Editing News: February Round Up

Editing News: February Round Up It’s time for some editing news! I recently wrote about “Best Books for Editors: January Round Up.”  This month, I continue with this theme, as well as sharing some professional news. (I can’t believe how busy this month has been!)   Latest Editing Reads In terms of editing reads, I’ve […]

Confessions of a Self-Proclaimed Bookworm

Confessions of a Self-Proclaimed Bookworm The following are confessions of a self-proclaimed bookworm. When asked how I became an editor, I always simply say that my journey has been long and winding. However, this is an oversimplification of a much more interesting—but admittedly, complex—story. As a lifelong introverted—self-proclaimed—bookworm, I have always carried a book (or […]

Work-Life Balance

Work-Life Balance At times, maintaining a work-life balance as a freelance editor can be a difficult task. As with any freelance job, there will be busy periods and there will be slow periods. In particular, it can be difficult to maintain a sustainable work-life balance during these busy times. I have been working as a […]

Best Books for Editors: January Round Up

Best Books for Editors: January Round Up I recently wrote about my nine best books for editors in “Editorial Style Guides, Manuals, and Dictionaries for Beginner Editors.”   Editing Classics Although this particular article was specifically aimed at beginner editors, these remain my “go-tos” years later. While admittedly, a great deal of notable editing-related books […]

Avoiding Harm in Our Editing and Writing

Avoiding Harm in Our Editing and Writing Avoiding harm in our editing and writing seems like a simple statement. As copy editors, avoiding introducing errors into the documents that we are working on, is something that we take very seriously. However, in recent years, the concept of inclusive language, or conscious language, has been increasingly […]

The Problem with Italicizing Non-English Words: Avoiding Harm in Our Writing and Editing

The Problem with Italicizing Non-English Words What exactly is the problem with italicizing non-English words? Currently, debate is ongoing about italicizing non-English words in the writing, editing, and publishing industries. In particular, in the English-language publishing industries, a great deal of conversation is occurring about whether to italicize words or phrases that may not be […]

Tips for Improving Your Writing

Tips for Improving Your Writing Many writing and editing blogs offer various tips for improving your writing skills. Many also offer advice and best practices for editing your own work. As an editor, I agree that self-editing is an important part of the writing process. It helps hone your writing skills, refines your ideas, and […]

How to Become an Editor

How to Become an Editor How to become an editor is quite a popular question. Although there are various steps that one can take to become an editor, I have found that everyone’s journey is different. My personal journey to becoming an editor was a long and meandering one. As voracious bookworm my entire life, […]

Singular “They:” Avoiding Harm in Our Editing and Writing

The Singular “They” The singular “they” refers to the use of the third-person plural pronoun when mentioning a sole individual. Over the past few years, the use of “they” as a singular pronoun has become increasingly popular in the editing and writing world. In particular, many writers and editors, such as myself, who follow Inclusive […]

Using the Semi Colon

Using the Semi Colon Using the semi colon correctly can be a bit tricky! There are quite a few rules to follow.   Defining the Semi Colon Before we begin, it may be helpful to define the semi colon. This punctuation mark is often used to signify a pause between two independent clauses. (An independent clause can […]