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EAC The Editors Weekly blog – Need to Know Now – Okerlund

“The volatile state of the publishing industry today—and by extension, the editing profession—can sometimes feel pretty daunting…” Editor Lana Okerlund writes about the challenges facing editors in the digital age, in “What Do Editors Need to Know Now?” for the EAC/ACR blog, The Editors’ Weekly, May 7, 2013.

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When does consistency trump everything else in writing? Or does it ever? Virginia Durksen’s new mini-series explores the myth of consistency in writing. EAC Blog, Sept 5, 2013.

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Virginia Durksen

Myth: Consistency matters consistently

Tuesday September 10, 2013

And so begins a mini-series, a sub-set of The Inner Editor by Virginia Durksen. Each “mythbuster” explores an assumption commonly made about editors or editing and offers a new perspective on that assumption. Consistency matters when you’re adding a column of numbers. Consistency also matters when you’re training your dog (or your kids, for that […]

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consistency editing editor editorial

Police car pulling over driver

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Wasted Words: Jobspeak, the Language of Work

Tuesday July 8, 2014

At an age when young men are learning to shave, I was hanging out at police stations and courthouses. No, I wasn’t in trouble with the law. I was a newspaper reporter, writing about the legal problems of others and the policemen* who brought them to justice. In fact, the only crimes I committed were […]

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editing jargon jobspeak language reporting Wasted Words word choice writing

Putting crumpled paper in wastebasket

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An Editor in a Three-Day Writer’s Boot Camp, Day 2

Tuesday August 12, 2014

In every good boot camp movie there’s a scene where a tough army trainer leaves the rebellious recruit out in the cold and rain all night or makes them do 1,000 pushups. This is one way to make the recruit begin to sacrifice ego. The other short story boot camp recruits and I didn’t have […]

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authors critique editing feedback manuscript review workshops writing

Hand writing question mark

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Victoria Neufeldt

What’s an Editor to Do?

Tuesday January 6, 2015

The vagaries of language can cause even the most experienced editors headaches. Editors as a group are more attuned to the whims and ways of language than the average speaker, but many strange and challenging usages regularly fly under the radar and pass into public text, despite our best efforts. When should an editor accept […]

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editing editor's role grammar language usage word choice

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The Invisible Vocation in Books

Tuesday September 1, 2015

Well, our blog post about Colin Firth playing the great Maxwell Perkins in the upcoming film Genius had a one-day reach of 3,000 viewers. We editors are the invisible and unsung celebrities of the publishing world, so it feels great to get some recognition in print or on film. Hell, we’ll even take word of […]

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book recommendations books about publishing Melva McLean

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Victoria Neufeldt

Undue Care and Attention

Tuesday October 13, 2015

Are you ever guilty of writing with undue care and attention? If you didn’t spot the clunker in the preceding sentence, prop your eyes open and attend! We think we know the language and may even make our living by writing and editing, but the ways to slip up are infinite, providing sport for many […]

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common errors paying attention slip-ups Victoria Neufeldt

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Wasted Words: Don’t Meddle With Shakespeare

Tuesday November 10, 2015

You might think that, as an editor, I would endorse a plan to rewrite Shakespeare in modern English. After all, as the advocates of this undertaking argue, Shakespeare’s language cannot be understood by contemporary audiences, and our profession is all about understanding. However, this has little to do with editing. If Shakespeare’s writing comes across […]

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KJV Bible modern English Shakespeare Wasted Words Wilf Popoff

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Dwain Richardson

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

Tuesday January 19, 2016

“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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Dwain Richardson English Editing in Quebec plain language

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Know Your Subject, Watch That Continuity

Tuesday August 9, 2016

Blam! Blam! Black Sombrero fired his Colt .45 at the shadow in the barn, then spun and snapped three shots at the posse approaching across the coral. Zing! A shot from behind creased his shoulder, and he wheeled back, fanning four quick shots at the figure in the gaping doorway. Snick. Damn, he was empty! […]

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book editors continuity editor's role fiction Paul Cipywnyk