APPLYING BASIC RULES

What follows are the basic rules you should remember when copy-editing stories:

Use a soft, black lead pencil.

Figure 6-1. - Copy-edited story - Continued.

Make corrections above or within the lines where mistakes occur.

Place the necessary copy-editing symbols at their correct points of insertion.

Write legibly.Your longhand corrections will not do any good if they cannot be understood.

Use scissors and either paste or a stapler to move a paragraph from one position to another in a story.

If you want to add a new paragraph to the story, do not write it out in longhand in the margin or on the back of the original story. Type it out, then insert it where it belongs, using scissors and paste or transparent tape.

After you copy edit a story, you should have a finished product. Any obvious mistakes that slip by will be attributed to the copy editor, not the writer.

Figure 6-2. - Copy-editing symbols.