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Please
Please, don’t do these things: Please don’t type anything other than a single space after a period. End a sentence with a period, then type a space. Not two spaces–you’re working on a computer, not a...
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That Brutally Honest, Out-Loud Voice
You should be reading out loud. If you’re feeling skeptical, take a look at this recent study by the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University: The study followed the progress of 18...
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The Death of a Bookstore
I’ve been a reader for most of my four decades, and I’m often amazed by the power of beautiful language. In grade school, I would sometimes get books from the town library. I still fondly remember the...
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The Slippery Slope of Constructive Criticism
My husband thinks I’ve become a bit too, er, verbose when I offer criticism to others. “You’re not wrong about the things that you say,” Ted told me recently. “But you need to work on your tone.” “Is...
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Synaptic Renaissance
One of the best lessons I learned in college was never formally taught in the classroom. Instead, it manifested itself organically through a series of interactions with a professor who decided, for...
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Practicing on Project Gutenberg
Editing and proofreading one’s own writing is traditionally considered difficult, but I find that all one needs to do this is (a) time, and maybe (b) a little bit of self-deception. To me, editing is a...
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Bookish People and a Bookish Day
When we first run into Janice at the train station, we don’t know that she’s a union organizer for Rutgers, loves to read, and–oddly–lives a few blocks from our house. Well, she was reading Ray...
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What I Learned in November
I wrote a novel in November. It was an accident. Friends have talked about National Novel Writing Month for years. This year, my plan was to not do it, again. I didn’t have time. But I wanted to go...
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Track Changes
Anyone who writes or edits books will eventually come across a mention to the Track Changes feature in Word. It’s a powerful tool that gets a lot of use on my Mac, and it’s worth the price I paid for...
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Husband and Wife
The Associated Press recently sent an update to subscribers of its style guide, with the following entry: husband, wife Regardless of sexual orientation, husband or wife is acceptable in all references...
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English Major Confessions: Editing
I have fond memories from my college years sitting at the student union in a group with our books spread open over the table. We chatted as we took notes and sipped our coffees. Since I was an English...
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Editor, Audio Tech
I edit books–it’s what I do as a professional. But I also am a musician on the side, and, a few times a year, get a job as an audio tech. I’m a professional at these things as well. A career counselor...
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What the Hell Do Editors Do?
“My brother-in-law edited the manuscript, but they changed my voice. The story didn’t feel like me any more.” I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard this from clients. Editing can mean one of a...
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Using an Editor
Editors make the text flow well, we chop out inconsistencies. When you hand a manuscript to an editor, the process can seem like a bit of a black box: Words go in, slightly smoothed-over words come...
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How to Keep Bloggers Happy: An Editor’s Guide
I’ve learned a few things from being the editor of the Nose. My goal is to help writers write regularly, and learn how to work with an editor. I’ve also learned a lot about how to work with writers...
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