Proofreading Versus Copy Editing
by Sara Lancaster @ No2Pen editingproofreadingIn publishing there is a significant difference in proofreading versus copy editing. However, in the world of business writing and copy writing, the lines between proofreading and copy editing gets a little blurred. To help clear up the matter, here is an explanation of proofreading versus copy editing.
Questions for Critique Partners
by K.M. Weiland @ Wordplay editingIf you’re blessed, as I am, to have some of the best critique partners (or, as we fondly refer to each other, “critters”) going, you undoubtedly realize the benefit of having a watchful pair of eyes to run over your manuscripts, a merciless tongue to point out the weak points, and a gentle (and sometimes not-so-gentle) touch to encouragingly push you back onto your feet for another go.
How I Edit
by K.M. Weiland @ Word Play editingNo two writers write in the same way. But even fewer writers edit in the same way. We all wield our red (or blue) pens (or pencils), hacking flabby words and injecting strong verbs and nouns in their places. We all share the end goal of a crisp, clean, beautiful final draft. And we all pull out rather large handfuls of hair on the road to that final draft. But the methods we use in fulfilling these edits are often quite disparate. Each of us has to find the method that works best for us, and often that method continues to evolve with every passing project. The method that works for me won’t necessarily work for anyone else. But, for what it’s worth and in hopes that you mind pick up a few useful tips (or, at the very least, that you might identify what won’t work for you), this, my friends, is how I edit.
Rewriting Articles Without Copying Someone Else’s Work
by Sarah Lam @ Writing Consultation editingrewritingOften, you have come across clients who require you to rewrite articles for article marketing.
Rewriting: Its All in the Plan
by Charlotte Dixon @ Word Strumpet editingrewritingFacing a rewrite can be difficult, if not downright daunting. You’ve written a draft (or two, or three), gotten feedback, and now you’re ready to make the changes in your manuscript. So you open the file on your computer….and sit there and stare at the words on the page.
Better Writing: Write Less
by Chesley @ Daily Freelance Writing Tips editingI know. When I offer advice on how to write better, it usually includes writing more and not less. What I mean to say is write concisely. If you can write a good article, you should know how to write a powerful paragraph. When you limit your word count, it forces you to choose your words even more carefully. The art of being concise is to say as much as you can with as few words as possible.
19 Editorial Tips From a Senior Editor
by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen @ Quips and Tips editingtipsThese writing and editorial tips are from a senior editor I write for regularly – and they include some of the most frequent errors she sees in article submissions. Pay attention, fellow scribes, because even when you think you’ve got writing down to a fine art, there’s always more to learn!
Cut, Cut, Cut: The Secret to Creating Concise Writing
by Laura Fabiani @ NouveauWriter editingFor your writing to be concise and tight, you will need to revise. Do not be afraid to cut. It will sound better. Take the time to reread your work and look for such wishy-washy words that drain strong statements of their validity. Words like that, then, just, even, like, although, also, besides, almost, maybe, if, but, too, unless, sort of, etc. or phrases such as the reason why is that or the fact that, can be eliminated or replaced most of the time:
How Do You Know When The Words Need to Go?
by Joanna @ Confident Writing editingHow do you know when some of your words need to go? When there are bits of prose which – however sparkling – deserve to end up on the cutting room floor?
Write, write, rewrite
by George Angus @ Tumblemoose draftseditingrewritingWhen I write something new, I always press the “publish” button too soon. It doesn’t matter what it is I’m writing. It could be a new blog post, a comment or maybe even an email. Here’s a doozy of an example:
5 Ways to Salvage Writing Disasters
by Daphne Gray-Grant @ Quips and Tips editingtipsPublication coach Daphne Gray-Grant shares five ways to salvage writing disasters – from poorly written articles to weak anecdotes.
Writing is a long, fluid process – and writing well is even longer and more fluid! Gray-Grant’s tips on salvaging writing disasters are excellent ways to ensure you’re writing fluidly and well. And, have you heard of Rejected: Tales of the Failed, Dumped, and Canceled, edited by Jon Friedman? It’s a funny compendium of authors, cartoonists, and columnists who were rejected from everywhere from Marie Claire to Buddy Hackett interviews for Time magazine. These writers’ stories give hope to hopeless writers!