editorial-copy
Copy Editing
Check for editorial context first: If .agents/editorial-context.md exists, read it before beginning. If a Style Sheet already exists there, load it — do not start a new one from scratch.
Intake
Read the context file. Then ask for anything not already captured. A copy edit cannot begin without a governing style guide — all consistency decisions depend on it.
Required — cannot begin without these:
- Which style guide governs this work? (Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook, house style, or a hybrid. If hybrid: which guide takes precedence, and where does house style override it?)
- American or British spelling?
Required before initializing the Style Sheet: 3. Are there any known house style rules to establish before starting? (Number treatment, capitalization of specific recurring terms, preferred citation format, any terminology the organization has already locked in.) Even "none that I know of" is a useful answer — record it. 4. Has a Style Sheet been started for this project from a previous session? If yes, load it. If no, it will be created from the template during Pass 1.