Inside the Industry Flashcards
Describe the following types of editing:
Substantive editing
Mechanical editing
Proofreading
Substantive editing: In-depth editing related to form and content (line editing and developmental editing).
Mechanical editing: Correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation (copy editing).
Proofreading: Checking for any remaining errors prior to publication.
What is line editing?
What is structural or developmental editing (substantive editing) ?
What is Mechanical/copy editing?
Line editing: Revising text to improve its flow, clarity, or concision.
Structural or developmental editing: Making or suggesting changes to a text’s overall structure or content over multiple drafts.
Copy Editing: Correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation and ensuring style consistency. Ensuring the best word choice and eliminating redundancies and repetitive or unneeded words.
What does a proofreader need to know about plagiarism to work on academic writing?
Some institutions, especially universities, have restrictions on proofreading and editing.
Proofreaders must be careful not to run afoul of academic plagiarism rules. When working for a student client, proofreaders should not:
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1) Change the substance of what is being said (e.g., the facts presented in a paper or the conclusions the author has drawn based on those facts).
2) Coach clients to change the substance of what is being said (factual or other substantive issues).
3) Restructure their argument.
4) Add new content.
5) Change calculations, equations, or formulae.
Name three ways a proofreader can help a client avoid accidental academic plagiarism.
Make sure all sources are clearly cited according to the client’s chosen system.
Check that quotations are presented and attributed correctly. (Minor edits to formatting or punctuation are acceptable.)
Highlight any passages that would benefit from rewriting, and leave a comment for the client. (Minor changes for clarity are fine, but don’t rewrite or restructuring the text.)
If something looks like plagiarism, such as a passage of text copied from the internet without attribution, leave a sensitively worded comment (e.g., “Does this require a citation? Please be sure to cite all relevant sources in the text and reference list”).
What is a proofreading brief?
A set of instructions provided by the author that describes:
-What the client wants to achieve (e.g. the level of editing required, whether it needs formatting, and whether you need to use a specific dialect or follow a specific style guide or sheet.)
-Background information regarding the project (e.g. intended purpose and audience, or whether they expect you to have specialist subject knowledge)
-Any logistical or administrative details (e.g. deadlines, document formats, how you will mark up changes, contact details, and whether there’s scope to vary the brief)
What are four ethical concerns that proofreaders and editors may encounter?
1) Privacy - Anything you edit should be treated as confidential.
2) Copyrighted materials - Sharing materials before they are published can get you sued.
3) Plagiarism
4) Libel
When should you leave a comment for a client?
1) Whenever you are forced to guess what the author meant, e.g., a typo, inconsistency in a name, missing word, or misused word.
2) When something doesn’t make sense.
3) When someone misuses a common phrase or idiom.
4) When you see/suspect plagiarism or libel.
Checking for consistency in names is an important part of…
Fact-checking.
In scientific writing, what is a theory?
A set of explanatory ideas or principles that has been substantiated.
What program is needed to proofread a LaTeX document?
If you are on Mac, open the file with TextEdit. For Windows users, use Notepad.
When proofreading a LaTeX document, what three items do you need from your client?
.tex document
PDF version
Style guide
What should not be proofread in a LaTeX document?
Exceptions?
The markup code.
Equations and figures.
Text in curly brackets, e.g., headlines, subheads.
Text that appears on a separate line from commands
NEVER edit text following /document class.
How do you recognize the markup code in a LaTex document?
It follows a backslash (formatting instructions) or a percent sign (comments that won’t appear in the PDF version).
How do you proofread a LaTex document?
Copy the .tex version into Microsoft Word and proofread as normal, ignoring the markup code. Then check the PDF version for any formatting issues.
How do you edit citations and bibliographies in a LaTex document?
Do not edit citations within the markup code. These are usually imported from elsewhere, e.g., BibTeX, and you cannot edit them without causing errors.
Instead, review the PDF version for errors. If you find any, leave a comment in your Microsoft Word version.
An academic abstract must…
Be brief (200–300 words max). Focus on the key details and trim the fat.
Provide a self-contained summary of the paper, including its findings.
Paraphrase the main paper rather than quoting from it or repeating it exactly.
Only introduce abbreviations for terms repeated in the abstract itself (all abbreviations will need to be reintroduced in the main paper, so introducing additional terms in the abstract is unnecessary).
Academic resumes and cover letters must…
Be clear, concise, formal, and error-free throughout.
Be well organized and easy to navigate, with distinct sections and clear headings.
Make effective use of bullet points to break up text.
Be consistent without duplicating too much.
Academic book reviews must…
Follow the guidelines set out by the publishing journal
Include full bibliographic detail of the book being reviewed.
Be clearly structured and easy to follow and should include:
- An introduction that provides basic information about the book and author.
- A series of paragraphs concisely summarising the book’s argument
-Concluding remarks on its strengths and weaknesses.
Avoid quoting the reviewed book excessively (paraphrasing is usually better unless the review is commenting on the exact phrasing of something).
Balance elements of description and evaluation.
An academic book proposal must include …
It should also be…
A cover letter introducing the project and summarizing the book’s argument.
A detailed chapter outline and description of the scope of the project (e.g. expected word count).
One or two sample chapters.
An author resume with an academic focus.
A marketing pitch (e.g. how the book compares to other works in the field, the expected audience).
Clear, concise, and formal with an emphasis on persuasive writing in the marketing pitch.
When editing academic handouts and slideshows, proofreaders should …
Ensure clear headings.
Present key information in bullet points.
Break up lengthy paragraphs
Consider the document’s purpose and audience.
Academic research posters should …
Be well-organized with clear headings for each section.
Be short with easy-to-read blocks of text, bullet points, or numbered lists.
Use a suitable font size and typeface to aid readability.
Use visual elements to break up the text.
include a handful of citations for key sources (too many will usually clog up the text).
When proofreading an academic blog or op-ed, a proofreader should consider…
Tone – professional, but typically less formal
Scannability – Easy to skim e.g., setting out key ideas in bullet points, using short sections with clear subheadings).
Style – Follow the publisher’s style guide.
Accessibility – Easy to read with shorter sentences and paragraphs, simple terminology, and extra background information.
Length – Usually shorter than an equivalent journal article (around 500–1000 words).
Referencing – Generally embedded links.
What are the three main stages of the traditional process for books published through a publishing house?
1) Manuscript selection and development.
2) Line and copy editing to prepare the manuscript for typesetting.
3) The design process, proofreading, revisions, and publication
What should a proofreader include on a style sheet when editing a work of fiction?
Character names and key details about their appearance and personality.
Locations, including details about geography and buildings.
Major plot points and a timeline of events.
Non-standard spellings or slang, especially in dialogue.
How to present characters’ speech and thoughts
Correcting Non-Standard English
If you see non-standard spelling, grammar, or punctuation in a work of creative writing, ask yourself:
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Could it have resulted from a typo or does it look deliberate?
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Is it a usage associated with informal speech or a specific dialect? If so, does the non-standard usage in question fit the context in which the author has used it?
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Is the non-standard English consistent with the rest of the manuscript and the dialogue spoken by the relevant character? If not, is there a reason for the difference?
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Is the author’s meaning still clear despite the non-standard usage?
What is a neologism?
A newly coined word or expression.
Issues of consistency and repetition you may need to look for in fiction include:
Spellings of character names, locations, and other terminology
Inconsistent characterisation (i.e. how a character talks or acts)
Problems with the timeline of events (e.g. a character being in two places at the same time)
Inconsistencies in dates or the passage of time in the text
Issues with narrative point of view (e.g. slipping from third person to first person for no apparent reason)
Passages that repeat the same text or information
How can an editor ensure consistency when editing a book from a series?
Ask the author for the stylesheet used on the previous books.
If a stylesheet is not available, ask for an ebook copy of previous books so you can use them to search for particular terms or spellings.
You should also create a list of important characters, events, and locations from the series so far so you can note any inconsistencies between the previous books and the one you’re currently proofreading.
What’s the best way to handle extended monologues when editing dialogue?
Consider breaking it up into multiple paragraphs for ease of reading.
Ensure a quotation mark is used at the beginning of each paragraph of each paragraph, but wait until the character is finished to add the closing quotation mark.
