Copyediting sample 29:
Boots

In this sample, I pointed out a simple contradiction in word choice (“shoes” or “boots”), and the author accepted my suggested repair.

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This sample is presented here with the author’s permission.

Original
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He smirked at his buddies, appearing to relax—just before lunging at me and planting a fist in my solar plexus. I dropped to the slushy pavement, puking in my mouth a little, ropes of gin-infused bile dripping from my lips and onto his shoes. He placed a boot on my shoulder and kicked me onto my back—I thought I was being attacked simultaneously from behind, but it was only Vanessa, pulling me away by my collar.

Markup
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He smirked at his buddies, appearing to relax—just before lunging at me and planting a fist in my solar plexus. I dropped to the slushy pavement, puking in my mouth a little, ropes of gin-infused bile dripping from my lips and onto his shoes. He placed a boot on my shoulder and kicked me onto my back—I thought back. [“his shoes” followed by “a boot” does not work; either it’s shoes or it’s boots, and I suggest settling on boots. Consider “I dropped to the slushy pavement, puking in my mouth a little, ropes of gin-infused bile dripping from my lips and onto his boots. He placed one of them on my shoulder and kicked me onto my back.”] Then I thought I was being attacked simultaneously from behind, but it was only Vanessa, pulling me away by my collar.

Result
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He smirked at his buddies, appearing to relax—just before lunging at me and planting a fist in my solar plexus. I dropped to the slushy pavement, puking in my mouth a little, ropes of gin-infused bile dripping from my lips and onto his boots. He placed one of them on my shoulder and kicked me onto my back. Then I thought I was being attacked simultaneously from behind, but it was only Vanessa, pulling me away by my collar.