adding advices to proof-reading?

[29wordsforsnow]

Actually a question to the authors. Beside corrections done and maybe even shown - I usually enable 'trace changes' - would you like an advice/explanation why something needs to be corrected?

Especially when I see things over and over again in a story, I ask myself if a bit background might help to improve the author's future writing...

How do you think about it, is it a worth the time or a waste of it?

 

[KeithD]

When I edit, I use "track changes," and the first time I mark changes on a style issue, I provide an explanation (e.g., on marking a serial comma, "U.S. publishing style uses the serial comma") When it's appropriate, I'll also include the citation of the Chicago Manual of Style rule, so the author knows this isn't just my opinion (e.g., for the serial comma, "see Chicago Manual of Style 16, 6.18"). I didn't make this practice up. It's as was taught to me in graduate school courses for professional editing certification.

 

[29wordsforsnow]

When I edit, I use "track changes," and the first time I mark changes on a style issue, I provide an explanation (e.g., on marking a serial comma, "U.S. publishing style uses the serial comma") When it's appropriate, I'll also include the citation of the Chicago Manual of Style rule, so the author knows this isn't just my opinion (e.g., for the serial comma, "see Chicago Manual of Style 16, 6.18"). I didn't make this practice up. It's as was taught to me in graduate school courses for professional editing certification.

Thanks for the thoughts. I feel tempted to finally get my hands on a copy of the CMS...

 

[radlas1984]

What Keith describes is very similar to my background in professional report editing and publishing. The first correction gets an explanation/citation and further corrections are just done as needed.

I find myself spending more time and effort helping with story, consistency, tone, wording, phrasing, and continuity than I do with actual technical errors though. In those cases I use that comment button far more than the editing tools.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Actually a question to the authors. Beside corrections done and maybe even shown - I usually enable 'trace changes' - would you like an advice/explanation why something needs to be corrected?

Especially when I see things over and over again in a story, I ask myself if a bit background might help to improve the author's future writing...

How do you think about it, is it a worth the time or a waste of it?

Definitely explain, when it's something more than an obvious typo/etc. If the author knows what they did wrong, then they can do it right next time and save you the work of fixing it again.

 

[yukonnights]

I do not consider myself an editor. But I do get asked to read over someone's story from time to time. In some cases, I do suggest changes. Usually I pose these as; Consider ' this ' in place of ' this you have now '.

It depends on the relationship I have with the person I'm helping as to how far I go with any major content change suggestion. In one of my own stories, my friend RubenR suggested I rewrite it in first person instead of the third person I was struggling with — it solved the problems. I was about to trashcan the story and now it's one of my more appreciated stories.

So, as I said, depending on the relationship we share, I've gone deeper into the creative elements of their story. In fact, I just sent an email today to someone making some pretty major "Consider this" suggestions.

I think the key element to what I do is all supported by my understanding that I am not an editor — don't really want to be an editor — just someone offering feedback and a few suggestions that can be taken or ignored. I think knowing one's limitations and one's strengths is something to keep in mind. I also view it as "building friendships".

 

[Tigersman]

As a volunteer editor I make sure the author knows I will be going over their story for grammar, punctuation, plot and character development, flow consistency and sentence structure. I tell them I use "track changes" so they can either accept or reject any or all of my changes. I also tell them if I find a problem I will leave them a note. I normally do not make any other changes unless the author has asked for help in a certain area such as describing a door or improving the sex scene. I have suggested the author needed to give a better description of a place or item. When I do this I suggest they find a picture of the place or thing to help them describe the item. I tell them to imagine painting a picture with words so the reader can get a better visualization of the place or item.