[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