Technical Editing
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011
 The difference between the articles “a” or “an” in a sentence is not one of content but of style and sound. Basically, when the next word begins with a consonant, use an “a” (a jackhammer, a tiger, a pack of wolves). When the following word begins with a vowel, use an “an” (an egg, an olive grove, an open wound).
The exception to using “a” or “an” in a sentence is when the word after the article begins with a silent letter. Take for instance the word “hour”—though it starts with an “h” it sounds like an “au.” Therefore the proper phrase is “an hour.” Try saying the article plus the word out loud if you are unsure. Usually, your tongue will stumble over an error (in those last two words, “an” is correct because “error”, though it has an “r” sound, still begins with a forceful “air” sound.) (more…)
Tags: consonant, editing, sentence
Posted in Technical Editing, Technical writing | No Comments »
Saturday, August 20th, 2011
 When writing a thesis or a dissertation, planning ahead really pays off. Although font styles, line spacing, alignment and other details can always be adjusted at a later stage, having a clearly defined set of rules to follow would make writing faster. This is particularly important if your thesis has to conform to a specific style guide, as it would dictate every aspect of the presentation of your work. However, with so much to think about, table of contents tends to be overlooked, as it seems to be something that can always be created at the end, once the thesis is complete.
Whilst that is clearly true, much time and effort will be saved if it can be generated automatically, based on the headings used in the text. Not only will something that can otherwise take considerable time be created in a matter of seconds, the potential for discrepancies in the headings vs. table of contents entries will be avoided. Moreover, the corresponding pages will be entered correctly and will be updated if the thesis contents change or new headings are subsequently inserted. (more…)
Tags: editing, microsoft word, writing
Posted in Technical Editing | No Comments »
Sunday, October 31st, 2010
 Now that your paper is done, you want to make sure it’s as perfect as possible before turning it in. Obviously, the first step toward that goal is to proofread your work.
“Huh? My word processing program includes a spell checker and it even checks grammar, too—why should I proofread my document?”
Elementary, my dear Watson: spell/grammar checkers don’t always catch all the typos your work may contain. To prevent (or maybe just lessen) panic at the notion of proofreading, below are some easy steps to help guide you through the process: (more…)
Tags: editing, Professional Editing, professional editor, Proofreading, Submitting for Publication, Technical Editing
Posted in Book Editing, Proofreading, Technical Editing, Technical writing | No Comments »
Saturday, October 30th, 2010
 So the degree-culminating paper is done, after months—maybe years!—of work. Now you’re ready to kick back and relax a bit before submitting it to your prof—after a thorough proofreading, of course.
But wait—should you just rely on your word processing program’s spell/grammar check, or do you need to spring for a professional academic editor? Technology’s come a long way, after all, and those programs are pretty advanced these days: They claim to find all your errors… (more…)
Tags: Christian Publication, fiction editing, firstediting, firstediting.com, Professional Editing, professional editor, Proofreading, Submitting for Publication, Technical Editing, Writing & Publishing Books
Posted in Book Editing, Book Editors, Technical Editing, Technical writing, Thesis/Research Writing, Writer's Tips, Writing & Publishing Books | No Comments »
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
 Simply put, formatting is taking your document and ensuring that it conforms to the style guide or publishing manual of your school or publisher.
“Well, that’s easy enough; I can do that myself,” you say smugly.
Of course you can! But when your document is 100 pages or more long and you need to format those pesky margins or the pagination just doesn’t seem to want to work for you, it’s nice to know that there are people whose expertise will take that burden off your shoulders. One such company is FirstEditing (firstediting), which not only provides extensive editing services but also formats your work per your request. (more…)
Tags: Christian Publication, firstediting, firstediting.com, Professional Editing, professional editor, Proofreading, Submitting for Publication, Technical Editing, Writing & Publishing Books
Posted in Book Editing, Book Editors, Business Editing, Christian Writing, Technical Editing, Writer's Tips, Writing & Publishing Books | No Comments »
|
