A copy edit focuses on copy, or writing on the word level. During a copy edit I will fix any obvious typos or errors I find, but I’ll also offer suggestions to improve the strength and clarity of the argument as a whole. One thing that comes up fairly often is that while authors know their subjects inside and out, concepts, people, places, and so on need to be briefly introduced to readers the first time they are mentioned.
For example, if someone name-drops Sir Ian McKellan in a sentence, I might suggest he be introduced briefly according to what the author wants the reader to know about him. Is this actor and LGBTQ activist Sir Ian McKellan? Or perhaps Oscar nominee Sir Ian McKellan, or Sir Patrick Stewart’s friend Ian McKellan? Why is he being brought up now, and what is important about him in the context of the argument?
As you can see, any detail an author chooses to include at this point frames the idea going forward. Simply dropping a name and moving on leaves the reader wondering… ok, but why do I need to know about this person? How do they tie into the bigger idea? How an author chooses to introduce an individual will tie that person back into the grand argument. Just a few words will change how a reader understands that person’s role in the document as a whole.
This is why, in situations like this, I leave comments with suggestions rather than adding any text into the document. Although it can be clear from context what an author might be going for, it isn’t always–and these kinds of details are important. My job is not to impose my idea of what should be there on the writer, but to work with them to communicate what they want to say as clearly as possible.