for completeness. Look up missing information or query the author.
Prepare front matter for books. Produce clean copy for half title, title page, copyright page, and contents page. Double-check chapter titles for accuracy.

Reread for accuracy. Skim through the manuscript again to catch errors you missed while fixing other problems. This pass is where you will catch small but significant errors—or even, heaven forbid, that glaring error in the title or contents page.

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The Art (and Professional Judgement) of Editing

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By Devan Jensen

In editing, as in most activities, haste makes waste. The careful editor does not merely plunge into the text and flood it with corrections but instead pauses long enough to decide the quickest and easiest solution to a problem. By analyzing a problem clearly before touching pen to paper, the careful editor ultimately gets through the project faster than the person who plows blindly ahead, cutting a sentence before reading the paragraph and realizing that the sentence is necessary. In short, every correction should have a reason, and the blunderer is never as efficient as the careful editor (adapted from Grant Milnor Hyde, Newspaper Editing: A Manual for Editors, 79).

Editing is both an art and a science. The science part involves technical rules—grammar, punctuation, and so forth. As editors, we refer often to the RSC Style Guide, Church Style Guide, and Chicago Manual of Style. We have the self-discipline to go the extra mile, checking facts and figures in books and reputable Internet sites.

But editing is an art too. It takes a careful eye and a discerning mind to decide how much to change, taking into account the reading audience, the publication’s purpose, and the author’s personality.

Our authors are our customers. Let’s treat their manuscripts with respect. As editors, our goal is to revise for clarity if necessary but not to distort the main message. I have found it best to use a light touch when possible. To put it in environmental terms, tread lightly and leave a small footprint. This approach prevents introducing errors while rewriting the text and keeps authors happy (after all, the words are theirs, and their names appear at the top).

Sometimes a manuscript needs major help. If so, talk to me; then we’ll either have the author revise it or we will propose cuts in pencil.

Size up a manuscript the way a barber approaches a haircut. First, ask whether to give a light, medium, or heavy cut. Skim through the document, paying particular attention to subheads (which guide readers through the article); then begin “snipping” here and there, focusing on grammar, style, and usage while absorbing the message of the piece. Take into account the author’s expertise of language and documentation. And make sure to read the whole thing again to catch glaring problems.

Editing takes good taste and judgment. You can groom these traits, but it takes time, experience, and a ton of reading. In fact, reading widely will help you appreciate language nuances and spot tools of effective communication (bullet points, subheads, effective design, tight prose, and so on). The more you read, the more tricks you have up your sleeve. And reading leads you to question unusual spellings or factual claims that just don’t feel right. Trust those hunches. When in doubt, look it up. In the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, “Trust your feelings.”

Your confidence as an editor will grow as you gain experience. And experience comes as you work through problems, often asking advice from your fellow editors and sometimes rethinking options to find the best solution for that unique situation.

Respect the author. Be the manuscript.

Table 1. Levels of Copyediting (Adapted from Amy Einsohn, The Copyeditor’s Handbook, 12)

 

Light

Medium

Heavy

Clarity

 Fix small patches (up to several words) of ineffective prose when doing so does not impair meaning, is not needlessly nitpicky, and is fairly transparent. Otherwise, query author.

 

Point out (do not revise) large patches (sentence or more) of ineffective prose.

Request clarification

of terms likely to be unfa-miliar to target audience.

Preserve author’s voice.

 Fix small patches of ineffective prose.

 

Use judgment in deciding whether to fix or query larger ineffective patches. Supply proposed revisions when possible.

Supply transitions, sub-heads, other “road signs.”

Request or supply definitions of unfamiliar terms.

Query major organizational or content problems.

Preserve author’s voice.

 Rewrite any ineffective patch regardless of length if competent to do so.

 

Supply “road signs.”

Define unfamiliar terms.

Reorganize elements for optimal comprehensibility.

Use initiative, best judgment in solving problems.

Caution: Obtain supervisor and author approval before overhauling (undertaking extensive deleting, rewriting, restructuring).

Correctness

 

 Correct indisputable errors in grammar, usage, and diction.

 

Fix mechanical errors.

Use judgment in deciding whether to fix, ignore, or query any locution that is not an outright error.

Query facts and statements that seem incorrect.

 Correct all language and mechanical errors.

 

Verify facts and dubious statements using online or desktop sources.

Fix clear factual errors; otherwise query, proposing well-considered revisions when possible.

 !Correct all language and mechanical errors.

 

Show due diligence in verifying facts and dubious statements and in revising for accuracy.

Note: Any revisions that may affect the argument should be brought to the author’s attention.

Consistency

 Ensure consistency in all mechanical (e.g., spelling, capitalization, punctuation, hyphenation, abbreviations, numbers, quotations, lists, notes) and house-style matters.

Completeness

 Ensure that all parts of the document are in place (cross-check and double-check everything). Refer to proofreading checklist for detailed guidance.

 

Directions: Refer to the table to edit the paragraphs as indicated.

Perform a light edit.

“Murphy’s law” insures us that no amount of proof-reading will uncover all of the errors in a work about to be published. The question we might well ask is as follows. “Just how many re-readings are reasonable”? In my personal experience I have found that two readings of galleys and two of page proofs will catch ninety nine percent of the errors. Unfortunately the remaining one per cent is often the mistakes that not only cause embarrasment, but trouble. For example, the wrong numbers for ordering merchandise or mispelled names.

Perform a medium edit.

“Murphy’s law” insures us that no amount of proof-reading will uncover all of the errors in a work about to be published. The question we might well ask is as follows. “Just how many re-readings are reasonable”? In my personal experience I have found that two readings of galleys and two of page proofs will catch ninety nine percent of the errors. Unfortunately the remaining one per cent is often the mistakes that not only cause embarrasment, but trouble. For example, the wrong numbers for ordering merchandise or mispelled names.

Perform a heavy edit.

“Murphy’s law” insures us that no amount of proof-reading will uncover all of the errors in a work about to be published. The question we might well ask is as follows. “Just how many re-readings are reasonable”? In my personal experience I have found that two readings of galleys and two of page proofs will catch ninety nine percent of the errors. Unfortunately the remaining one per cent is often the mistakes that not only cause embarrasment, but trouble. For example, the wrong numbers for ordering merchandise or mispelled names.

This exercise is adapted from Amy Einsohn, The Copyeditor’s Handbook (2000), 23.

Levels of Editing Exercise 1—Key

Light Edit

Murphy’s Law assures us that no amount of proofreading will uncover all the errors in a work about to be published. The question we might well ask is, Just how many rereadings are reasonable? In my personal experience, I have found that two readings of galleys and two of page proofs will catch 99 percent of the errors. Unfortunately, the remaining 1 percent are often the mistakes that cause not only embarrassment but trouble—for example, misspelled names or the wrong numbers for ordering merchandise. [au: Replace with “incorrect catalog numbers” for improved clarity?]

Medium Edit

No amount of proofreading will uncover all the errors in a set of proofs. The question is, [how many rereadings are reasonable]? [author: Replace bracketed text with “how much proofreading is reasonable” for directness?] I have found that two readings of galleys and two readings of page proofs will catch 99 percent of the errors. Unfortunately, the remaining mistakes are ones that can cause not only embarrassment but trouble—for example, misspelled names or incorrect catalog numbers.

Heavy Edit

No amount of proofreading will uncover all the errors in a set of proofs. Two readings of galleys and two readings of page proofs will usually catch 99 percent of the errors, but the remaining mistakes—such as incorrect phone numbers or misspelled names—often cause both embarrassment and trouble.

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash.

Katherine Farmer’s “Cracking the Story Code”

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By Amy White

Cracking the Story Code: Increasing a Work’s Success through Age-Appropriate Plot Patterns (An Introduction)

Each stage of human development has a corresponding plot pattern. Because of this, young readers will either accept or reject a work depending on whether it parallels their patterns of thought.

Finding the right plot pattern for each developmental stage doesn’t take a degree in Piagetian philosophy, but it does help to have the insight of one who has studied human development and how it can be applied to narrative works.

There are five plot pattern “pure forms,” three of which are drawn from Aristotle’s classic model:

1. Simple: Single goal plot pattern, in which the entire action seeks to resolve the initial problem, with clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. Often found in children’s picture books such as The Cat in the Hat or Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

2. Episodic (two varieties):

a. Nesting Episodic: Self-contained story units that pile up on each other, but are not connected with a story line. Same characters, new stories (e.g., Christmas Story, Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

b. Latticing Episodic: Open-ended story units that spiral and pile up cumulatively. Same characters with multiple stories where there is an over-arching story line through-out (e.g., Lobel’s Frog and Toad are Friends, and many of today’s television series).

3. Complex (Level 1): Single on-going action that includes the element of surprise, at least one reversal, and a recognition process. These works are psychologically complex, but with action that is not hard to follow (e.g., most one-act plays, Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia, Oedipus Rex).

And, after the study of more than 2,000 works in 10 geographic regions in 320 library systems, two more plot patterns emerged:

4. Cumulative: Incidents that pile upon other incidents with the only unifying tie being the central character (e.g., The Gingerbread Man, There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly).

5. Paralleling: Multiple story lines that run parallel to each other, at the same time. Each story line is unique, and usually pulled together by the end (e.g., Pinballs by Byars, television series such as Modern Family).

Pre-Operational Thought: Zero to Seven-year-old Children
This Intuitive phase of development prefers simple and single-goal patterns as found in the Simple and Cumulative plot patterns—patterns where the entire action seeks to resolve the initial problem. Narratives that have a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end. Works such as Seuss’s Cat in the Hat. These children judge by a single clue, are preoccupied with the parts of the whole, as they are not able to see the forest for the trees, and will always judge a work by its end—not the process that got them there.

Concrete Operational: Seven to 11 year old children.

The awareness that others do not share their personal perspective identifies this age group. The discovery of other points of view leaves this age with a need to verify their ideas with concrete evidence supporting their view. This age prefers a narrative that has neat and self-contained units, like those found in episodic plot patterns. Examples include Lobel’s Frog and Toad Are Friends, up to the mixed nesting and latticing episodic pattern of Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The need for this age to have near reality–with the fantastic taking place within the home, or nearby. Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is considered nearly unbelievable, until the concrete and seemingly real machines are introduced. Machines that can be felt, seen, and heard, that then justify the existence of the remarkable and fantastical the story contains.

Formal Operational Thought: 12 year old children, young adults, and cognitively mature adults.

As a child’s thinking matures at age 11 or 12, they are capable of shifting to a higher and more complex level of thought, and Complex plot patterns. This shift usually settles into an equilibrium by age 16. At this point they begin to find irony as a form of humor, along with satirical works that contain hidden and subtle meanings. Interweaving, paralleling stories—works with multiple plots and subplots—like those found in Collin’s Hunger Games, or Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, along with Shakespeare’s works are found to be comprehensible and even fun.

The above plot patterns are not a complete listing, there are mixes and variants that branch off of, and blend, the five “pure forms.” Variations that also bring in differing developmental ages. It is merely a launching point for delving into the powerful impact that appropriate plot patterns can have when they are matched to appropriate developmental stages. You will find that, as you match your work’s target age with their developmental capabilities through deliberate plot management, you will be keeping those audience gateways open. And we as producers of narrative works should always be looking for those gates. Every mental gate you successfully identify and keep open will put you yet another step closer to influencing the world for the better through your good works.

How I Got into a Publishing Career

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By Eric Smith

My path took a big twist before I got into a publishing career. I want to share some details of my journey, in hopes this might help someone who is also considering a publishing career.

I loved the English language as a child and teenager—reading, writing, and even editing. I don’t think I really knew the word editing, but I had an innate love of correcting writing, including the ward newsletter when it came around.

In college I pursued English literature because of my love of reading and writing. At some point I also became aware that editing was a career path. I took a usage course and an editing course. I also tutored writing and got a job as a freelance editor for a scholarly publisher. At this point I knew I loved editing and would be happy in an editing career, but I also had always planned on graduate school.

For a variety of reasons I went to law school and then began a career as a corporate attorney at a large firm. Much of what I learned in the law was later very useful when I became an editor—managing multiple projects, handling stress, working with clients, analyzing arguments, communicating promptly and professionally. I did a lot of reading, writing, and research as a law student and attorney, and that too was all quite relevant to editorial work.

Though various aspects of legal work appealed to me, I was not deeply passionate about my job. Maybe I would have lasted a long time as an attorney except that I had previously had the experience of really loving editing work as an undergraduate. Editing had felt like something I was almost born to do, like a calling, whereas being an attorney felt like more of a grind.

I began to consider different careers in the law other than working for a large firm. After a few months, I came across a posting for a full-time editing job. Almost on a lark I applied for the job. As I moved through the interview process I became more and more interested in the job. As I looked back at my life to that point, I could see that the dots of preparation could be lined up as a path leading to an editing career. My passions were in that area; my undergraduate schooling and prior work experience were right on point; my experiences in the legal world were also relevant.

When I was offered the full-time editing job, I made the leap. A few attorney friends thought it was a bit crazy to leave the practice of law and the more lucrative pay that came with it. Many others were supportive and said they wished they had the opportunity to try something different. Ultimately, I knew I was following my heart and that it was better to make such a big change early in my career.

Upon beginning the editing position, I was immediately comfortable that I had made a good move. There was an inherent satisfaction in working on improving other people’s writing, and I felt a strong collegiality with the other editors I worked with. I have never regretted the decision to change careers. I have never looked back.

My primarily initial assignment as an editor was to support another editor with a large print project. I also got some assignments to edit web content, which gave me experience with HTML. I edited public affairs materials for a number of years and also learned a lot about permissions for illustrations. I learned to work directly with graphic designers on layout. I helped prepare indexes and created custom style guides for clients. It seems like all that experience has been directly helpful as my career has wound on and my assignments have become more complex.

Later, I got management opportunities. I enjoy these because I love trying to be helpful to people I supervise, and I love thinking about workflow and process and resources—how to get the work done in the most efficient way in a way that is hopefully deeply satisfying to the people doing the work. Looking back, I can hardly believe how lucky I was to get that first full-time editing job—how lucky I have been to have had a 15-year career (so far) in publishing.

If anyone reading this is considering a career in publishing (or a career change to get into publishing), I encourage you to follow your heart. Be realistic too. If you think a publishing career is your calling in life and can provide you the income you need, go for it.