The editor can mark-up the letter, and will also write comments on the back of the draft or on a separate sheet of paper. Editors, make sure to write "Edited by" and your name at the top. Each author must turn in the editor's written comments along with the final version of the paper.

Procedure for Editors

1. Read the syllogism-style outline and the letter. Write brief answers to these questions:
1. Is the outline an accurate summary of the author's basic argument? (For instance, perhaps the author has left a step in the reasoning out of the letter.)
2. Are there any steps in the author's reasoning or argument which are unclear from the letter alone?
3. Does the letter follow the appropriate tone, style, and form of address for a letter to a policy maker? Is it addressed to the right person (someone who is in a position to take the requested actions)?
4. What could be done to improve the letter?
2. Now pretend that you are an assistant to the person to whom the letter is addressed. Your job is to read incoming letters and provide the policy maker with short accurate summaries of them. Write such a summary, three to six sentences long. It should convey the essence of the letter, such that if the policy maker were to receive a phone call from the letter writer, he or she could discuss the issues of concern without revealing that only a summary had been read.
3. Now that you have written the summary, do you see any weaknesses or omissions that make the author's letter less persuasive than it could be?
4. Review your comments with the author (and vice versa). Authors, compare your editor's summary with your outline. Which is a more accurate or useful distillation of your argument?