Copyeditor's First-Pass Deck
Recall the first-pass prompts that keep copy editing focused on reader risk and repeatable decisions.
compare battlecard Reader task What is the first question to ask before line editing? Think HOC before LOC. What must the reader know or do after this piece? This question turns editing from surface cleanup into reader-task support. Reflex vs move The draft has obvious punctuation errors. What is the skilled first move? The lower-order pass comes after the message is stable. Objection Can you just clean it up quickly? A stakeholder wants speed and may not expect structural questions. Your line Yes. I will do a quick risk pass first so we do not polish an unsupported claim or…
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