Editing Symbols Chart

Do you go to a critique group? Have a critique partner? Offer to proof a writer friend’s manuscript? Pay a professional editor to go over your own work?

Knowing a nice selection of basic editing symbols can help you more quickly and effectively communicate your feedback.

Editing Symbols Chart

Likewise, refer to this chart when you receive feedback to help decipher someone else’s comments.

  • http://twitter.com/NataliaSylv Natalia Sylvester

    VERY handy tool for any writer! I love how universal these are; I used to edit my high school yearbook, then my college newspaper, then several magazines. A couple of weeks ago my agent sent me a hard copy of my manuscript with line edits, and it was like getting to speak a familiar language once again. (Although, there was one symbol I’d never seen…I ended up taking a picture of it with my phone and sending it to her to decipher!)

    • http://www.AnnieNeugebauer.com Annie Neugebauer

      Thanks Natalia; that’s awesome! As a fellow speaker of said familiar language, I sure would love to know what the mysterious symbol was. =)

      • http://twitter.com/NataliaSylv Natalia Sylvester

        Haha, sorry for the delayed response! The symbol was three dots over a word. Almost like an ellipsis, but more spaced out. She said it means stet. Ever seen it?

        • http://www.AnnieNeugebauer.com Annie Neugebauer

          No, how awesome! I looked it up just now. I see that it is
          usually used with dots or dashes under a word next to “stet,” which means “let it stand” in Latin. Since it is a less-used editing mark, most people just write “okay” or a check-mark next to things now instead, for clarity. Cool; I learned something new. =) Thanks Natalia.