Free Editing Checklist Template
An editing checklist covers the project stages from intake through editing passes, fact-checking, final proof, and handover, with the tasks that move each stage forward.
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A manuscript goes out with your name on it, so the scary part isn’t the big structural stuff, it’s the tiny misses that make readers doubt everything else. This Editing Checklist project keeps the work moving in a fixed order, so the edit stays consistent, the author’s voice stays intact, and nothing basic gets skipped when the pressure’s on.
The board runs from Intake and brief through Handover and close, with cards for setup, passes, checks, and invoicing steps that often live in somebody’s head. The look stays quiet and deliberate, with sage accents against a print-ink violet and Raleway headings over Inter body text, which fits the job of catching details without making a fuss about it.
- Intake and brief Starts the job with scope, sample pages, file formats, and a deposit step so the edit begins with the same inputs every time.
- Style sheet and setup Holds the setup work that makes edits consistent, including the house style sheet and file prep before the first pass.
- Editing passes Groups the line edit, copyedit pass, and the author-facing summary so queries and changes don’t get lost between chapters.
- Reference and fact-check Tracks the sweep of citations and factual claims, which is where “looks fine” mistakes tend to survive until publication.
- Final proof pass Carries the proof PDF and final corrections so the last read happens after changes, not before them.
Once the template is in Plutio, the checklist runs as a project with 16 cards in six columns. You add your own dates, assign the cards to whoever’s editing, and then work left to right until the handover is done.
We went from spending hours on every proposal to creating fully customized ones in under 5 minutes. That's not an exaggeration - we timed it.
What is on this board
6 columns carrying 16 cards. Adding it builds the whole thing as a project in your workspace, with every column and card in place.
| Column | What is in it |
|---|---|
Intake and brief | Cards cover confirming scope, collecting sample pages and formats, and sending a deposit invoice before editing starts.
|
Style sheet and setup | Cards cover creating a house style sheet and setting up the manuscript file with Track Changes ready.
|
Editing passes | Cards cover a chapter-by-chapter line edit, a focused copyedit pass, and a change summary with queries for the author.
|
Reference and fact-check | Cards cover checking citations and sweeping factual claims and flagged items before proof.
|
Final proof pass | Cards cover preparing a proof PDF, proofreading that PDF, and applying final corrections back to the source file.
|
Handover and close | Cards cover sending the handover package and style sheet, sending the final invoice, and archiving files and notes.
|
What happens when you install it
- A project is created with its board, 6 columns and 16 cards already there.
- Nothing carries a due date, because a board holds the order the work runs in rather than a calendar. The dates go on once you know when the job starts.
- Every card opens as a task with its own description, assignee, dates, subtasks and files, and columns are renamed, reordered or deleted like any other.
Who it is for
Editors handling editing & proofreading, copy editing, developmental editing, or academic proofreading when a manuscript needs a tracked, repeatable path from brief to handover.
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Questions about this project template
What should an editing checklist include?
An editing checklist usually includes intake and scope confirmation, file setup and style sheet work, editing passes, reference or fact-check steps, a final proof, and a handover closeout. This board covers that full sequence as columns with task cards under each stage.
What’s the difference between copyediting and proofreading?
Copyediting happens earlier and focuses on sentence-level clarity and consistency across the manuscript, while proofreading is the last pass on the near-final proof. The board separates editing passes from the final proof stage so those two types of work don’t blur together.
How many editing passes should a manuscript go through?
The number of passes depends on the condition of the manuscript and what the editor and author agree in the scope. This checklist includes multiple pass stages plus a final proof pass, so the workflow doesn’t stop at the first cleanup.
How do I make sure an editor doesn’t change my voice?
A clear scope and a style sheet help keep decisions consistent, especially around tone and wording choices. The checklist includes both scope confirmation and style sheet setup before the main editing passes.
Do editors fact-check references and citations?
Some projects include a reference and fact-check step, and some don’t, depending on the agreement and material. This checklist includes a dedicated reference and fact-check column to track citation sweeps and flagged factual claims.
Do I need an editing checklist if I’m already using Track Changes?
Track Changes records edits inside the file, but it doesn’t track the work around the file like setup, passes, checks, and handover steps. This checklist tracks that wider workflow so the same stages happen in the same order each time.
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