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A draft can be grammatically clean and still be hard to follow, unsuitable for its audience, or wrong in a detail that matters. The six passes below are a practical way to diagnose what a post needs between its first draft and publication. Editing terminology varies by publication and editor, and the passes can overlap; what matters is matching the work to the problem.
1. Content and structure: does the post deliver what it promises?
Start with the argument and the reader’s task, not individual sentences. Check whether the post answers its central question, supplies necessary context, and puts information in an order that makes sense. A structural or substantive edit may mean moving a section, adding a missing explanation, sharpening headings, or cutting material that distracts from the purpose.
The Australian Government Style Manual describes substantive editing as work that can reorganize information, improve navigation, identify content gaps, and clarify meaning. IPEd likewise puts audience and purpose at the start of this kind of edit. Neither label is universal, but the diagnostic is straightforward: if the post’s ideas or order are not working, sentence polishing is premature.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAustralian Government Style Manual: Editing and proofreading; IPEd: Types of Editing; Association of Art Editors glossary.
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2. Audience fit, plain language, and accessibility: can the intended reader use it?
A post can be accurate and well organized yet assume too much. Look for unexplained jargon, missing steps, examples that do not fit the reader’s context, and details that make a passage harder to scan. Ask whether the intended reader can find the needed information and understand what to do with it.
Accessibility is not necessarily a separate stage in every workflow. IPEd’s third-edition standards state, “All types of editing should involve editing for accessibility.” Treat it as a concern throughout the process, from structure and format to wording. The Style Manual also includes plain English, jargon, information flow, and format among considerations for substantive editing.
IPEd standards for editing practice, 3rd edition; Australian Government Style Manual: Editing and proofreading.
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3. Line-level clarity and flow: do the sentences make the point cleanly?
Once the post’s purpose and order are sound, work through its sentences and paragraphs. Tighten awkward phrasing, remove redundancy, make transitions clear, and check that each paragraph develops one understandable point. The goal is not to flatten the writer’s voice; it is to make that voice easier to follow.
Line editing is distinct from structural editing and from copyediting focused on correctness, though the boundaries are not fixed. IPEd notes that line editing may be the first part of a two-stage copyedit, so a publication may combine these tasks or use different names.
Association of Art Editors glossary; IPEd standards for editing practice, 3rd edition.
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4. Copy consistency: are the mechanics and conventions consistent?
After the content has settled, check spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, usage, references, and consistency with the publication’s house style. A style sheet records decisions—such as how names, terms, and capitalization are handled—so they remain consistent across the post and later work.
Copyediting can flag a deeper problem, but substantial rewriting after a copyedit can invalidate some of that work. If a section changes significantly, check the revised text again rather than assuming it remains clean.
Australian Government Style Manual: Editing and proofreading; IPEd: Types of Editing.
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5. Factual verification: who checks the names, numbers, and links?
Verify claims against reliable sources: names, dates, figures, quotations, citations, and links all deserve attention. Assign a clear owner for this work. Professional workflows place fact-checking differently: the Australian Government Style Manual says substantive editing does not itself fact-check and treats factual checks as separate work, while IPEd includes checks such as dates, model numbers, quotations, links, and references among copyediting tasks.
That difference makes ownership more important than the label. Decide whether the writer, editor, or another reviewer checks each factual claim, and make sure the check happens before publication.
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6. Final proof after layout: does the published version match the approved copy?
Proofread the version readers will actually encounter: the laid-out page, email, or publishing-platform preview. Compare it with the approved copy and look for introduced typos, missing headings or links, misplaced captions, layout problems, and differences from the master text.
Proofreading is final quality control, not another opportunity for a substantial rewrite. The Style Manual says, “Proofreading is not editing and it is not a substitute for copyediting.” The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading describes it as the final quality check before publication, after editing and layout.
Australian Government Style Manual: Editing and proofreading; CIEP: About proofreading and editing.
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Choose by the draft’s biggest problem, not by assuming every service uses identical labels. Some editors combine services, and the names and boundaries vary with the publication, material, tools, schedule, and budget.
| What is going wrong? | Work to consider |
|---|---|
| The ideas are incomplete, the order is confusing, or the post misses its purpose. | Developmental, structural, or substantive editing |
| The information does not suit the reader or is difficult to find and understand. | Audience-fit, plain-language, and accessibility review |
| The ideas work, but sentences feel awkward, repetitive, or disjointed. | Line editing |
| Spelling, grammar, usage, or house-style consistency needs attention. | Copyediting |
| Claims, quotations, dates, figures, or links need checking. | Fact-checking, with a named owner; it may be assigned separately or as part of copyediting |
| The approved text needs checking in its final layout. | Proofreading |
For freelance help, first identify the particular problem and ask what the proposed service includes—especially who checks factual claims. CIEP points people seeking freelance editorial help to its directory information.
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