Editing / Editor/writer

If you’re at the stage where you’re working with an editor, congratulations, you’ve made it a long way! You are now one step closer to completing your manuscript.   Working with an editor, whether it be your first, tenth, or fiftieth time, will be a unique experience. All editors bring their own skills and experience, expertise, and personality to the process.   Now that you’re working with an editor, you have...

Editing / Editor/writer

Your first meeting with your editor is important, as it can really set the tone for your working relationship. This is your chance to show that you’ve done your homework—that your manuscript is as prepared as you can make it, that you’ve already begun studying your audience and your readers’ interests, and that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from this edit and from...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing

Editors, much like authors, tend to have specific areas of focus. Even among editors who consider themselves generalists, their literary preferences and specialties tend to define most of their workload. Googling “fiction editors” returns 456 million results, so authors have lots of options indeed, but it can be difficult to determine whether you’re picking the right editor for the job. Here, then, are some pointers for authors...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing

So, you’re ready to start the editing process and need to find the editor who will be the best fit for you. First of all, congratulations! The time you’ve spent tinkering, drafting, self-editing, and drafting again will be very much appreciated by your editor, and we know how much effort it takes to get to this point.   Second of all…where exactly do you start? How do you know what...

Editing / Editor/writer / Event / Office Happenings / Social Media & Community

The recent heat wave provided ample opportunity to enjoy a frosty beverage or two either on a patio or within the confines of one’s air-conditioned home. In fact, every year the summer months provide opportunities for, so-called “new” cocktails to appear on the scene, enjoy a burst of popularity, and then fade from the memories of all but a dedicated few. However, I say “so-called” because these tasty...

Editing / Editor/writer

When it comes to learning more about how editors and authors work together, you might find that there is a lot of content out there that paints editors and authors as adversaries; two people with opposing goals, each trying to “get their way. ”   If you’re an author who is trying to find an editor, or starting to work with an editor for the first time, I would like you to...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing

The process of editing your work can be trying, difficult, and frustrating. but it can also be rewarding, enlightening, and satisfying. This month, we’re looking at ways authors can make the most of the self-editing process.     Change the Formatting   Most computers will default to a few standard settings – Times New Roman or Calibri as a font selection, 12-point font size, and 100% zoom. These are great to work...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing / Writing / Writers Support Group

It’s 2022, and the start of a new year may be enough for you to feel inspired to tick off some of the items on your to-do list. If one of the items on your list is to write or publish something, whether it’s a book, a journal article, or something else entirely, then it’s a good idea to go into the process armed with as much information as...

Editing / Editor/writer

Writing fiction and non-fiction presents trade-specific challenges to authors, and editors provide valuable advice that can help turn a manuscript into a book, whether it’s a novel or a home improvement guide. That said, although someone may have a great idea for a book, the onus is on the book’s author to turn that great idea into a piece of writing worth reading.   Editors can only do so much...

Editing / Editor/writer

As humans, we know that receiving critiques and feedback isn’t always easy to do. No one likes to be told that something you did (or are doing) is wrong, especially when the “thing” you’ve been working on is a manuscript that you’ve poured your heart into for months or years.   As editors, though, we know that constructive criticism is absolutely necessary in the editing process! However, that doesn’t mean...

Editing / Editor/writer

Not too long ago, I was asked about the best piece of editing advice I ever received. I had actually only recently had an epiphany about this, so I replied without hesitation: “Remember, it’s not your book. ” The same might be said about any writing format, but it was this phrase in particular that rang in my head when the penny finally dropped. This week, I thought I...

Editing / Usage / Editor/writer / Proofreading

Why Do We Fact-Check?   As The Chicago Manual of Style points out, in publishing, the author is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of a work. And while most publishers do not perform fact-checking in any sort of systematic way or expect it of their editors, obvious errors should always be pointed out to the author, as well as any questionable proper names or other dubious details that might take away...

Editing / Editor/writer / Editing New Media

In this blog from the archives, our former editor Jean Mathew walks us through her experience of creating and editing her first comic book. The artwork featured above is from that work!   *****   Behind every delicious comic is a very sharp-eyed editor. Or at least I'd like to think so! I'm mostly a comic writer/illustrator, but over time I learned how to be a comic editor as well. As...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing

As editors, we at TEC are well aware of the ins and outs of working with each of our clients and helping them navigate the editing process.   We also know that as our client, you may not always know what that process will entail, or what things you should expect, or what is expected of you. So, we’ve written up some helpful advice to help you feel more assured...

Editing / Usage / Style / Editor/writer / Publishing

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...

Editing / Grammar / Usage / Style / Editor/writer

Ryerson University’s Publishing Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year!    Founded in 1990, the Certificate in Publishing is the largest and most successful professional training program for the publishing industry in Canada. Our graduates thrive in book publishing and related industries, and in corporate, non-profit, and government communications. (Ryerson Publishing)   We wanted to celebrate this milestone by sharing some insights and inspirations from two of the program’s current students...

Editing / Editor/writer / Technology / Editing & Technologies

Picture this: you’re an author who has just sent your first manuscript off to an editor for a professional copy edit. Eventually, the editor returns the manuscript to you, you open the file with excitement, and you see…a sea of red marks?   If you’ve written a document — be it a book, a research report, or an article — and you’re working with an editor for the first time, your first introduction...

Editing / Editor/writer

For our blog just a few weeks ago I was asked about the best piece of editing advice I ever received. I had actually only recently had an epiphany about this, so I replied without hesitation: “Remember, it’s not your book. ” The same might be said about any writing format, but it was this phrase in particular that rang in my head when the penny finally dropped. ...

Editing / Editor/writer

Here at The Editing Company, we occasionally have to answer a familiar question from an inquiring caller: “How can you guarantee perfection?” This is an excellent question, and one I’d like to take a few minutes to discuss.     How Can We Guarantee Perfection?   Well, the short answer is that perfection cannot be guaranteed—a fact that holds true for pretty much every other profession out there (and life in general, actually). ...

Editing / Style / Editor/writer / Language & Editing

Spring is here, and as the trees start to bud, and the snowdrops and crocuses start to poke their green tips out of the dirt, it’s hard not to think about growth, in all senses of the word. At TEC, this got us thinking – as we’ve grown as editors, picking up knowledge and tips along the way, what is the most important piece of advice we’ve kept in...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing

As an editor, remaining empathetic and sensitive to the author's needs will always be important. So, we decided to revisit this blog from earlier in the year!   ***   Editing training can teach you many things – grammar intricacies, plotting, structuring, developing proper flow, etc. But there’s more to being an editor than just correcting commas and restructuring sentences.   A big part of being a good editor is knowing how to...

Editing / Editor/writer

Editing training can teach you many things – grammar intricacies, plotting, structuring, developing proper flow, etc. But there’s more to being an editor than just correcting commas and restructuring sentences.   A big part of being a good editor is knowing how to develop relationships with the authors you work with. Like any working relationship, it’s important to conduct yourself a certain way. Relationship-building is the lens through...

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...

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...