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The Nature of Editorial Comments

When editors review a draft, they typically mark their comments in a particular color of ink. Some editors prefer blue, others prefer green¾hardly any prefer red. (People liken the red pen to the corrections of a high school grammar teacher and that usually intimidates technical communicators. Editors see theirs as a coaching role; they avoid anything likely to impede that role.)

Editors also vary in the way they present comments to you. At the least, they should mark issues on a copy of the draft. The comments should not only indicate the problem, but should also suggest how to resolve it.

When editors make editorial comments, they use a special shorthand notation to make their comments. This shorthand notation is called copymarking symbols because they are symbols used to mark copy. Because many of the copymarking symbols are widely used outside editorial circles, you might find that your technical reviewers also use these symbols.

In addition to marking suggested changes on the draft, a good editor also prepares a cover letter on a draft that gives an overall impression of the draft and that describes the general nature of the comments. The letter should assume a neutral tone, focusing on the work, not the worker. Because editing is a coaching process, good editors often explain the principles underlying their suggestions, as a means of helping you avoid the problem in future drafts. Click here to see a sample letter from an editor to an author.

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