A Quick Guide to Editing

By the students of CMNS 3200: Professional Editing at Douglas College: Vivian Chong, Fatma Buse Demirci, Sadaf Hosaini, Brian Nguyen, Ella Stewart, Jade Stoker, and Talia Wu. Working with instructor Maureen Nicholson

Welcome to A Quick Guide to Editing. We’ve designed this guide especially for students in the Public Relations Diploma Program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. We kept in mind all the surprises and learning we gained in our editing class this term and look forward to sharing them with you.

Whether you’re just starting to explore the world of editing or looking to refine your skills, this guide will provide you with some essential tools and techniques to edit effectively.

An important point to understand at the outset: Editing goes beyond simply fixing errors. It’s about enhancing clarity, improving flow, and ensuring that you communicate your message effectively. Whether you’re editing your work or someone else’s, knowing how to approach the editing process can help transform a good piece into a great one.

This guide is designed to break down the complexities of editing into clear and manageable stages. We will explore essential editing techniques and practical steps to ensure your work is polished and professional. By the end, you may feel more empowered to approach an editing task with a focused and systematic approach. Whether you’re editing a blog post, a press release, a research paper, or a business document, the techniques outlined here will help you transform your writing into a polished, professional piece.

Some of us may become editors. Some may have an editing function embedded in another type of job. Some may never work as an editor but need to know how to collaborate with an editor. All of us at some point will need to work with written language.

A Quick Guide to Editing will give you a framework for editing that should serve you well. In six sections, we’ll cover:

• Types of Editing
• Levels of Editing
• What Do Copy Editors Do?
• What Do Proofreaders Do?
• Key Terms
• Useful Resources & References

Types of Editing

Editing is an essential step in refining written content, ensuring clarity, accuracy, and effectiveness. While editing can take many forms, it usually falls into four main categories: structural editing, stylistic editing, copy editing, and proofreading.

Structural Editing

Also called substantive or developmental editing, this type of editing is the first stage in the editing process and focuses on the overall organization and flow of a document. It involves assessing the clarity of arguments, logical sequencing, and overall effectiveness of communication. Structural editing is especially crucial for lengthy reports, articles, and marketing materials where coherence and impact matter. (A detailed discussion of structural editing is beyond the scope of this guide.)

Stylistic Editing

This type of editing enhances the tone, clarity, and readability of a text. It ensures that the writing style matches the intended audience and purpose. A stylistic editor refines awkward phrasing, improves transitions, and eliminates wordiness while maintaining the writer’s voice.

Copy Editing

Copy editing is a more detailed process that corrects grammar, spelling, punctuation, and stylistic consistency issues. It ensures adherence to style guides (e.g., Canadian Press or Chicago) and style sheets, and checks for factual accuracy, proper citations, and internal consistency in terminology and formatting.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage in the editing process. The proofreader reviews the document in its final format and checks for remaining mechanical errors of punctuation and spelling, formatting, cross-references, typographical mistakes, and any inconsistencies between the copy and art.

Levels of Editing

Some organizations use a “levels-of-editing” scheme to decide how thoroughly to edit a document. Here is an example of how levels of authority may work in practice for a copy editor.

Light Level of Authority:

• Correct only significant grammar, syntax, and usage errors.
• Highlight but do not revise wordiness or convoluted paragraphs.
• Ignore minor imprecisions and jargon.
• Request clarification of unfamiliar terms.
• Query inconsistent or incorrect facts or statements.

Moderate Level of Authority: Perform all light edits as well as the following:

• Correct all grammar, syntax, and usage errors.
• Highlight or revise any unsuitable or inappropriate language.
• Suggest revisions to wordy or convoluted passages.
• Supply definitions for unfamiliar terms.
• Verify facts using standard references.
• Query faulty organization and gaps in logic.

High Level of Authority: Perform all moderate edits as well as the following:

• Rewrite wordy or convoluted passages.
• Correct factual errors.
• Fix faulty organization and gaps in logic.

Some practical advice: When working with a document, you will often face challenges in assessing how many changes you can make. You may have the authority to make changes, or perhaps you should instead query (ask questions of) the writer before proceeding. At the outset of any editing project, it’s important to assess your level of authority as best you can.

Because of time and budget constraints, editors often must prioritize certain tasks over others. While the scope of editing ideally depends on the author’s writing quality and the audience’s needs, deadlines and financial pressures may often be the deciding factors. Before editing, confirm expectations about time and budget with your editorial supervisor. You may have to curb your desire to do “perfect” work and instead focus on delivering in a timely manner.

Organizations may also determine editorial tasks using an FIQ (fix/ignore/query) approach and based on intended audience (e.g., internal, low visibility, high visibility, or the public) or document stage (e.g., early draft, final draft, or final copy). Depending on these factors, you may have to adjust your editorial practice, addressing or ignoring elements such as gendered language, passive voice, and minor grammatical errors.

What Do Copy Editors Do?

Copy editors have a variety of tasks and responsibilities when polishing written work, but they principally focus on correcting errors and ensuring clarity. While these tasks may sound simple, copy editing involves more than fixing grammatical and spelling mistakes. Copy-editing tasks include correcting grammar, punctuation, and spelling, as well as checking for consistency in style, tone, and accuracy, which can be challenging.

Beyond surface-level corrections, copy-editing tasks include:

• Revising sentence structure
• Rewriting sentences for clarity
• Correcting verb tense for accuracy and consistency
• Ensuring smooth flow
• Eliminating unnecessary repetition
• Checking facts
• Identifying ethical issues
• Identifying permissions issues
• Adhering to style guides

Again, one of the trickiest parts of copy editing is knowing how much to change. Remember that copy editing is not about rewriting someone’s work, but about improving it without changing the author’s meaning. Good copy editing makes writing clearer and more professional without overstepping.

Copy editors are generally expected to be proficient in advanced Microsoft Word, especially in the use of Track Changes, compare versions, and other revision tools. They may also be expected to be able to use traditional copy-editing notation for editing on paper.

A copy-editor’s job is challenging and requires great attention to detail. Understanding what a copy editor does, and all the different tasks involved, can help you better appreciate the editing process and recognize the value they bring to producing polished, credible content.

What Do Proofreaders Do?

Proofreading is the final step before you save, send, or publish a document. The proofreader makes sure that any remaining spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and format mistakes are identified and corrected. It’s a key step in the editing process, often using technology to check surface-level language, punctuation, and grammar issues. It does not involve major content changes but enhances the clarity and professionalism of the document.

Proofreaders are also expected to be proficient in advanced Microsoft Word, but they may also be required to use Adobe Acrobat or a similar tool for digital proofing. Proofreaders often have stronger training in recognizing typographical and format errors and issues, given their role as final reader of the formatted document. Although technological advances in editing tools have reduced the number of mechanical errors editors must detect, spell-checkers and other tools often fail to recognize incorrect or inappropriate word usage. Manual proofreading remains essential.

Key areas a proofreader checks include:

• Spelling and grammar: Identify typos, missing words, and misused homophones (e.g., their vs. there vs. they’re).
• Punctuation: Ensure proper use of commas, apostrophes, and quotation marks.
• Formatting and consistency: Check font sizes, heading placement, and alignment.
• Numbers and dates: Verify number formatting and consistency (e.g., March 6, 2025 vs. 6 March 2025).
• References and citations: Confirm sources, citations, and hyperlinks are correct.

The proofreader’s techniques include:

• Read aloud: Listening can help you detect awkward phrasing and missing words.
• Print a copy: Some errors are easier to spot on paper.
• Focus on one issue at a time: Check spelling first, then punctuation, then formatting.
• Use digital tools: Spelling- and grammar-checkers can assist but should never replace a manual review.
• Take breaks: A fresh perspective improves accuracy.

Even minor errors can undermine credibility, making thorough proofreading essential for a clear, professional document.

Key Terms

Cold or dry read: Reviewing a document without having an original document to compare it against

Comparison proofread: Reviewing a document and comparing it against an earlier version

Copy editing: Editing a document line-by-line to correct errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and stylistic consistency

Proofreading: Proofing formatted pages to provide a final check for errors in language and format

Structural editing: Reviewing, as an initial step, the entirety of a manuscript for organization, completeness, and flow

Style sheet: Recording copy-editing decisions to help ensure consistency of spelling (e.g., Canadian or American spelling), grammar, punctuation (e.g., series comma usage), and type specifications, typically used in conjunction with a preferred style guide such as the Canadian Press Style Book or the Chicago Manual of Style

Stylistic editing: Editing to adjust language for the intended audience, focusing on tone, clarity, and readability; often combined with the copy-editing stage

Useful Resources & References

In professional editing, editors generally adhere to a style guide and a dictionary to ensure consistency across all materials. Two essential resources for maintaining editorial consistency in corporate contexts are The Canadian Press Stylebook and Caps and Spelling.

The Canadian Press Style Book: This comprehensive guide offers practical strategies for clear, concise, and accurate writing. Widely used by journalists, editors, corporate professionals, and journalism students, the guide covers, among other topics:

• Standardized rules for capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations
• Guidance on writing with style, clarity, and professionalism
• Correct spellings of international locations
• A dedicated chapter on writing for digital platforms
• Tips for journalists, broadcasters, and public relations professionals

Caps and Spelling: This resource ensures accuracy in spelling, abbreviations, and proper names. It is particularly useful for professionals in journalism, communications, publishing, and public relations, covering:

• Abbreviations and hyphenated words
• Proper names of Canadian corporations and public figures
• Internet terminology and pop culture references

Both resources are available in regularly updated print and digital formats. When learning how to edit, you’re encouraged to use the print formats. Additional resources and references are listed below, but the CP publications are most useful in a Canadian context.

Bűky, E., Schwartz, M., & Einsohn, A. (2019). The copyeditor’s workbook: Exercises and tips for honing your editorial judgment. University of California Press.

Chicago Manual of Style Online. (n.d.).  https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html.

Editors Canada. (2024). Professional editorial standards. https://editors.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PES-2024-Interior_V7-Approved-Version-April-15-2024.pdf.

Einsohn, A., & Schwartz, M. (2019). The copyeditor’s handbook: A guide for book publishing and corporate communications. (4th ed.) University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvh1dnmz.6.

Lata, Kusum. (2020, August 18). Levels of copyediting. Designing instructions for eLearning. K Designs. https://designinginstructionwithk.com/2020/08/18/levels-of-copyediting/.

Pilotti, M., Chodorow, M., Agpawa, I., Krajniak, M., & Mahamane, S. (2012). Proofreading for word errors. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 114(2), 641–664. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2466/22.24.27.PMS.114.2.641-664.