29 How to Edit a Book Templates

Editing pass plan: Pass [#] | Level [developmental/scene/line/copy/proof] | Goal [one problem class] | What not to fix yet [lower-level issues].

Reverse outline: Chapter/scene → Purpose → Change produced → Evidence/details → Keep/merge/move/cut.

Revision log: Issue → Location → Planned fix → Ripple effects → Verified after change [yes/no].

Final quality sequence: Structure → chapter/scene purpose → continuity/facts → line clarity → copy consistency → formatted proof.

Misconception correction audit for How to Edit a Book: shortcut or assumption → [ ]; why it fails here → [ ]; corrective move → [ ]; principle that must remain true → [ ]; goal-based next skill → [ ].

Failure-mode and reader-intent audit for How to Edit a Book: visible symptom → [ ]; likely underlying problem → [ ]; reader need → [ ]; competing technique considered → [ ]; correction → [ ]; evidence/genre/format constraint → [ ]; final verification → [ ].

Boundary-and-tool-choice audit for How to Edit a Book: reader objection → [ ]; actual writing job → [ ]; evidence/genre/format boundary → [ ]; tempting alternative → [ ]; why it is the wrong tool here → [ ]; correct adjustment → [ ]; final verification → [ ].

Evidence/support and mastery ladder for How to Edit a Book: minimum acceptable → [ ]; strong → [ ]; expert → [ ]; audience/genre constraint → [ ]; evidence or story support → [ ]; boundary that would require a different technique → [ ].

Certainty and expert-exception audit for How to Edit a Book: statement or choice → [ ]; evidence/canon/authority supporting it → [ ]; confidence level → [ ]; uncertainty that must be named → [ ]; expert exception → [ ]; nearest alternative technique → [ ]; why the final choice fits better → [ ].

Purpose-and-verification decision audit for How to Edit a Book: real writing job → [ ]; plausible choice A → [ ]; plausible choice B → [ ]; downstream consequence of each → [ ]; facts/evidence/canon to verify → [ ]; reader or genre boundary → [ ]; final purpose-fit reason → [ ].

Publication-readiness audit for How to Edit a Book: claim/advice/example → [ ]; strongest available source tier → [ ]; important disagreement or uncertainty → [ ]; what would change the conclusion → [ ]; publish now / qualify / revise / hold → [ ]; final verifier or source of truth → [ ].

Provenance and classification audit for How to Edit a Book: draft statement/example → [ ]; classify as fact / interpretation / recommendation / convention / original example → [ ]; source or internal provenance → [ ]; source date / version / checked date → [ ]; attribution needed → [ ]; recency risk → [ ]; final publishable wording → [ ].

Source-record and update audit for How to Edit a Book: statement / example → [ ]; external fact, project fact, interpretation, recommendation, convention, or original example → [ ]; controlling first-party / primary source → [ ]; secondary source if used → [ ]; source record / locator → [ ]; date or version checked → [ ]; update trigger → [ ]; publish / qualify / revise / hold → [ ].

Source-ledger and revision-history audit for How to Edit a Book: claim / recommendation / example → [ ]; source or project record ID → [ ]; source status active / superseded / corrected / retracted / retired → [ ]; claim-level last verified date/version → [ ]; event that triggered recheck → [ ]; correction / withdrawal action → [ ]; reader-facing disclosure needed? → [ ]; what changed and why → [ ]; prior wording/version retained at → [ ].

Claim/source status audit: Item [claim/source/example] | Status [active / review due / stale / corrected / retracted / superseded] | Controlling source/version [x] | Last verified [date/version] | Stale trigger [x] | Correction severity [0–3] | Reader disclosure [none / note / correction / withdrawal] | Changelog entry [what changed + why].

Dependency and propagation audit: Claim / example / recommendation [x] | Controlling source / project record [x] | Dependency strength [direct / shared / advisory / independent] | Review trigger / reason code [x] | Needs-review scope [local / direct dependents / cluster] | Replacement source requirements [x] | Carry-forward decision [x] | Propagation targets [x] | Reader disclosure / changelog action [x].

Persistent editorial registry audit: Topic slug → [ ]; claim UID/key → [ ]; source UID/key → [ ]; dependency UID + strength → [ ]; source status/version → [ ]; open review UID/reason/priority → [ ]; replacement source if any → [ ]; reviewer + resolution → [ ].

Editing triage: manuscript goal [x] | current stage [x] | highest-level unresolved problem [x] | correct edit level [x] | defer until later [x].

Pass contract: pass [developmental/line/copy/proof] | primary job [x] | allowed changes [x] | out of scope [x] | deliverable [x] | completion test [x].

Reverse-outline audit: unit [chapter/scene] | purpose [x] | new information/change [x] | dependency [x] | repetition/gap [x] | keep/move/merge/cut [x].

Ripple log: change [x] | affected chapters/scenes [x] | names/dates/claims affected [x] | cross-references [x] | verified after revision [yes/no].

Level test: problem concerns whole-book structure? [dev] | sentence/paragraph expression? [line] | mechanics/consistency? [copy] | final residual error/layout? [proof].

Service-scope check: provider label [x] | actual deliverables [x] | margin comments? [x] | editorial letter? [x] | tracked changes? [x] | style sheet? [x] | proof stage? [x].

Fact-verification map: claim [x] | source [x] | exact wording/number/date [x] | checked [date] | change affects other locations? [x].

Style-sheet handoff: spelling/terms [x] | capitalization [x] | numbers/dates [x] | punctuation [x] | names/timeline [x] | exceptions [x].

Proof freeze: substantive edits closed? [yes/no] | layout stable? [yes/no] | open queries [x] | correction owner [x] | final recheck [x].

Self-edit sequence: structural pass → scene/chapter pass → continuity/fact pass → line pass → copy pass → formatted proof.

Professional-edit sequence: self-revision complete [x] → developmental need [x] → author revision [x] → line/copy scope [x] → proof scope [x].

Change acceptance check: original [x] | proposed edit [x] | reason [x] | meaning changed? [yes/no] | voice changed? [yes/no] | ripple checked? [yes/no].