Publishing

To be an editor is a rewarding career choice. There are so many different types of editing and so many different types of editors. And for those in the field, a common question we are asked is, “How do I become an editor?” Well, there are many ways to become an editor, but one of the key components is training. If you are looking into becoming an...

Publishing

Independent Canadian publishers help define the Canadian literary scene. In 2019, we published the first listing of 5 such publishers for emerging authors. In this post, we are introducing another 5 publishers.   Much like Invisible Publishing, founded in 2007, some of these publishers have been publishing for a decade or more, broadening their mandates periodically by launching new imprints. But, whether brand-new or well-established, all of the publishers mentioned here...

Editing / Style / Editor/writer / Publishing / Proofreading

Editorial work entails a variety of different jobs. These include substantive editing, line editing, and proofreading. Because the process of editorial work occurs largely through written exchanges — through emails and through editorial comments left in the manuscript’s margin, for example — it’s critical that writers and editors share a common glossary of editorial terms.   Editorial work, like work in most industries, employs an ever-expanding list of technical...

Language & Editing

As the world grows dark and cold in the Northern Hemisphere, cultures across the globe would normally gather together to drive away the gloom. However, this year, things are a little different. Just because we cannot gather together as we normally would though, doesn't mean the holidays have to be dark and gloomy. Lights can shine even in the darkest of spaces.   There are dozens of holidays celebrated around...

Usage / Language & Editing

Inclusive writing is often confused with politically correct writing, but political correctness isn’t an author’s main goal when writing inclusively. Instead, inclusive writing seeks to limit reader alienation by avoiding the use of phrases and terms that include some demographics at the expense of excluding others.   When writing inclusively, a glossary of politically correct and incorrect terms could be used as a reference, but this glossary would act as...

Editing / Grammar / Usage / Usage

Punctuation marks are the signposts of prose. They indicate what’s important and where to pause. They add rhythm to your sentences. They help your readers follow the twists and turns of your thoughts.     But there are so many different kinds of punctuation marks that it can be tricky to decide which one to choose. Periods and commas are the most common, but trying to write with...

Writing / Writers Support Group

When I first wrote this blog, we were just three months into the worst global pandemic in over a century. It is November and we have been living in the pandemic for eight months now. As I pointed out then, the world we live in is unprepared and unequipped to run smoothly. Some of us can keep working from home; some of us can’t.   Productivity during a...

Editing / Usage / Style / Writing / Writers Support Group

Emphatic writing allows writers the opportunity to drive home the importance of letters, words, phrases, sentences, and ideas. Aside from mechanical considerations, such as italicization and CAPITALIZATION, there are six common methods that writers can use to give specific sections a bit more oomph.     More Space   The first of these is probably the most obvious method for emphasizing an idea: giving a specific topic lots of space on the page...

Editing & Marketing / Social Media / Editing & Marketing

Imagine you go to your local market to do some shopping. You have your list and you browse the aisles, choosing the products you want and the products you know … you’ve bought them before. But what if you want to try something new, say a loaf of bread or a box of cereal? In my market, these two products line either side of a long aisle, and...

Usage / Language & Editing

Our blog series on confusables has remained popular over the years, so we thought it was time to post a new list. This one includes some explanations of confusables you’ve likely heard in the news recently.     Epidemic vs. Pandemic   Both these words are used for disease outbreaks, which I suppose is why it’s so easy to confuse them. The main difference between the two terms has to do...

Event / Usage / Language & Editing

October 2020 is drawing to a close, and pandemic-fatigued children and adults are turning to the warm embrace of holiday nostalgia to help ease their minds. With December still more than a month away, though, it’s anyone’s guess what kind of public health guidelines will be in place when Christmas and Hannukah arrive, so many are scaling back their festive celebrations in favour of online get-togethers.   Remembrance Day gatherings...

Editing / Usage / Style / Editor/writer

In this week's blog, we decided to share some of the most basic editing rules that editors must remember to follow, regardless of what type of text they're working with.     Do No Harm Perhaps the most important rule in editing is this: do not introduce errors into the text you are working with! If a text requires a lot of markup and heavy editing, sometimes it can be easy to miss...

Editing / Style / Editing New Media

Citing sources from the internet is something most academic writers do all the time; papers can be written without consulting a single sheet of paper. But citing web sources seems to be a continuing source of confusion, trouble, and headache.   Dynamic Development Part of the confusion comes from how citation styles have developed alongside the internet: no one knew exactly what place web sources would take in academic work, so...

Writing / Writers Support Group / Language & Editing / Guest Blogger

Though I can agree with the adage that anyone can write, we seldom take the time to unpack how people come to the writing process. In my world of academia, writing is not a choice but an expectation. Because of this, one has to quickly find their flow and stick to it. Everyone has their own style when it comes to writing. I’ve had the good fortune to be able...

Publishing

Independent Canadian publishers help define the Canadian literary scene. In 2019, we published the first listing of 5 such publishers for emerging authors. In this post, we are introducing another 5 publishers.   Much like Invisible Publishing, founded in 2007, some of these publishers have been publishing for a decade or more, broadening their mandates periodically by launching new imprints. But, whether brand-new or well-established, all of the...

Editing / Grammar / Usage

We thought we would repost former TEC Editor Melissa’s blog this week to help us review four of the most common punctuation-related errors or inconsistencies that we see here at TEC.   Keeping these punctuation tips in mind will ensure that you apply them correctly and consistently in your writing.       THE SERIAL COMMA   Also called the “Oxford comma,” this is a comma that follows the second-last item in a list of three...

Technology

Every year, I get a much-needed break from the city when my family rents a cottage in the country. We thought the COVID-19 outbreak had made that impossible this year, but in June the Ontario government announced Stage 2 of its reopening strategy and allowed short-term rentals to resume. Although we still waited a few months to see how things went, ultimately we chose to follow through with...

Publishing

When Toronto declared a lockdown and I knew I’d be working at home indefinitely, I realized I had a problem — I would still be doing editing work, but the reference manuals I use to accomplish that work, such as Chicago 17th ed. and APA  7th ed. (APA 7), were no longer accessible to me. We kept copies at the TEC office, so I hadn’t really needed...

Editing / Usage / Business

Your business documents are vital to getting your message across, differentiating your organization from others, and reflecting your brand. Never before has the need for clear and compelling content been greater.   Optimizing your business reports, proposals, marketing materials, and website copy will ensure they are persuasive and geared to your intended audience.   In my first blog for The Editing Company, I have put together a toolkit of online editing...

Publishing

If you've had some extra time on your hands lately, you might be using it to finally finish that manuscript you've been working on! In this blog from the archives, here are five publishers on the rise in Canadian publishing. Maybe one would be a great fit for your work!   *****   New Canadian authors working without the benefit of representation are probably familiar with House of Anansi and Douglas & McIntyre...

Editing & Technologies

This article was originally posted in 2016, but the tips within still apply! Plus, we've learned a new tip and added it to the post below.     *****   Editing using Microsoft Word’s Track Changes function is a fairly standard practice today, and it’s easy to see why — it’s neater, faster, and easier for authors to see what changes you’ve made. Using Track Changes also gives authors a level of control...

Technology / Editing & Technologies

In this blog from the archives, former TEC Editor Chris Cameron teaches you the ins and outs of working with page numbering in Microsoft Word. Read on to learn more!   *****   An author recently asked me how she could keep the page numbers in her document from appearing on the title page. She didn't want the actual numbering to start until after her table of contents and introduction.   When we...

Usage / Technology / Language & Editing / Editing & Technologies

In this archived post from 2017, TEC Blogger Michael Bedford muses on how editors deal with an unending stream of technical and internet lingo, with new terms that seem to appear every other day. If you get stuck on what to do with terms like google and Wi-Fi, read on!   *****     Leafing through a copy of The Editorial Eye, Vol. 17, No. 9 from September 1994, I noticed a helpful article...

Social Media / Editing & Marketing

This week on the TEC blog, we're re-sharing a well-liked post from our archives! Former Social Media Coordinator Jean Mathew shares four great tips you can use to help gain more traction on Twitter. Read on for more!   *****   Being good at social media is important for everyone. And I mean everyone. From Starbucks to The Editing Company to your own personal account—recognizing the potential of a robust social media...