[FORM 4E]Copy Editor’s Checklist (British Columbia)
COPY EDITOR’S CHECKLIST
Book Title:______/ Printer Date:_____Legal Editor:______/ Copy Editor:______
I.TRANSMITTAL
Legal editor advises on:
___schedule (deadlines)
___scope of editing
___special features
___date of legal edit for research purposes
Legal editor prepares memo on style matters for copy editor
Sharon prints copy for copy editing/research
Sharon runs macro and prints all tables
II.RESEARCH
Legislation
Pre-transmittal—legal editor checks that all statutes cited in the book or update are correct
Copy editor verifies statute titles and all citations of statute titles
Copy editor checks legislation for amendments since date of legal edit[*]
Copy editor checks with legal editor to see if quotations need confirmation
Case Law
General:
Confirm preferred entry for text reference
Compare tables in related publications to identify research already done
Appeals:
Check for appeals on recent cases (dated < 2 years ago) (e.g., BCD Civ., BCWLD, and Internet)
Check library copy for librarians’ notations
Check BCCA and SCC index cards
New Cases:
Pull volume and verify (for text citation only):
___style of cause spelling
___date of judgment
___volume number
___series
___page number
___level of court
___point of law (general topic only)
Find parallel citations in Canadian Case Citations
Add any appeal information discovered
Use McGill Guide for order of parallel cites
Legal editor chooses preferred entry for text reference
Advise legal editor of all appeals
Unreported Cases:
Check BCD Civ. and BCWLD Table of Cases Reported
If not reported, give CLE Digest cite (available 1995–)
If no CLE cite, use BCWLD cite (no parallel cites needed)
If no other information, give full unreported cite
Use BCJ cite only as a last resort
Check all cases < 2-years old to see if they have been reported (updates)
Quotations:
Pull volume and verify quotation and page reference
References
Confirm author, title, publication information (new entries)
Check library catalogue for subsequent editions and advise legal editor
Locate new edition page references
Confirm quotations
Forms and Precedents
Pre-transmittal—legal editor obtains any originals required
Legal editor advises on editing and formatting required
III.COPY EDIT
Make revisions in coloured ink (never pencil or black ink)
Read new/revised parts for meaning
Highlight cross-references (some sections may be renumbered)
Use plain language wherever possible
Change passive to active
Update tables of contents to reflect heading changes
Check punctuation, consistency of terms, capitalization
Update tables to reflect revisions, additions, deletions in text
Spell check
Prepare stylesheet for file[*]
Legal editor reviews all changes
IV.PRODUCTION
Obtain PB and ISBN numbers and CIP from Sharon
Proof copyedit changes and corrections
Proof final draft (last draft before good paper) for:
___page breaks/continuity
___hyphenation
___pagination
___running heads (page numbers; dates; chapter names)
Prepare/update front material:
___filing instructions
___contents checklist
___compare Table of Contents with actual chapter titles
___proof the front material (carefully!)
Final look—first by copy editor, then by legal editor—on good paper (including “flake check”)
[*]New books only
[*] New books only