More Than Words Communications
Professional Copy Editing and Writing
“Marshall McLuhan once said Canada is the world’s only country that knows how to live without an identity. What more is needed to bind us together than a dictionary with a 4,833-word entry for “eh” and an account of the profound nationalist meaning of “all-dressed” in both official languages?”
Source: Dictionary of Canadianisms is ‘tabled’ and ‘all-dressed’ – The Globe and Mail
“There are two individuals who I will do work for without payments in advance. That’s because if they don’t pay, it means flying pigs are crashing into the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Otherwise, I just can’t afford to bear … Continue reading →
Source: Pay me. Up front. At least half. Then I start work. – Best Write Communications
The reading public has no time for badly edited, error-ridden books. That’s true in the traditional publishing world, of course—but it’s even more relevant for indie authors. Sloppy work tars everyone.
Source: Everyone Needs an Editor
An up-to-date resource covering the Canadian differences in spelling, grammar, punctuation and more. Essential for all Canadian editors. An online subscription is available or the hardcover via Editing Canadian English.
So interesting to read the thoughts of a legendary editor on editing and the process of acquiring books. Judith Jones was the editor who discovered Julia Child, Camus, Anne Frank, and many more. Her words: “The most important thing an editor can do is be a diplomat. It’s not your book, but you can subtly try, and it usually ends up that the writers express themselves so much more clearly.”
Anyone recall the first time they used the coinage “E-mail” for electronic mail? I’m happy it has evolved to email — the fewer hyphens the better.
via Oxford English Dictionary editors search for the origin of ‘email’ | Toronto Star.
This sums up my thoughts about life as a copyeditor — effectively polishing and perfecting someone’s writing draws on that vast knowledge of trivia I have accumulated over the years, as well as my expertise with commas and semicolons!
“One of the things I like about my job is that it draws on the entire person: not just your knowledge of grammar and punctuation and usage and foreign languages and literature but also your experience of travel, gardening, shipping, singing, plumbing, Catholicism, Midwesternism, mozzarella, the A train, New Jersey. And in turn it feeds you more experience. The popular image of the copy editor is of someone who favors rigid consistency. I don’t usually think of myself that way. But, when pressed, I do find I have strong views about commas.”
This is a great article outlining an interview with an outstanding copyeditor. The editor describes what she does, as well as the steps she uses when editing a manuscript. Some great tips at the end on how to properly use a comma!
The Millions : Style Sheet: A Conversation with My Copyeditor.
This is a great article outlining an interview with an outstanding copyeditor. The editor describes what she does, as well as the steps she uses when editing a manuscript. Some great tips at the end on how to properly use a comma!
The Millions : Style Sheet: A Conversation with My Copyeditor.
Every freelancer knows that time is money, and streamlining working processes helps increase productivity. Here’s a great article on ensuring efficiency as an editor:
The Commandments: Thou Shall be Efficient | An American Editor.
