Easy reading is the goal of most editors. Plain Language is a popular and respected set of principles that focus
Category: substantive / developmental editing
Edit Faster! Triage for the Eight-minute Editor
Sometimes there just isn’t time (or budget, or even commitment) to fix everything. Here are the edits (in order) that will help them avoid embarrassment and move the piece in the direction of perfection even if it can’t go all the way.
The Art of the Author Memo
Summarize next steps for the manuscript and get the writer to do their part, with an author memo.
How to Learn Structural Editing
Reading list to develop skills in structural/developmental editing.
Plain Language Checklist for Clear (Not Simplistic) Communication
Funny enough, plain language editing is barely about word choice, and is never about “dumbing down.”
Thesaurus Magic in MS Word
Can’t figure out the writer’s intent? Thesaurus to the rescue! Today, in my How To column at Copyediting.com I show you the
Illiteracy Might Surprise You
See the updated post. Only 13% of adults can read and compare two essays. What does that mean for editing?
Fiction Editors: On Demand Training
Whether you’re just starting to dip your fingers into this creative realm or wanting to refresh or expand your skill
Alternatives to Paragraphs
A big block of text can be impenetrable to the reader. But there are techniques we can use to make
Create a Figures Log
Whether because the team is small or because the process is compressing, tracking figures can fall into the editor’s domain.