 Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash I’m not afraid to admit that navigating Track Changes was one of the most daunting aspects of editing for me, both as an author and as an editor. I thrive on efficiency, and accepting and rejecting each individual change felt terribly inefficient. So, if you’re anything like me, stick around, I’ll share with you the tips that have helped me overcome my overwhelm and embrace the benefits of Tracked Changes. Best Tracked Changes Tips Here are my favorite tips for making the process of using Track Changes as seamless and easy as possible. Talk with Your Editor First, I recommend you talk with your editor about what changes are most important for you to see. Do you really want to see every corrected extra space, every single quotation turned to double quotations, or straight quotes turned to smart quotes? Take a minute to think through the changes that you definitely want to weigh in on and those changes you want your editor to make on their own. This will be the most incremental step to reduce overwhelm when your edits are returned. To get you started, here are some edits that I typically see in a manuscript:
In all of these cases, you could communicate to your editor any preferences that you have and allow the remainder of the edits to be completed blindly. This would drastically reduce the number of edits for you to review when you receive your edited manuscript back. Review the Comments Next, as I mentioned earlier, it can be helpful to review the comments before accepting or rejecting edits. Making decisions on the comments and clearing them first will reduce the size of the manuscript (read why that is important in part one), making it much easier to work with. It will also allow you to get some of the quick changes addressed before diving into each individually tracked change. If you are receiving a heavy copyedit or a line edit, you will find grammar and punctuation changes along with some potentially bigger-picture recommendations. In those instances, you will want to resolve the comments that address specific issues in one place in the text. Those comments that require more in-depth global evaluation (such as POV or active voice to passive voice) can be left until the end of the review process. Take Advantage of Simple Markup Again, if you have heavy edits, you may want to take advantage of the Simple Markup feature. Get all those multi-colored edits off the screen and focus on how the manuscript sounds with the suggested revisions in place. If you like the way the revisions sound, if it still sounds like your voice, if it still aligns with your vision, and if it doesn’t compromise any of your preferences, you could consider using Accept All instead of navigating each individual change. If you come to a place that doesn’t sound like you or you notice a change that you don’t agree with, simply reject the change and keep going. If you have done your due diligence when hiring your editor, choosing one who aligns with your values and brings the experience and expertise you need, you can trust that their edits align with the appropriate style guides. (You can read more about finding the right editor in my post, Secrets to Finding the Perfect Book Editor.) However, because editors are humans too, I strongly recommend reading thoroughly through the manuscript before using the accept all feature. Do not blindly accept edits without reading the manuscript first. Pray As a Christian author, the most important step in the editing process is prayer. What can feel overwhelming at the start becomes much more manageable through God’s strength. Take some time at the beginning of the revision process, and as you work through each stage, to pray and ask God for his guidance and wisdom. He will help you work through even the technical details of using Track Changes and provide you with the peace and comfort you need. Conclusion: Utilizing Track Changes Efficiently Now you are armed with some tips for navigating Track Changes in a way that maximizes your time and minimizes your level of overwhelm. Keep in mind, what works for one person may not be best for another, so give these suggestions a try, and if you find another process that works better for you along the way, adopt those methods instead. In the end, as a professional author, navigating Track Changes will be a routine part of the editing process for you. Why not develop a system that works efficiently for you? Categories
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About MeNycole Sinks is the owner and editor for Positive Proofing. With a background in business and education, she has a passion for helping authors share their stories with the world. 
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