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

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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