Editing
The final proofreading pass
A final proof pass works best when the text is stable, the checking tasks are distinct and every correction can be verified.
Print a proof you can identify
Paper gives you a different view of the manuscript, but it also creates another object that can go out of date. Put the filename or version date on the printout and use page numbers. Keep the matching electronic file unchanged while the paper pass is under way. If the draft continues to change elsewhere, a correction on page 37 may no longer refer to the same passage.
Choose a size and layout that you can read comfortably. Printing a book proof at a reduced scale can hide small punctuation and distort your judgement of spacing. If you are checking a finished print layout, include some pages at their intended physical size. If you are checking words in a manuscript, leave enough margin to write a clear correction.
Decide whether this pass covers the entire text or particular concerns. A paper pass for missing words should not silently become a wholesale rearrangement. Keep larger revision ideas on a separate sheet so they can be assessed without obscuring the corrections you need to transfer.
Write marks someone can act on
Use clear, consistent marks. If you do not know formal proofreading symbols, an explicit replacement and a line to the relevant word are better than an invented sign. For longer changes, write the new wording separately and label where it belongs. Make deletion, insertion and query visibly different actions.
Read a marked sentence in its corrected form before moving on. Several small marks can accidentally produce two articles, remove a necessary space or leave punctuation stranded. When a correction changes the meaning, check the whole paragraph. A paper mark is a proposed result, not proof that the result works.
Maintain a short list of unresolved questions. A doubtful name, conflicting date or uncertain technical term may require research. Give each question a location and an owner if someone else must answer it. Do not let a faint pencil question mark become the only record of a problem that still needs a decision.
Transfer, then verify
Work through the marked pages systematically in the electronic master. Tick a correction only after applying it. If you decide against a mark, record that decision distinctly rather than using the same tick. This makes it possible to distinguish completed changes from considered but rejected suggestions.
After transfer, compare the new text with the paper instructions. Check the exact replacement, including punctuation around it. For a laid-out book, export a fresh proof and inspect any affected page breaks, headings and references. The electronic change can alter more than the sentence that prompted it.
Keep the marked paper or a scan until the corrected version is approved. Record the electronic filename on it. Once that version becomes authoritative, do the next round there or issue a newly identified paper proof. Continuing to add notes to the old printout invites corrections to drift away from the text they were meant to improve.
