Category: Roundups

The Editing Podcast S2E9: Writing and editing for the web. With Erin Brenner

28/8/2019

0 Comments

In this episode, Louise and Denise discuss writing and editing for the web with guest Erin Brenner

Click to listen to Season 2, Episode 9

RATE AND REVIEW

Other ways to listen

Listen to find out more about:

Why working with web content is different from writing for the page
In which programs should we create content for the web?
Pre-upload checks on the writing
Pre-upload checks on metadata links, and alt-text
Quality control: self-editing versus third-party professional help
How many editing passes?
Fact-checking and authenticity
The order of play for editing web content
Style sheets and web content
Language choice and style for web content

Editing bites

Erin Brenner’s Web Style Checklist
They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan

Other resources

Erin Brenner, Right Touch Editing
‘Customer service: A cautionary tale of red flags and safety nets’ by Vanessa Plaister on the SfEP blog
The AP Stylebook (Associated Press)

Ask us a question
The easiest way to ping us a question is via Facebook Messenger: Visit the podcast's Facebook page and click on the SEND MESSAGE button.

Denise and Louise

Music credit
‘‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with independent authors of commercial fiction, particularly crime, thriller and mystery writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, or connect via Facebook and LinkedIn.

0 Comments

Editors on the Blog: May 2018

17/5/2018

0 Comments

Editors on the Blog is a monthly column curating some of the best posts from the editing community – articles written by editors and proofreaders for colleagues and clients alike.

My thanks to this month's contributors!

THE BUSINESS OF EDITING

5-minute branding by John Espirian, published on Espirian. John writes: ‘This quick exercise will help you sharpen your written voice and add consistency to all your communications.’
Blog republishing strategy by John Espirian, published on Espirian. John writes: ‘Bloggers can stop worrying about duplicate content penalties from Google. With this advice, they can press ahead with republishing their articles on LinkedIn and Medium, helping their content reach a wider audience.’
Overcoming marketing paralysis: How to turn overwhelm into action by Louise Harnby on The Parlour. Louise writes: 'Business promotion can feel overwhelming, and that can lead to inaction. This article includes some tips to help you move forward ... gently.'
PayPal fees and your right to profits by Erin Brenner, published on Copyediting. Erin writes: 'The world does not owe you a profitable business. If you run a business to make money, the general rule is that you have to spend money first.'
The editorial rates debate – why I don’t charge by the hour by Jen Toyne, published on the Jet Proofreading blog. Jen writes: ‘This article is about how charging by the hour does not work for me and how I made peace with my simple approach to pricing based on number of words.’
Things I have learned in a year of running a business by Renee Moodie, published on the Safe Hands Web & Content Services blog. Renee writes: 'There’s been much to learn in a year of freelancing, starting with understanding that I am not in fact a freelancer but rather the owner of a business.'
What to do when someone asks, 'What’s your rate?' by Molly McCowan, published on Copyediting. Molly writes: 'Do what you can to avoid offering up your hourly rate. Instead, gracefully “pivot” by answering with a question that will give you more insight into the project.'

CLIENT FOCUS

Q&A on what to expect from a thesis proofreading service by Kate Haigh, published on the Kateproof blog. Kate writes: 'I work with a lot of postgraduate students and often get asked the same or similar questions. This blog post is a collation of the most common questions, with answers, which will hopefully help prospective clients but also other editors and proofreaders looking to work with this client set.'
Proofreading tip – checking for mistyped words by Laura Ripper and Helen Stevens, published on the School Proof blog. ‘Teachers often have to proofread their own or their colleagues' student reports. We share some tips to help teachers and other professionals spot commonly mistyped words that Spellcheck won't flag up.’
What is your writing worth to you? by Lisa Poisso, published on Clarity. Lisa writes, ‘Where’s the rule that says novelists have to accelerate from zero to pro with no professional guidance – and at no cost? Help clients put their editing costs into perspective.'
Why ‘suddenly’ can spoil your crime fiction: Advice for new writers by Louise Harnby, published on The Parlour. Louise writes: ‘I discuss the negative impact that just one word can have on narrative tension: Suddenly. I don't suggest that writers should eradicate it, but rather use it judiciously and with intention.'

EDITING IN PRACTICE

How to close an editorial project effectively by Hazel Bird, published on The Wordstitch Blog. Hazel writes: ‘Adding that last missing comma is not the end of a project. The way you close an editorial project has a huge bearing on how clients remember you (and thus whether your name pops into their head for future work) and how you manage your business’s development.’
Silent Changes by Eleanor Abraham, published on eleanorabraham.com. Eleanor writes: ‘Word’s Track Changes is an amazing function letting you see all the revisions your editor is suggesting. But is it really necessary to see all the changes they make to your Word file?’
Sorting text in Microsoft Word by Denise Foster, published on Fostered Creativity. Denise writes: ‘I recently participated in a Facebook discussion on this topic and then decided to write a blog post about it. I hope this is helpful to other writers and editors!’
The editing and revision process for self-publishers by Lisa Poisso, published on Clarity. In this newly revised article, Lisa writes, ‘Add more opportunities for feedback, more opportunities to check specific elements, and more opportunities for a fresh look.’

FREELANCE LIFE

Success in freelancing: Is it luck or hard work? by Denise Foster, published on Fostered Creativity. Denise writes: ‘I’ve always been interested in this topic—what factors determine success? (And what defines “success” anyway?) I decided to share my thoughts about how this specifically relates to freelancing.’
The Perfectpreneur by Sara Donaldson, published on Northern Editorial. Sara writes: ‘If you find you’re constantly comparing yourself to the Perfectpreneur – the businessperson who has it all – here’s an exercise that can help you come back down to earth.’
This proofreader’s approach to GDPR by Kate Haigh, published on the Kateproof blog. Kate writes: 'With the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) coming into force in May 2018, affecting anyone working with clients in the EU, I thought it would be useful for clients and colleagues to see how I have approached compliance. This blog post has more detail than my new privacy policy, giving detailed reasons about why I store what data and where.'
Unimposter-able me by Kia Thomas, published on Kia Thomas Editing. Kia writes: 'Imposter syndrome comes for most of us at some point in our careers. But lately I’ve been learning how to fight it, with the help of some classic 90s pop.'

To include your article in next month's edition of Editors on the Blog, click on the button below. The deadline is 11 June 2018.

Submit a link to EOTB

Louise Harnby is a fiction copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in helping self-publishing writers prepare their novels for market.

She is the author of several books on business planning and marketing for editors, and runs online courses from within the Craft Your Editorial Fingerprint series. She is also an Advanced Professional Member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders. Louise loves books, coffee and craft gin, though not always in that order.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Proofreader & Copyeditor, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, or connect via Facebook and LinkedIn.

If you're an author, take a look at Louise’s Writing Library and access her latest self-publishing resources, all of which are free and available instantly.

0 Comments

Editors on the Blog: April 2018

12/4/2018

0 Comments

Editors on the Blog is a monthly column curating some of the posts from the editing community – articles written by editors and proofreaders for colleagues and clients alike.

There are some absolute corkers in this inaugural edition. Thank you so much for contributing!

THE BUSINESS OF EDITING

‘How do I get freelance copywriting work?’ by John Espirian, published on Espirian. John writes: ‘One of the commonest questions I’m asked is: How do I get copywriting work? I hope it helps a few of you newbie copywriters to get started.'
‘How to get fiction editing and proofreading work’ by Louise Harnby, published on The Proofreader's Parlour. Louise writes: ‘This post looks at how specialization, training, directory advertising, content marketing, events and festivals, workshops and webinars, and reading fiction help to get us fiction editing work.'

CLIENT FOCUS

'6 ways to improve your big-picture revision skills' by Lisa Poisso, published on JamiGold.com. Lisa writes: ‘Building your story sensibilities will give you the confidence to begin your revisions where they count: at the story level.’
‘Document content formats: pros and cons’ by John Espirian, published on Espirian. John writes: ‘My clients are often unsure about which document format they should use for their content. In this article, I look at the pros and cons of HTML, PDF, Word and PowerPoint.’
'How to cope when your manuscript query is rejected' by Lisa Poisso, published on lisapoisso.com. Lisa writes: ‘Your soul is not being judged at the pearly gates. You’re pitching a book in an industry based on pitching books. Toughen up. Lean into the punches and push back.’
‘How to start writing your novel’ by Cally Worden, published on The Enigma Blog. Cally writes: ‘If you perpetually avoid putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) here are five possible reasons why, with some ideas to help you out of each particular novel-writing rut.’
'Crime fiction subgenres: Where does your novel fit?' by Louise Harnby, published on The Proofreader’s Parlour. Louise writes: ‘Understanding your crime-fiction subgenre(s) helps you tell readers where to find you, agents where to place you, and publishers where to shelve you. This article covers some of the biggies.’

EDITING IN PRACTICE

‘The art of being invisible’ by Brian Langan, published on Storyline Editing. Brian writes: ‘Book editors measure their success by their invisibility. Yet they share the emotional highs and lows of the authors, depending on the books’ critical reception.’
‘Proofreading pitfalls: Nine tips to improve your proofreading strategy’ by Hazel Bird, published on The Wordstitch Blog. Hazel writes: ‘How methodical is your proofreading approach? My latest blog post has nine tips on proofreading strategy from my experience as a project manager and proofreader.’

FREELANCE LIFE

'Business continuity planning for your proofreading service' by Pete Haigh, published on Kateproof. Pete writes: ‘My laptop broke. I thought it would be helpful to share my experience of what I did to get my editing and proofreading service back up and running and the lessons learnt (some the hard way!) from this process.’
‘Getting better and getting organised’ by Sarah Dronfield, published on Sarah Dronfield Proofreader. Sarah writes: ‘I hope that sharing my experiences will help others recognise when they need a break and/or what they could do to be more productive.’
‘Introductory post to my series on being a nomadic editor and proofreader’ by Kate Haigh, published on Kateproof. Kate writes: ‘As the world’s workforce has the technology at hand to become less geographically fixed, I thought it might help other proofreaders and editors if I shared my experiences of being a nomadic editor and proofreader.’

LANGUAGE MATTERS

‘Cambridge Analytica Debacle – The Definition of Breach’ by Laureen Hudson, published on AlienVault. Laureen writes: ‘It's incredibly important, when explaining technology to those who are not fluent in its nuance, to use your words precisely, in a consistent and clear way. And as much as little sideslips like “on premise” and “crypto” make us all twitch, the use of the term “breach” when no actual breach occurred not only misleads people, it blurs the line between those victimized by breaches, and those manipulated without their explicit consent.’
‘Shakespeare’s Netymology’ by Laureen Hudson, published on AlienVault. Laureen writes: ‘Because technical editors and technical writers are also looking for ways to describe that thing that happens, we tend to be early adopters of protologisms, and move words along the spectrum to neologisms as fast as we upgrade the technology itself. As Shakespeare said in Henry V, “We, my dear, are the makers of fashion.”’

To include your article in next month's edition of Editors on the Blog, click on the button below. The deadline is 15 May 2018.

Submit a link to EOTB

0 Comments

Roundup: PDF Proofreading Stamps (quick-access links)

26/8/2012

43 Comments

This roundup provides a quick-access route to all the PDF proofreading marks files posted on The Editing Blog.

I should have done this ages ago so apologies to anyone who's had to spend unnecessary time navigating their way around the Stamps archive to see what's available.

I'll keep this updated as new files are added so that there's always one central resource with all the necessary links.

IMPORTANT: For detailed installation instructions, see my article Installation Instructions for Proofreading Stamps. Please follow these instructions to the letter BEFORE contacting me for support.
If you wish to create your own stamps, or you want to see samples of what a marked-up PDF looks like, see my article PDF Editing – Making the Most of the Stamps Tool.
For a list of American proofreading stamps visit KOK Edit’s Copyeditors' Knowledge Base and scroll down to "PDF editing stamps".
For some great PDF mark-up tutorials and tips (using Acrobat), take a look the Acrobat PDF archive on the Right Angels and Polo Bears blog curated by Adrienne Montgomerie.
You can find more information about onscreen work in the archives here on The Editing Blog: Stamps archive and Onscreen Work archive.

Free Downloadable PDF Proofreading Stamps (full set of BSI 5261-2 (2005) proofreading marks)

Music Notation Proofreading Stamps (via Tracker Software)

Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.

43 Comments