Sample Project: Fourth Grade Writing Textbook
Before (Original Work)
This document is an introduction to a book about AI in education that needs significant revision. It covers AI's evolution and educational implications but suffers from structural problems, redundancies, and unfocused content. The writing shifts awkwardly between audiences and tries to address too many topics without sufficient depth. It requires streamlining and restructuring to effectively communicate its message about preparing students for an AI-driven future.
1
Editing Plan (Intended Edits Summary)
This document is my developmental editing plan for "The Fourth Grade Teacher's Guide to AI" that outlines eight key areas for improving the introduction: establishing purpose earlier, defining specific problems, focusing on fourth-grade teachers' needs, addressing age-appropriateness, creating consistent voice, adopting practical tone, adding concrete examples, and providing a clear roadmap. The plan balances recognition of strengths with specific, actionable revision suggestions. This represents my typical approach when providing comprehensive developmental feedback to help authors strengthen their manuscripts while maintaining their unique voice and expertise.
2
Developed Work (Final Edited Copy)
This document shows the author's revised introduction that implements my developmental editing feedback. They've transformed the content by immediately establishing purpose, directly addressing fourth-grade teachers' specific challenges, incorporating age-appropriate considerations, and maintaining consistent second-person voice throughout. The addition of concrete classroom examples, teacher testimonials, and a clear chapter roadmap makes the content immediately practical and accessible. This revision perfectly demonstrates the value of developmental editing in focusing a manuscript to serve its target audience effectively.
3
My Editing Portfolio
Welcome to my editing portfolio, where you can see my work in action. On this page, you'll find samples that demonstrate both my developmental editing and copyediting expertise.
About These Samples
Each sample in this portfolio includes three components:
-
Original manuscript: The unedited text before any editorial intervention
-
Editorial process: Either a developmental editing plan or a document with copyediting marks
-
Final revised version: The polished text after implementing all editorial changes
Note on sample origin: To protect my clients' intellectual property and maintain confidentiality, all sample texts featured here were generated using AI technology. While the content is artificial, the editing process, approach, and quality standards demonstrated are identical to those I apply with real client manuscripts.
Developmental Editing Samples
Developmental editing focuses on the big-picture elements of your manuscript—structure, organization, argument development, and overall effectiveness. The samples below demonstrate how I help authors strengthen their work at a foundational level.
Copyediting Samples
Copyediting refines your already-structured manuscript at the sentence level, addressing grammar, punctuation, consistency, and clarity while preserving your unique voice. These examples show my meticulous attention to detail and adherence to style guidelines.
Copyediting Sample
Before (Original Work)
The document contains numerous mechanical errors including incorrect apostrophes, spelling mistakes, and inconsistent voice throughout the text. Content issues include disconnected ideas that should be linked for better flow, vague claims without supporting evidence, and undefined technical terminology that may confuse readers. These combined problems undermine the author's credibility on the sophisticated topic of AI in education and distract from the potentially valuable insights about how educational approaches must evolve in response to advancing technology.
1
Markup Copy (Edited Work)
This document shows my professionally marked-up version with copyediting notations addressing all major issues identified in the original text. Mechanical errors (apostrophes, spelling mistakes) are circled, while voice inconsistencies receive a specific "AQ: Changing perspective/pronouns" query in the margin. The markup also addresses disconnected ideas by adding "For instance," before related sentences, and includes improvements to sensationalistic phrasing like replacing "burst onto the scene" with "emerged prominently." Editorial annotations like "AQ: Cite" address the need for supporting evidence for claims.
2
Final Copy (Cleaned Up Work)
The final text demonstrates my professional-level copyediting with all mechanical errors corrected, including proper apostrophe usage, correct spelling, and consistent hyphenation. The document now maintains a consistent second-person perspective throughout, addressing educators directly as "you" with proper subject-verb agreement and clear pronoun references. Improved transitions between ideas enhance the logical flow, particularly with the philosophical implications section, while sensationalistic language has been replaced with more measured phrasing (like "emerged prominently" instead of "burst onto the scene"). The overall result is a polished, cohesive introduction that effectively communicates the impact of AI on education while maintaining an authoritative yet accessible tone appropriate for an educational audience.
3
Style Sheet (To Accompany Final Document)
My style sheet demonstrates my approach to editorial work and understanding of Chicago Manual of Style conventions applied to educational content about AI. I've established guidelines covering technical elements (apostrophe usage, hyphenation) and content considerations (balanced AI perspective, terminology), showing my ability to anticipate inconsistencies before they appear in the manuscript. I've organized the document with sections addressing voice, formatting, terminology, citations, and structure, creating a framework that ensures the material remains clear and accessible to fourth-grade teachers.