THE EDITORS' WEEKLY

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Dwain Richardson

English Editing in Quebec: Avoiding Wordiness

March 22, 2016 by Dwain Richardson | 2 Comments on English Editing in Quebec: Avoiding Wordiness

Plain language communicates written messages clearly and concisely. This is true whether you’re editing stand-alone English copy or translating from other languages. In my experience as an editor and translator, I have had to work with a number of stiff and wordy texts. I usually start by asking, “What needs to be improved?” Should I focus on […]

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Rosemary Shipton

How to Become an Editor

March 15, 2016 by Rosemary Shipton | 11 Comments on How to Become an Editor

Years ago, we all became editors through a kind of apprentice system. Once you had the ticket — a university degree — you were hired by a publisher or a communications department. There, a senior person on staff whipped you into shape as you did your work, followed a manual and absorbed the atmosphere. No […]

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Sue Archer

Should You Only “Edit What You Know”?

March 8, 2016 by Sue Archer | 3 Comments on Should You Only “Edit What You Know”?

Writers are often told to “write what they know.” But what about editors? Should we only take on projects that are squarely in our comfort zones? When I asked this question online, I found that many of my editing colleagues endorse the idea of editing in new areas. It’s a fantastic way to develop your […]

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James Harbeck

More Honoured in the Breach or the Observance?

March 1, 2016 by James Harbeck | Leave a Comment

It is tempting to say that getting classical quotations right is more honoured in the breach than the observance. But if we did, we’d be guilty too. In the original, Hamlet is telling Horatio about the tradition of drinking sprees in the Danish court; he says it makes Danes look bad to other nations. So […]

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Dominique Fortier

Forensique, vous connaissez?

February 23, 2016 by Dominique Fortier | 2 Comments on Forensique, vous connaissez?

L’avez-vous déjà entendu en français, ce mot? Prononcé fo-ran-zik comme cela devrait l’être? Moi non… jusqu’à ce que je le trouve un bon matin sur mon chemin à la lecture de mon quotidien local. Et je l’ai prononcé à l’anglaise dans ma tête, soit fo-renne-zik. Le monde des sciences est bourré d’anglicismes. La raison en […]

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Paul Cipywnyk

Mourning the Demise of Newsroom Copy Editors

February 16, 2016 by Paul Cipywnyk | 5 Comments on Mourning the Demise of Newsroom Copy Editors

I was fortunate to get my initial on-the-job training in journalism in the days when writers worked with desk editors, copy editors and proofreaders. At least three sets of eyes perused every story after it had been written, and sometimes four or five. Three or more brains worked on massaging and polishing copy and checking […]

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Wilf Popoff

Wasted Words: The Origins of Texting

February 9, 2016 by Wilf Popoff | 6 Comments on Wasted Words: The Origins of Texting

Is digital discourse destroying the English language along with civilization? Does texting portend doom? Let’s not be so hasty: I often read letters from the past — for example, the 19th-century correspondence of Bertrand Russell’s family.1 These aristocrats (Russell’s grandfather was twice the British prime minister) habitually took shortcuts in their numerous epistles, presumably to […]

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Victoria Neufeldt

What Do Words Really Mean?

February 2, 2016 by Victoria Neufeldt | 3 Comments on What Do Words Really Mean?

How discombobulating words can be! You feel certain about what a word means, but then are challenged by another person’s interpretation. Sometimes the discussion, or even argument, is rooted in changing social situations. For example, what does poverty mean? What did it mean 200 years ago? A dispute about words may also be philosophical: there […]

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Anna Williams General EAC

Year in Review: The Best of 2015

January 26, 2016 by Anna Williams | 1 Comment on Year in Review: The Best of 2015

The new year is well underway, and we’ve seized the opportunity to look back at how 2015 progressed on the blog. These are some of our favourite posts from the year: Wasted Words: A Compulsion to Exaggerate, by Wilf Popoff. Whatever became of understatement? In My Opinion, by Susan Glickman. There are a heck of […]

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Dwain Richardson

English Editing in Quebec: Has Quebec Caught on to Plain Language?

January 19, 2016 by Dwain Richardson | 2 Comments on English Editing in Quebec: Has Quebec Caught on to Plain Language?

“What is plain language?” you may ask. In a nutshell, plain language communicates concepts and ideas clearly, concisely and effectively. This is done by thinking about the projected target audience: the readers. When you write clearly, you avoid using jargon that only select people know. You also avoid verbiage and overly complex ideas. Contrary to […]

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