Making Copy Shine With Editing: Sabrina Schmitz, CJE, Walsworth Yearbooks

MAKING COPY SHINE WITH EDITING
(Lessons 4-7)
Sabrina Schmitz, CJE, Walsworth Yearbooks

walsworthyearbooks.com/yearbooksuite
Lesson 4: Quotes
and Transitions
Objectives – In this lesson you will:
Understand how to edit to make smooth transitions between paragraphs to

further the story
Learn to recognize quotes that add emotion to the story, and remove or
paraphrase quotes that do not
Understand how to edit copy so the transitions and quotes are not just
repeated in the copy
Lesson 4: Quotes
and Transitions
Transitions and quotes are the meat and potatoes of a story.
They are the main event that holds the story together and moves
the message along.
However, editing this part of a story can be tricky since its success
relies heavily on the interview and the information the
reporter gathered prior to writing.
But no matter the overall quality of the piece, there are a few concrete items
to look for when editing the body portion of a story.
Handling Transitions
The When Asked Transition:
Be aware of the transition that attempts to transcribe the interview.
EXAMPLE: When asked how he felt about collecting items for the homeless,
Trevor Williams said he was humbled by it all and was grateful for the
opportunity to help.
Better: Collecting items for those less fortunate humbled Trevor Williams
and left him feeling grateful for his station in life.
Handling Transitions
The Repeat Transition:
Be aware of the transition that repeats the same information presented in

the quote.
EXAMPLE: Students say they are looking forward to the arrival of the new
principal. “I’m really looking forward to the new principal arriving,” Wayne
Scott said.
Better: Excitement arose among students such as Wayne Scott at the

thought of fresh leadership on campus. “I’m really looking forward to the
new principal arriving,” Scott said.
Handling Quotes
The Fact Quote:
Be aware of quotes that convey facts instead of emotion or important,

storytelling information. When you see them, ask the reporter if he possibly
got a better quote during the interviewing process.
EXAMPLE: “The debate team practices every Wednesday after school in the
cafeteria,” Joshua Lyman said.
Better: “Debate practices get so heated that sometimes we forget that we

are all on the same team and that it is just practice. Sometimes we have to
take a few minutes to cool off when things get intense,” Joshua Lyman said.
Handling Quotes
The Quote with Attribution:
Unless there is a clear and specific reason, all quotes should be attributed
with the verb “said.”
EXAMPLE: “I can’t believe we are an ‘A’ school for the third year in a row,”
Principal Jessica Schultz exclaimed.
Better: “I can’t believe we are an ‘A’ school for the third year in a row,”
Principal Jessica Schultz said.
Handling Quotes
The Quote with Minor Edits:
Quotes can be edited, but rarely. Some instances will allow you to edit poor
grammar as long as it does not affect the integrity of the quote. All vocalized
pauses should be edited out of quotes as well. These include phrases such
as “ya know” and “hmmm.”
EXAMPLE: “Ummmm…. I thought the competition was… uh… fair… ya

know…for the most part,” Samuel Powers said.
Better: “I thought the competition was fair for the most part,” Samuel
Powers said.
Handling Quotes
The Nothing Quote:
Be aware of the quote that conveys no information and fails to further the
story.
EXAMPLE: “I took art because I like painting,” Jack Kelly said.
Better: “I was inspired by my mom to paint. She always took me to parks to

paint nature scenes since I was little, and ever since then I couldn’t put the
brush down,” Jack Kelly said.
Lesson 4 Activity: Working with
transitions and quotes
Identify the transition and quote problems in the following story.
Edit the story, fixing the problems.
Sifting through racks of clothing at local thrift stores in their spare time
paired with their desire to make their own apparel led to the creation of
What Dress Code?, a clothing line by Nikole Passarella and Alexandra Kerns.
“I like doing DIY (do-it-yourself) stuff because I like making things,” Passarella
said.
When asked how she felt about creating a customer base, Kerns believed
that high school students make the best clients.
“I wanted to create my own fashion line because all high school students
dress the same, and I wanted to help change that,” Kerns said.
Passarella thought that the clothing line was successful.
“I think that the line has been successful in the sense that people are really
interested in what we do,” Passarella commented.
This new endeavor forced Kerns to balance her fashion line with her other
responsibilities.
“I work 15 hours a week and have approximately three hours of homework a

night,” Kerns said.
What Dress Code? saw success and its founders continued to expand their
products to reach a broader audience.
Lesson 5: Copy-editing marks
Objective – In this lesson you will:
Learn the most-used copy-editing marks
Lesson 5: Copy-editing marks
If you have ever tried to communicate with someone who spoke

a different language, you understand how frustrating that process
can be.
No matter how good the message is, if you’re not speaking the same
language, you can’t get the message across effectively.
Copy-editing marks are the universal language of editing.
If both the writer and editor commit these marks to memory, they will
be able to clearly communicate so the corrections to a story can be
made with ease.
Copy-editing marks
Insert a comma
Leave as originally written
Insert quotation marks or apostrophes
Separate run together words
Lowercase
Uppercase
Do the opposite
Transpose letters or words
Copy-editing marks
Delete letters, words or phrases not needed
Delete a letter in the middle of a word and close
Delete a letter at the beginning or end of a word, or

punctuation mark
Insert a letter or word
Emphasize a penciled-in period
Emphasize a paragraph or begin a paragraph
Insert hyphen
Copy-editing marks
Insert a dash
End of story
Lesson 5 Activity:
Make your mark
Number your paper 1- 17. Write down the correct editing mark.
1. Insert a comma
2. Leave as originally written
3. Insert quotations marks or apostrophes
4. Separate run together words
5. Lowercase
6. Uppercase
7. Do the opposite
8. Transpose letters or words
9. Delete letters, words or phrases not needed
10. Delete a letter in the middle of a word and close
11. Delete a letter at the beginning or end of a word, or a punctuation mark
12. Insert a letter or word
13. Emphasize a penciled-in period
14. Emphasize a paragraph or begin a paragraph
15. Insert hyphen
16. Insert a dash
17. Either of these marks says the end of story
Lesson 6: AP Style Rules
Objectives – In this lesson you will:
Learn some of the more frequently used Associated Press style rules
Practice using copy-editing marks
Consider what school would be like without any rules.
Sounds like a blast, right?
It might be fun for a little while, but it wouldn’t be long before things
took a turn for the worst. At best, students would be out of control
and chaotic.
Whether we like to admit it or not, we all appreciate some rules.
Rules keep life functioning smoothly and consistently so we

always know what to expect from not just ourselves, but from others
as well.
The Associated Press Stylebook is a rulebook for journalistic

style.
It sets forth style guidelines that help keep copy concise and
consistent.
Abiding by the AP Style rules eliminates confusion for the

reader as they move through a large publication.
Though the voice of the writer may change as readers jump from story to
story, the rules keep the style consistent and orderly so it is easier for the
reader to process.
AP Style Rules
NUMBERS
• Spell out numbers less than 10, including fractions less than one.
• Spell out first through ninth when they indicate a sequence in time or location.
I slid into second base.
Look for the third house on the left.
• Spell out any number, except a year, that starts a sentence.
• Spell out casual expressions of numbers.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
• Spell out the word percent. Use figures with percentages.
I used 25 percent of my money.
• Always use the numeral for dates with no st, nd, rd or th.
The homecoming game is Friday, Nov. 6, at the stadium.
• Always use $ and the numeral unless there is no numeral or it is a casual reference.
I have $25 in my pocket.
There were millions of dollars in that car.
AP Style Rules
TITLES
• Lowercase all titles not used before a name.
Barack Obama, president
Roy Blunt, senator
• Lowercase all titles that are primarily job descriptions.

farmer
teacher
movie star
• Capitalize all formal titles when used before a name.

President Barack Obama
AP Style Rules
ABBREVIATIONS
• Abbreviate titles when used before names.
Sen. Mike Smith
Gov. Mike Smith
• Abbreviate avenue, street and boulevard in numbered addresses only.

5555 Smith Blvd.
I live on Smith Boulevard.
• Abbreviate months with more than five letters when used with a date.
Dec. 15 is Mr. Smith’s birthday.
December is the best month ever.
Lesson 6, Activity 1: AP
Stylebook Treasure Hunt
The following sentences have a mistake in bold. Using copy-editing marks,
correct the sentences according to the rule found in the AP Stylebook.
If you have a stylebook, write the page number where you found the rule.
1. Her birthday was April 1st.

2. Lunch is over at 1:00 PM.
3. Mrs. Smith was the head of the History Department and English
Department.
4. The kids will graduate in Dec. 2006.
5. Mike Alstott is the Full Back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
6. The school is located in New Port Richey, Florida.
7. Miss Jones had a tutoring session during lunch yesterday.
8. The teacher asked for 8 volunteers to show their project.
9. PHCC is a good school to attend if you’d like to earn an Associate’s
Degree.
Lesson 6, Activity 1: AP
Stylebook Treasure Hunt
10. The student body increased by over 200 students.

11. The Mustangs beat the Rams 21 to 20 at last night’s game.
12. The staff had an extra day off for labor day falling on a Monday.
13. Night school was canceled on Tue. and Wed. nights this week.
14. It is important to know proper punctuation (like how to use
parentheses.)
15. You can find a lot of information on the web about war.
16. My favorite time of the year is the Fall.
17. New Year’s Day is exciting; you have a fresh start for the New Year.
18. This information should just stay among the two of us.
19. I vacation biannually; I save up to go on a longer trip every two years.
20. I prefer to attend the pre-season football games so I can observe all the
new players.
Lesson 6, Activity 2: Using AP
Style
Correct this passage to read accurately according to the Associated Press
style rules. Use the appropriate copy-editing marks.
BAN MAY GO BEYOND PAJAMAS

the fate of the most emotionally issue charged on Student Council’s Nov. Ballot could
hinge on a question of dress code.
Would banning pajama day during homecoming week threaten participation for 100’s
of students who depend on this day to earn spirit points for their class?
Passage of similarly worded dress-up day bans at neighboring schools have thrust this
issue to the front of the student council agenda.
So far, one schools Student Council has ruled that the pajama day ban prevented
students from dressing inappropriately, however other students feel that this ban will
hurt participation in homecoming week events
Lesson 6, Activity 3: Using AP
Style and Copy-editing Marks
Use copy-editing marks to correct the AP style errors in the sentences

below.
1. The software costs four hundred and twenty-five dollars.

2. The President dedicated Mount Rushmore.
3. John Glenn, Astronaut and United States Senator, almost ran for President
of the United States.
4. Meredith McNulty, English and History Teacher, planned a trip to New
York.
5. The Sophomore class and the Juniors got into an epic battle during
powder puff.
6. The society will award cash prizes for the top three entries: $40 for 1st
place, thirty dollars for second place, and twenty dollars for 3rd place.
Lesson 6, Activity 3: Using AP Style
and Copy-editing Marks (continued)
Use copy-editing marks to correct the AP style errors in the sentences

below.
7. American History will not be taught next year, but political science will be.
8. Blues Brothers 2000 has a PG 13 rating and is showing at Westport
cinema.
9. I had a bag of chips and a coca-cola for lunch.
10. This is the first District title for the Pioneers in over twenty-five years.
11. Composer and Orchestra Leader Aaron Copland composed multiple
songs.
12. The U.S. $ is weak, and that is part of the reason the national debt is into
$1,000,000’s of dollars.
Lesson 7: The Editing Process
Objective – In this lesson you will:
Learn some editing best practices and techniques to help you edit stories
Lesson 7: The Editing Process
Now that you are comfortable with editing the content of a story, it is time
to address the copy-editing process.
With so many stories being submitted at various times by a variety of

writers, an organizational structure for editing needs to be in place.
Without it, writers can be confused by mixed messages from editors, printed
drafts of stories can be lost, and the quality of the story will suffer.
Write hot, edit cold
Writing can be a taxing activity.
Reporters should write freely while thoughts are flowing and

ideas are clear.
They can save the editing process for later.
However, this does not mean to write “hot” and then pass
along your rough work for some editor to trudge through.
A fresh set of eyes is important, but since it is your piece and you know it
best, self-editing is a practice that cannot be sacrificed in the
name of saving some time.
Write hot, edit cold
When you reach a resting point in your writing, step away from the
story for a while.
It could for be for an hour or a day, but give yourself some space so that
you can approach editing the piece with a fresh perspective.
Then return to your story with a keen, objective editing eye.
Follow the same process for your own story that you would if
editing someone else’s work. Examine the story for the purpose of
both subjective and objective editing.
Editing best practices
With so many different areas of writing that must be edited, it is imperative

that each story is read multiple times.
Each time you read through a story, look for something different.
Use the pattern below as a guideline.

o Read once for content.
o Read once for organization.
o Read once for language.
It is amazing the errors in content and language that are uncovered simply
from reading something aloud.
Our voices tend to find the errors and inaccuracies that our minds glaze over.
Read to your friends, your editors, your parents, your pets… anyone who will
listen. If all else fails, read it out loud to yourself.
As you find errors, pause to make the corrections.
Instead of reading through your story multiple times looking for different
areas of concern, allow a group of peers to help you go through the editing
process. Assign one person to listen for content, one to listen for
organization, and one to listen for language. Your editing audience can write
comments on a feedback form, like the one below, as you read, or you can
provide a copy of your story to each group member that they can use to
provide feedback.
Sometimes it is not what you are reading for, but how you are reading that
will make the difference.
The best way to find small errors, such as spelling, capitalization and
punctuation, is to read the story like a kindergartner reads their first book —
painstakingly slow.
Reading the story slowly and out loud is even better.
Furthermore, reading the story backwards allows you to see each word as an
individual entity, which makes spelling errors easier to spot.
Avoid the temptation to mark up someone’s story and hand it back to him or
her without ever having a discussion.
It is rare that major changes to a story can be communicated clearly with a

few comments in the margins of the story.
Take time to sit down and talk with the writer. Explain what you think the
revision needs. Have them explain back to you what needs to be done to
make sure the writer understands and agrees.
Even when the criticism you are providing is constructive, a lot of bad news
can really discourage a writer. To help soften the blow, use the criticism
sandwich method:
positive — negative — positive
Always begin with a positive comment. Tell the writer something you liked
about their story or something they did well.
Then move to the areas that need improvement. Provide specific, detailed
feedback regarding the problem areas of their story.
Then close the conversation with another positive comment. This method
will help motivate the writer and keep him or her from feeling overwhelmed
and under-appreciated.
Editors can often overstep their boundaries and rewrite large portions of a
reporter’s work. Whereas the editor’s intentions may be altruistic, this act
only serves to alienate the reporter.
Writers are likely to wonder why they poured their heart and soul into a
piece just to have their work removed and replaced by someone else’s.
Furthermore, the reporter doesn’t learn in this process. They cannot

recognize their shortcomings and work to improve them if they are robbed
of the opportunity. Everyone will benefit in the end if editors edit the story
and show the writer how to improve.
To make sure every story is edited thoroughly, a solid editing process should
be in place. Then stick with it. A system that works for your staff will help
keep staffers and editors accountable and communicating clearly.
(continued)
Example:
1. Staffer writes first draft of story
2. Self-edit
3. Peer-edit
4. First draft submitted to editor; editor makes corrections and returns to
staffer
5. Staffer makes corrections and submits revised draft to editor again
6. Editor makes corrections and then passes on to the editor-in-chief
7. Editor-in-chief makes corrections and returns to staffer
8. Staffer makes final corrections and submits final draft to editor
9. Editor gives final approval and passes to editor-in-chief
10. Editor-in-chief gives final approval and passes to adviser
Create your own flow chart system for your staff.
Making Copy Shine with
Editing
To help with editing, use a checklist to help you review each story.
Here’s an example:
Lesson 7 Activity: Edit a story
Select a story written for the yearbook and edit it using the editing process
and checklist.
Note on a piece of paper the changes you would make and attach them to
the story, or make them on the story.
This is the end of the presentation.
Proceed for the answers to activities.
Working with transitions
and quotes
AP Stylebook Treasure
Hunt
Using AP Style and copy-
editing marks

Making Copy Shine With Editing: Sabrina Schmitz, CJE, Walsworth Yearbooks

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MAKING COPY SHINE WITH EDITING

Sabrina Schmitz, CJE, Walsworth Yearbooks

Objectives – In this lesson you will:

Understand how to edit to make smooth transitions between paragraphs to

Transitions and quotes are the meat and potatoes of a story.

The When Asked Transition:

Be aware of the transition that attempts to transcribe the interview.

The Repeat Transition:

Be aware of the transition that repeats the same information presented in

Better: Excitement arose among students such as Wayne Scott at the

The Fact Quote:

Be aware of quotes that convey facts instead of emotion or important,

Better: “Debate practices get so heated that sometimes we forget that we

The Quote with Attribution:

The Quote with Minor Edits:

EXAMPLE: “Ummmm…. I thought the competition was… uh… fair… ya

The Nothing Quote:

EXAMPLE: “I took art because I like painting,” Jack Kelly said.

Better: “I was inspired by my mom to paint. She always took me to parks to

Identify the transition and quote problems in the following story.

Edit the story, fixing the problems.

Passarella thought that the clothing line was successful.

“I work 15 hours a week and have approximately three hours of homework a

Objective – In this lesson you will:

Learn the most-used copy-editing marks

If you have ever tried to communicate with someone who spoke

Copy-editing marks are the universal language of editing.

Leave as originally written

Insert quotation marks or apostrophes

Separate run together words

Transpose letters or words

Delete letters, words or phrases not needed

Delete a letter in the middle of a word and close

Delete a letter at the beginning or end of a word, or

Insert a letter or word

Emphasize a penciled-in period

Emphasize a paragraph or begin a paragraph

Objectives – In this lesson you will:

Practice using copy-editing marks

Consider what school would be like without any rules.

Sounds like a blast, right?

Whether we like to admit it or not, we all appreciate some rules.

Rules keep life functioning smoothly and consistently so we

The Associated Press Stylebook is a rulebook for journalistic

Abiding by the AP Style rules eliminates confusion for the

• Lowercase all titles that are primarily job descriptions.

• Capitalize all formal titles when used before a name.

• Abbreviate avenue, street and boulevard in numbered addresses only.

1. Her birthday was April 1st.

10. The student body increased by over 200 students.

BAN MAY GO BEYOND PAJAMAS

Use copy-editing marks to correct the AP style errors in the sentences

1. The software costs four hundred and twenty-five dollars.

Use copy-editing marks to correct the AP style errors in the sentences

Objective – In this lesson you will:

With so many stories being submitted at various times by a variety of

Writing can be a taxing activity.

Reporters should write freely while thoughts are flowing and

They can save the editing process for later.

Then return to your story with a keen, objective editing eye.

With so many different areas of writing that must be edited, it is imperative

Use the pattern below as a guideline.