Track Changes in Microsoft Word: A Simple Course for Authors
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Review your editor’s changes with confidence.
Receiving an edited manuscript can feel overwhelming at first. But Microsoft Word’s Track Changes is here to help, not intimidate. In this short, supportive course, you’ll learn how to read your editor’s markups, find the tools you need in Word, accept or reject changes with confidence, and respond to comments and queries clearly. Through simple video lessons and hands-on practice, you’ll finish feeling more comfortable, more in control, and ready to make the most of the editorial process. All while protecting the voice and choices that make your manuscript yours.
By the end of the course, you’ll be able to open an edited manuscript in Microsoft Word, understand what the markup means, confidently accept or reject changes, respond to your editor’s comments, and return your manuscript with your voice and choices intact.
Target audiences
- Authors new to Track Changes
- Authors who would like a Track Changes refresher
Features
- Four short, easy-to-follow video lessons
- Screen-share demonstrations
- A downloadable practice manuscript
- Hands-on practice activities
- Lifetime access
FAQs
Curriculum
- 6 Sections
- 14 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Welcome and Course Overview1 Item
- Start Here: What You’re Seeing in a Marked-Up Manuscript3 ItemsOpening an edited manuscript for the first time can feel like a lot – but those marks are not a sign that you have done anything wrong. In this lesson, you’ll learn what deletions, insertions, margin marks, and comments mean, and how they work together to create a clear record of the editorial conversation. Then, you’ll explore a sample manuscript and practice spotting common types of markup before moving on.
- Find the Tools: Your Microsoft Word Review Tab3 ItemsNow that you know what you are seeing, it is time to get comfortable with where the tools live. In this lesson, I’ll guide you through Microsoft Word’s Review tab and show you where to find Track Changes, Comments, and the controls you will use most often when reviewing edits. You’ll then practice turning Track Changes on, making a small revision, and leaving a comment of your own.
- Make the Call: Accepting and Rejecting Changes3 ItemsYour editor’s changes are suggestions and you remain in control of your manuscript. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to accept edits that improve clarity, consistency, grammar, or punctuation, as well as how to reject suggestions that do not fit your intended meaning or voice. You’ll practice reviewing sample edits and making thoughtful decisions rather than feeling pressured to accept everything automatically.
- Respond with Confidence: Comments, Queries, and Your Next Pass3 ItemsComments and queries are an important part of the conversation between you and your editor. In this final lesson, you’ll learn how to reply to comments, resolve them once an issue is addressed, reopen a conversation if you need to revisit it, and make your own revisions with Track Changes still turned on. By the end, you’ll be ready to return your manuscript with clear responses an confidence in the next stage of your editing process.
- Feedback1 ItemCongratulations on completing the course! Before you go, I would be so grateful if you would take a few minutes to share your experience.
Instructor
I am a book coach and editor who loves to work with debut authors. I love stories! I have prior experience as an elementary educator and found that as an editor, I can combine my passion for reading and words with my desire to help others improve and refine their skills to achieve their dreams. I offer book coaching, developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading services. I am detail-oriented, excellent with time management, and experience tailoring my feedback to individual learning and personality types. I enjoy providing approachable, positive, and growth-oriented feedback.
As a debut author, I was nervous about opening an edited manuscript and seeing all the markup. This course made Track Changes feel much more manageable. Stephanie explains each step clearly, and the practice examples helped me feel confident reviewing edits and responding to my editor.