Posts Tagged ‘Professional Editing’
Monday, January 5th, 2009
One thing every professional editor must be very clear about is the variant spellings and meanings of words known as homophones. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, homophones can be defined as “one of two or more words (as to, too, two) pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling.” Therefore, a professional editor misspelling even one letter in a word can potentially lead to a change in meaning, sometimes one that is radically different from that originally intended by the writer.
Below is a list of some common homophones, which, for the most part, keep us professional editors on our toes (please note that all definitions have been taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/):
1. allowed, aloud
allowed – “to assign as a share or suitable amount (as of time or money) <allow an hour for lunch>”
aloud – “in a loud manner”
2. bare, bear
bare – “lacking a natural, usual, or appropriate covering”
bear – “any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh”
3. cite, sight, site
cite – “to call upon officially or authoritatively to appear (as before a court)”
sight – “something that is seen”
site – “the spatial location of an actual or planned structure or set of structures (as a building, town, or monuments)”
4. desert, dessert
desert – “arid land with usually sparse vegetation”
dessert – “a usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal”
5. foreword, forward
foreword – “prefatory comments (as for a book) especially when written by someone other than the author”
forward – “near, being at, or belonging to the forepart”
6. groan, grown
groan – “to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance”
grown – “cultivated or produced in a specified way or locality”
7. hear, here
hear – “to perceive or apprehend by the ear”
here – “in or at this place”
8. idle, idol
idle – “lacking worth or basis”
idol – “a representation or symbol of an object of worship”
9. jewel, joule
jewel – “an ornament of precious metal often set with stones or decorated with enamel and worn as an accessory of dress”
joule – “a unit of work or energy equal to the work done by a force of one newton acting through a distance of one meter”
10. know, no
know – “to perceive directly; have direct cognition of”
no – “used as a function word to express the negative of an alternative choice or possibility”
11. lie, lye
lie – “to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position; to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive”
lye – “a strong alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and for washing”
12. morning, mourning
morning – “the time from sunrise to noon”
mourning – “an outward sign (as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person’s death”
13. nay, neigh
nay – “a negative reply or vote”
neigh – “to make the prolonged cry of a horse”
14. ode, owed
ode – “a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms”
owed – “to have or bear (an emotion or attitude) to someone or something <owes the boss a grudge>”
15. principal, principle
principal – “most important, consequential, or influential”
principle – “a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption”
16. quarts, quartz
quarts – “a vessel or measure having a capacity of one quart”
quartz – “a mineral consisting of silicon dioxide occurring in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals or in crystalline masses”
17. rain, reign, rein
rain – “water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere”
reign – “the dominion, sway, or influence of one resembling a monarch <the reign of the Puritan ministers>”
rein – “a strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal”
18. scene, seen
scene – “one of the subdivisions of a play”
seen – past participle of see – “to perceive by the eye”
19. there, their, they’re
there – “in or at that place”
their – “of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action”
they’re – “they are”
20. vial, vile
vial – “a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids”
vile – “morally despicable or abhorrent”
21. weak, week
weak – “lacking strength”
week – “any of a series of 7-day cycles used in various calendars”
22. yoke, yolk
yoke – “a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together”
yolk – “the yellow spheroidal mass of stored food that forms the inner portion of the egg of a bird or reptile and is surrounded by the white”
Every so often, I will revisit this topic and provide more examples of common homonyms that professional editors encounter on a regular basis. Until then, acquaint yourselves with those listed above!
Tags: Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading, Writing for Publication, Writing Process
Posted in Christian Writing, Proofreading, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
Thursday, December 25th, 2008
Proofreading or editing—how do you know which one to do? What is the difference? Most people use the two terms interchangeably, but there is technically a slight difference between the two.
Think of editing as something you do all during the writing process, while proofreading is something you do right before you turn in your project.
Everyone has their own way to work through the writing process. Let’s look at writing a novel. A typical pattern for someone might be to brainstorm for ideas. Then make an outline of the story. The next step would be to go ahead and write a first draft of the story. The best way to go about that would be to just write it without trying to make too many corrections along the way—that’s what editing is for. Sometimes if too much time is spent editing “while” you’re actually writing, you can lose focus and drive and risk your story falling flat. Once your “rough draft” is complete, now is the time to go back through and “edit.”
During the editing process, you’ll want to look for:
- Context—is your story complete?
- Is the point of view consistent?
- Who is your audience?
- Does your story flow smoothly?
- Is the plot line resolved?
- How is the imagery?
- How is the character development?
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, just a few things to consider while editing. There is no set number of drafts for writing a novel; you just keep polishing it until the writing is smooth, well written, and all loose ends are taken care of. However, before you send it off to the publisher, it must be proofread.
Proofreading is the final run-through before your writing is submitted. This is where you concentrate on spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. You are dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s. This is also where you polish your formatting and make sure you are consistent throughout.
- Do you have the same font throughout the text?
- Are all of your chapter headings in the correct numerical order?
- If you are writing to submit to a publisher, be sure to get the specs they require for submission; not all of them are the same.
Some people find it helpful to have another person look at it at the end stage in order to get a fresh perspective.
All-in-all the editing process is more intensive, while proofreading catches those overlooked errors that you definitely don’t want to make it all the way to the publisher. Both processes are important and needed in order to produce a final, polished piece of writing.
Tags: Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading, Writing Process
Posted in Editing Skills & Services, Proofreading, Writer's Tips | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
Right off, let’s define the terms, because what is called “proofreading” by people outside the publishing industry is usually editing instead. The editor works on the book at the manuscript stage, marking grammatical and spelling mistakes, querying inconsistencies and awkward phrasing, and among other things, verifying facts. The proofreader works on comparing every word of the manuscript with every word of the proof, verifying correct word breaks, making sure that all editorial changes were input, and making sure that elements of the work were placed according to design specifications.
Most know that proofreaders are not supposed to make substantive changes to a manuscript or go against the style sheet provided by the editor, but they do serve as an additional reader. The proofreader is expected to pick up any mistakes the others missed, as no one is perfect.
Proofreading is a tough job. Even for someone with a good memory like me, it’s difficult to hold more than a few words in your head at a time without leaving out a comma or mixing any of the words or details up. For instance, if Mike is a balding man of 40 in chapter 6, he must still be a balding man of 40 in chapter 18. I have even come across name changes suddenly that were not supposed to change; it was just the authors oversight/error. With that said, it’s intensely time-consuming and tedious.
People often wonder how proofreaders manage to do so much in such a short time. It is hard to get a handle on exactly how each operates within his or her own time frame. It seems each proofreader has his or her own style and that is what makes it so effective across the board. Learning to proofread and edit is a skill that surely has great latitude. It can make one quite a hot commodity as writers will never stop writing and our expertise will always be sought after. I dare say this is a profession that is somewhat recession-proof!
The bottom line is to be appreciative of your proofreaders and editors! We are truly your last line of defense against mistakes in your novel.
Tags: Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading
Posted in Editing Skills & Services, Proofreading | No Comments »
Monday, December 22nd, 2008
One fundamentally important aspect of professional editing is the process of fact checking. According to Wikipedia, fact checking can be defined as checking “factual assertions in non-fictional text, usually intended for publication in a periodical, to determine their veracity and correctness.”
This isn’t exhilarating stuff. In fact, generally, fact checking is probably the most tedious and mundane aspect of a professional editor’s job. However, although this particular aspect of editing may appear to be quite dull, its importance is unparalleled. Oftentimes, there is nothing worse than misspelling a company’s name, misusing a particular reference or even misrepresenting a product’s intended use. Therefore, professional editors must always ensure that their clients get their facts straight!
Fact checking is normally a fairly easy process that can be done via the Internet. For example, if an editor was reading text in which the writer made reference to the company “Walmart,” a quick visit to the company’s website would reveal that the correct spelling of the company’s name is, in fact, “Wal-Mart.” Not a big deal, right? Perhaps not to the average reader, but should a Wal-Mart representative ever come across this misrepresentation, the source of the original content could be in for a battle. And, let me reassure you, the fault will not lie in the hands of the professional editor, but rather on the writer of the piece of work, the owner of the website on which the material appears, etc.
What do to? Hire a professional editor! Now, this is not some clever tactic to generate more business for FirstEditing.com but rather is merely a reality check! Professional editors know that fact checking is a part of their day-to-day editing routine, thus in the hands of professionals, your work will never to subject to an embarrassing error.
Essentially, what fact checking does is ensures that all material used is correct and cannot result in a potential lawsuit (it’s incredible what can get you into trouble these days!). Professional editors are there to make your work factual, thus decreasing your chances of misrepresentation. Ultimately, it’s what we’re paid to do!
Tags: Fact Checking, Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Writing for Publication
Posted in Writing for Publication | 2 Comments »
Monday, December 15th, 2008
So you’ve written the perfect article on…whatever…and you’re ready to submit it for publication. But wait—how do you go about article submission? What secret codes must be cracked, what publishing gods appeased, in order for your article to see print?
It’s not as mysterious a process as you’d think; in fact, it can be quite easy if the right steps are followed. Let’s take a look at the steps you should follow to give your article the best possible chance at publication.
- Know—and follow– the submission guidelines of the magazine! Most magazines have submission guidelines in their hard copies and on their websites. If they require double-spacing and you send in a single-spaced article, guess what? Rejection slip on the way…Similarly, some magazines prefer that you send a query letter, just like you would with a book publisher, outlining your article, its intended audience and the reasons it’s ideal for their publication. Send in the article first, before a query letter, and you could blow your chances at publication with that magazine.
- Make sure your article is as error-free as possible. There are several ways to do this, of course. Most word processing programs have a spell/grammar check function, so you can start there to catch the most obvious gaffes. Keep in mind, though, that these programs aren’t perfect and will miss errors that the human eye can catch—and they also sometimes suggest “corrections” that are, in fact, grammatically incorrect. So use your own eyes to read behind your spell/grammar check, and then have friends or family read behind you. A simpler and usually not prohibitively expensive means of proofing and perfecting your article is to hire a professional editor through a firm such as FirstEditing (www.firstediting.com).
- Be prepared for the possibility of rejection: no matter how wonderful, well-written and timely your article is, there’s no guarantee that a magazine will pick it up. There are lots of talented writers out there who can attest to the mountains of rejection slips they received before that first article was published.
- Finally, to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, “Never, ever give up.” No matter how often your article is rejected, submit it to more magazines. Rejections aren’t necessarily a reflection on the quality of the article or the writing abilities of the author. It never hurts to ask the submissions editor why your article was rejected and how it could be reworked to suit their needs. You might not always get a response, but sometimes this sort of persistence and willingness to revise your article to meet the magazine’s current needs can result not only in publication but also in the formation of a long and fruitful relationship with that magazine.
There you have it: a quick and painless method for submitting your article to a magazine and ensuring that it has the best possible chance of being picked up for publication. Good luck!
Tags: Article Submission, How to Submit an Article, How to Submit an Article to a Magazine, Professional Editing, Submitting for Publication
Posted in Thesis/Research Writing, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
|
