Track Changes Tutorial for Authors and Editors
Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature is a critical tool for a writer's toolbox. Even some seasoned Word pros aren't maximizing Track Changes to fullest advantage. This easy to follow Track Changes tutorial will make even technopeasants feel ready to tackle the tech side of the editing process.
Writers, once you hire an editor, you need to prepare to start working with Track Changes on a regular basis. Your editor will usually carry out the bulk of editing with Track Changes on so you can see exactly what has been edited, thus allowing you the chance to approve, query, and stet the edits.
The instructions in the document below are specifically aimed at my fiction authors and how I prefer them to work with my edited files, but the features can be adapted to any writer's or editor's workflow. My two big, huge, giant recommendations are for my authors to view Track Changes in All Markup mode and the Show Markup in Balloons mode. When you view Track Changes, do you have a lot of colored strikethrough text all over your screen, making it hard to see what's what? Show Markup in Balloons will fix that!
Below, you can preview the step-by-step tutorial, but to really get the most out of it, I recommend you download the file, open it in Word, and follow along with the steps to try out different features. Scribd, the program showing the preview here on my website, shows all Track Changes using the Show All Revisions Inline mode, so it throws off a few of my examples.
Once you download, save, and then open the file, select the View menu up top and then select "Edit Document" in order to view the document with all ribbons and menus available. If you share this file with others, in full or in part, please give credit to Romance Refined as this document is protected by copyright.
Writers, once you hire an editor, you need to prepare to start working with Track Changes on a regular basis. Your editor will usually carry out the bulk of editing with Track Changes on so you can see exactly what has been edited, thus allowing you the chance to approve, query, and stet the edits.
The instructions in the document below are specifically aimed at my fiction authors and how I prefer them to work with my edited files, but the features can be adapted to any writer's or editor's workflow. My two big, huge, giant recommendations are for my authors to view Track Changes in All Markup mode and the Show Markup in Balloons mode. When you view Track Changes, do you have a lot of colored strikethrough text all over your screen, making it hard to see what's what? Show Markup in Balloons will fix that!
Below, you can preview the step-by-step tutorial, but to really get the most out of it, I recommend you download the file, open it in Word, and follow along with the steps to try out different features. Scribd, the program showing the preview here on my website, shows all Track Changes using the Show All Revisions Inline mode, so it throws off a few of my examples.
Once you download, save, and then open the file, select the View menu up top and then select "Edit Document" in order to view the document with all ribbons and menus available. If you share this file with others, in full or in part, please give credit to Romance Refined as this document is protected by copyright.
| track_changes_tutorial_for_word_2010_and_2013_-_copyright_rds.docx |
| track_changes_tutorial_for_word_2003_-_copyright_rds.docx |
If you have any questions about Track Changes, please contact me.
Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it's fresh, we're on the ocean. Of course it's for sale, we're not giving it away. Of course it's here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH.”
― Peggy Noonan