Mark-up symbols should be the same from textbook to textbook; however, different textbooks use different marks-up symbols. This doesn’t mean that one is right and the other is wrong and this doesn’t mean that you cannot use the version that you learned. The important thing to do is to be consistent in the mark-up symbols you do use. When working as a copy-editor one should always use the style choice of the company one works for and not the personal choice of the editor.
Mark-up symbols make copyediting easier to read by the person who has to make the corrections. This is because the marks take up the less space possible. This does not mark up the page with long explanations of corrections that should take place. The copy looks professional when the copyeditor uses mark-up symbols.
Mark-up symbols make copyediting easier to read by the person who has to make the corrections. This is because the marks take up the less space possible. This does not mark up the page with long explanations of corrections that should take place. The copy looks professional when the copyeditor uses mark-up symbols.
Matt White also has a blog about copyediting symbols.
*Note: image from wjcblog.
Mark-up symbols have been a huge part of editing writing for a long time, and although there are many versions, you make a good point in stating that the editor should stick with the method that they learnt and used. I only wish that mark-ups didn't make a page turn into a river of ink that you must wade through to correct the errors.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteMark-up symbols should indeed be the same from textbook to textbook in order to make it easier to understand. I also agree with Erik's comment on the fact that mark-up symbols cause your work to turn into a page of red ink, but i suppose that's how you will notice your errors in order to correct them!
Copy editing for consistency covers aspects such as terminology, spelling, capitalisation, hyphenation, shortened forms and quantitative information.
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