Editing Skills

Copyediting

• ensure accuracy of grammar and spelling according to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.), the Oxford English Dictionary, or whichever dictionary is preferred by a given publisher
• check consistency of forms, ideas, tables and figures, mathematical calculations, etc. throughout the text and notes
• confirm accuracy of formatting according to The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.), the MHRA Style Book, or other house styles
• communicate questions/concerns with authors and/or editors

Typesetting/Formatting

• design page layout using WordPerfect X5, Microsoft Word 2007, and/or Adobe Acrobat 8 (various font styles available)

Proofreading

• compare a formatted manuscript against a copyedited typescript, if available; perform internal comparison of spelling, grammar, and typesetting if copyedited typescript is not available
• check consistency of page and note numbers and of various heading styles
• confirm accuracy of typesetting against house styles
• mark correction of typographic problems: widows, orphans, loose lines, etc.

Fact Checking

• confirm the accuracy of bibliographic citations and quotations from printed works via Internet (using on-line databases such as the OCLC) or directly (with access to libraries in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Chicago)

Further information about editorial services in general is provided in the Editorial Services Guide of the Bay Area Editors' Forum