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...

Editing / Editor/writer

At TEC, we work with our clients to organize, edit, and lay out their documents – which are short publications like information guides, professional CVs, and resource/information booklets. But how exactly does that work? How can we translate their idea of what they want into something that we can understand and thus recreate? Well, we have a system that helps us do that.   Model Mentoring Guide: A Case Study   We...

Editing / Grammar / Usage / Style / Editor/writer

November has rolled around again, which can only mean one thing (for students, anyway): midterms and papers are coming up and will be due before the winter break!   We’ve had a flurry of formatting projects at TEC in the last few weeks, and a few of them have involved formatting academic papers. Writing the paper is hard enough, but when it comes to proper formatting, depending on the assigned style...

Editing / Editor/writer / Language & Editing / Guest Blogger

Over the years, TEC has grown, acquiring new editors and a new office. One of TEC’s greatest strengths is that its editors work together in the same room, creating a collegiate space of teamwork and collaboration. During my time at TEC, I learned more than I could have imagined by spending my days in a team of outstanding editors. In honour of TEC turning 12 this September,...

Editing / Editor/writer / Event

Editors Canada’s website describes its mission statement thus, “Editors Canada promotes professional editing as a key in producing effective communication. ” This admirably concise mandate describes well the Association’s ongoing efforts to promote the fine art of editing. This 1,300-member professional editorial membership group didn’t spring up overnight, though.   What started in 1979 as a loosely knit but fiercely dedicated group of 50 or so Toronto-area editors has evolved...

Editing / Editor/writer / Publishing

A famous editor might sound like a contradiction in terms to some, but for those plugged into the literary world there are a few names that pop up time and again. In the past, as with many professions, most well-known editors’ names have historically been those of men, but thanks in part to the pioneering efforts of some very intelligent and driven women, there are now more well-known editorial...