Louise Harnby | Crime Fiction and Thriller Editor
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The Editing Blog: for Editors, Proofreaders and Writers

FOR EDITORS, PROOFREADERS AND WRITERS

Worldbuilding in science fiction and fantasy: With Andy Hodges

5/7/2023

1 Comment

 
Find out more about worldbuilding in science fiction and fantasy with fiction editor and book coach Andy Hodges.
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​Summary of Episode 115

  • ​What is worldbuilding?
  • How is worldbuilding different from setting?
  • Common problems with worldbuilding that writers face
  • How to improve worldbuilding skills
  • Portraying invented groups and cultures with sensitivity
  • Resources and training on worldbuilding for editors and writers


Related resources

  • Andy Hodges, The Narrative Craft
  • Cultural Worldbuilding in Your SFF Novel (online course by Andy Hodges)
  • Hollow World (book), Michael J Sullivan
  • Editing fiction: Worldbuilding (blog post)
  • Editing 'unearned writing' (The Editing Podcast, with guest Tim Storm)
  • Fiction editing courses
  • Fiction editing books
  • Working with Indie Authors (online course by Tanya Gold)


Sign up for alerts about our publications

Want to hone your editorial business skills? Our actionable guides and workbooks will help you plan and implement a programme for business growth and development. Sign up for alerts and we'll let you know when our publications are live and how to order.


​Support The Editing Podcast

​Tip your hosts: Support Louise and Denise with a one-off tip of your choosing.
TIP YOUR HOSTS
Join our Patreon community: Our patrons benefit from access to PDF transcripts for episodes featuring just Louise and Denise, and for some of our guest episodes.
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
1 Comment

5 ways editors can use text generative AI as a business tool

8/6/2023

1 Comment

 
Discover how editors and proofreaders can use text generative AI as a business tool that enhances marketing, increases productivity and reduces stress.
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​Summary of Episode 114

  • Simplifying complex information
  • Creating content ideas for business marketing
  • Generating outlines for editorial marketers who lack writing confidence
  • Keyword and keyphrase research
  • Suggesting compelling calls to action for a website


​Related resources

  • ChatGPT, AI chatbots … and why you need to be worried about them (blog post by Lisa Cordaro Publishing Services)
  • Branding for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • Editor Website Essentials (multimedia course)
  • Emotional Marketing that Gets Editors Work (multimedia course)
  • Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers


Sign up for alerts about our publications

Want to hone your editorial business skills? Our actionable guides and workbooks will help you plan and implement a programme for business growth and development.
Sign up for alerts and we'll let you know when our publications are live and how to order.


​Support The Editing Podcast

Tip your hosts: Support Louise and Denise with a one-off tip of your choosing.
TIP YOUR HOSTS
Join our Patreon community: Our patrons benefit from access to PDF transcripts for episodes featuring just Louise and Denise, and for some of our guest episodes.
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
1 Comment

Proofreading symbols: Do we still need to learn them?

7/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Find out what proofreading markup symbols are and why they're still relevant to professional practice.
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Summary of Episode 113

  • What are proofreading markup symbols?
  • BSI standards and other national guidelines
  • Is proofreading markup language still relevant to training?
  • Communicating efficiently and unambiguously
  • Relevance to proofreaders-in-training who want to work with indie authors
  • Markup colour: What do the differences mean?
  • Other ways of marking up digital texts


Related resources

  • Proofreading markup course
  • Digital markup stamps​​
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers
  • ​Editing Fiction at Sentence Level (book)


Sign up for alerts about our publications

Want to hone your editorial business skills? Our actionable guides and workbooks will help you plan and implement a programme for business growth and development. Sign up for alerts and we'll let you know when our publications are live and how to order.


​Support The Editing Podcast

Tip your hosts: Support Louise and Denise with a one-off tip of your choosing.
TIP YOUR HOSTS
Join our Patreon community: Our patrons benefit from access to PDF transcripts for episodes featuring just Louise and Denise, and for some of our guest episodes.
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

3 tips for developing an editorial business mindset

7/6/2023

0 Comments

 
Louise and Denise discuss three ideas that help editors and proofreaders develop or enhance an editorial business mindset.
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Summary of Episode 112

  • Aim to make progress instead of achieving perfection.
  • Develop a money mindset that focuses on ownership and growth.
  • Decide what your goals are and stick to them.​


Related resources

  • Branding for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • Editor Website Essentials (multimedia course)
  • Emotional Marketing that Gets Editors Work (multimedia course)
  • Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers


Sign up for alerts about our publications

Want to hone your editorial business skills? Our actionable guides and workbooks will help you plan and implement a programme for business growth and development.
Sign up for alerts and we'll let you know when our publications are live and how to order.


​Support The Editing Podcast

Tip your hosts: Support Louise and Denise with a one-off tip of your choosing.
TIP YOUR HOSTS
Join our Patreon community: Our patrons benefit from access to PDF transcripts for episodes featuring just Louise and Denise, and for some of our guest episodes.
JOIN OUR PATREON COMMUNITY


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

How to manage a hectic editorial business schedule

19/4/2023

0 Comments

 
We talk about tips to manage your editorial business life when the schedule feels just a little bit too hectic!
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Summary of Episode 111

  • Is the problem short term or long term?
  • Identifying what absolutely must get done
  • Extending a deadline: When to ask, how long to ask for, and what's realistic
  • Seasonal overbusyness and clearing your schedule
  • What does 'fully booked' mean to you?
  • Brainstorming long-term solutions with a friend
  • Introducing efficiencies
  • Outsourcing business tasks
  • Adjusting your schedule
  • Cancelling editing work: A last resort


Related resources

  • Branding for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • Editor Website Essentials (multimedia course)
  • Emotional Marketing that Gets Editors Work (multimedia course)
  • Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers


Join our Patreon community

​​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

When to say goodbye to an editing client

5/4/2023

0 Comments

 
Thinking about saying goodbye to an editing client? Here's what to consider before you jump ship.
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Summary of Episode 110

  • when the client’s budget means the rate doesn’t work
  • when the client pays late
  • when the client’s terms of service have changed
  • shifting your editorial brand
  • the client’s expectations regarding an editorial service feel like scope creep
  • the impact on your schedule and income if you say goodbye
  • transitioning away more gradually
  • renegotiating the terms
  • when the work makes you unhappy
  • tips on how to say goodbye


​Related resources

  • Business Skills Collection
  • The Editorial Business Bundle​


Join our Patreon community

​​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

When is a price for editing ‘too low’?

22/3/2023

0 Comments

 
When is a price for editing work too low or unfair? And do those terms even make sense universally?
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​Summary of Episode 109

  • The narrative of the universally acceptable price and why it's problematic
  • Why every editor needs to do the maths
  • Understanding your own needs and wants
  • How everyone has a budget that works for them and them only
  • Why a lower fee doesn't necessarily equal an intention to exploit
  • How location and circumstances affect what's acceptable
  • The limitations of other editors' advice
  • The power of open conversations about pricing


Related resources

  • How to Earn Passive Income
  • How to Develop a Pricing Strategy
  • The Editorial Business Bundle​


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

5 ways to be a more efficient editor and proofreader (part 2)

8/3/2023

0 Comments

 
Louise and Denise discuss 5 more tools that will help any editor or proofreader work more efficiently.
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Summary of Episode 108

Listen to find out more about:
  • Searchable online dictionaries
  • Searchable online style guides
  • Templates
  • Styles palette in Word
  • Wildcards, and find and replace in Microsoft Word


​Resources mentioned in the show

  • ​Chicago Manual of Style: chicagomanualofstyle.org/home
  • Efficient Editing: Strategies and Tactics: ciep.uk/training/choose-a-course/efficient-editing-strategies-and-tactics
  • Create a template: support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-template-86a1d089-5ae2-4d53-9042-1191bce57deb
  • Editing in Word: Using Styles: louiseharnbyproofreader.com/editing-in-word-using-styles
  • How to Write the Perfect Fiction Editorial Report: louiseharnbyproofreader.com/perfect-editorial-report
  • Wildcard Cookbook for Microsoft Word: Jack Lyon
  • Merriam-Webster: merriam-webster.com/dictionary
  • Oxford Dictionaries: premium.oxforddictionaries.com


​Join our Patreon community

​​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

5 ways to be a more efficient editor and proofreader (part 1)

25/1/2023

0 Comments

 
Louise and Denise discuss 5 tools that will help any editor or proofreader work more efficiently.
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Summary of Episode 107

Listen to find out more about:
  • Consistency checking and style enforcement
  • Text expanders
  • Macros
  • Social media schedulers
  • Your body clock


​Resources mentioned in the show

  • 10 killer editing macros for writers and editors: theeditingpodcast.captivate.fm/episode/editing-macros
  • Buffer: buffer.com
  • Free editing macros by Paul Beverly: archivepub.co.uk/Macros.html
  • How to check a novel with PerfectIt 5 and The Chicago Manual of Style: louiseharnbyproofreader.com/blog/how-to-check-a-novel-with-perfectit-5-and-the-chicago-manual-of-style
  • PerfectIt: intelligentediting.com
  • PhraseExpress: www.phraseexpress.com
  • SmarterQueue: smarterqueue.com
  • Text Expander: textexpander.com


Related resources

  • Branding for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • Editor Website Essentials (multimedia course)
  • Emotional Marketing that Gets Editors Work (multimedia course)
  • Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers​


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

Reviewing your editing practice and planning for change

11/1/2023

0 Comments

 
We explore a manageable way of reviewing our businesses and planning for change by focusing on two key questions: What's the one thing we've done that works, and what's the one change we could make that would make life easier.
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Summary of Episode 106

Listen to find out more about:
  • What's the one thing we've done that works?
  • Can we do more of it?
  • What can we learn from it?
  • What's the one change we could make that would make life easier?


​Related resources

  • Branding for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • Editor Website Essentials (multimedia course)
  • Emotional Marketing that Gets Editors Work (multimedia course)
  • Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers​

​
Join our Patreon community

​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

8 reference books for business writing and editing

23/11/2022

2 Comments

 
We discuss the 8 reference resources that we regularly dip into when we're writing and editing for business.
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​Summary of Episode 104

Listen to find out more about:
  • Penguin Guide to Punctuation: RL Trask 
  • Punctuation: A guide for editors and proofreaders: Gerard M-F Hill
  • English Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book: Raymond Murphy
  • Your House Style: Styling your words for maximum impact: Christina Thomas
  • Troublesome Words: Bill Bryson
  • Everybody Writes: Ann Handley
  • Hack the Buyer Brain: Kenda Macdonald
  • On Writing: Stephen King 
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style: Benjamin Dreyer


​Related resources

  • Editing Fiction at Sentence Level: Louise Harnby
  • Making Sense of Point of View (Transform Your Fiction): Louise Harnby
  • Making Sense of Punctuation (Transform Your Fiction): Louise Harnby
  • Making Sense of 'Show, Don't Tell' (Transform Your Fiction): Louise Harnby
  • Resource library for editors, proofreaders and writers


Join our Patreon community

​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


​Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.
  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader​
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
2 Comments

5 questions you should answer before writing a business book

26/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Writing a business book? Answer these five questions to make sure you're on the right track.
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Summary of Episode 102

  • Writing regularly
  • Niche target audiences
  • Building a reader base
  • Authority and credibility
  • Timeliness considerations


​Related resources

  • Branding for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • How to Earn Passive Income (book)
  • Writing resources


Join our Patreon community

​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

5 ways to demonstrate editing competence on your website

14/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Learn 5 tips on how to show rather than tell potential clients about your editing skills and knowledge.
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Summary of Episode 101

  • Booklets that perform like gifts
  • Papers that offer authoritative analyses
  • Audio that creates emotional connections
  • Video that demonstrates how-to solutions
  • Blog posts that make you findable


​Related resources

  • Blogging for Business Growth (multimedia course)
  • Editor Website Essentials (multimedia course)
  • Marketing Toolbox for Editors (multimedia course)
  • That White Paper Guy 


​Join our Patreon community

​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

Podcasting tips for editors and proofreaders

28/9/2022

0 Comments

 
We're celebrating Episode 100 with podcasting tips for editors and proofreaders!
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​Summary of Episode 100

Listen to find out more about:
  • Creating an episode – what's involved
  • How long podcasting takes
  • Efficiency strategies
  • Working with a partner
  • The costs of podcasting
  • Accessibility challenges


​Related resources

  • Captivate (affiliate link)  
  • Audacity (free audio editing software)
  • Editorial marketing resource library
  • Editorial branding resource library
  • ​Blogging for Business Growth (multimedia course)


​Join our Patreon community

​If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

What are editorial professional standards?

31/8/2022

0 Comments

 
Find out why standards are core to professional practice for any editor or proofreader who wants to be fit for purpose and trusted by clients.
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​​Summary of Episode 98

Listen to find out more about:
  • how professional standards are defined
  • why they’re important for editors and proofreaders
  • who’s setting them
  • the tools some organisations are using to set standards and ensure that
  • editorial practitioners demonstrate and uphold them.


Related resources

  • Training resources
  • Branding and trust resources
  • Branding for Business Growth (course)
  • Marketing Your Editing and Proofreading Business (book)
  • Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
  • List of editorial societies


Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


​Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

4 reasons to go to an editorial conference

17/8/2022

0 Comments

 
Find out why editorial conferences are worth attending for every editor and proofreader.
Smiling black man at conference
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​
​Summary of Episode 97

Listen to find out more about:
  • Why even experienced editors need to learn
  • How to use a conference to make a contribution to the profession
  • Meeting other editors
  • Having fun with colleagues and friends


Related resources

  • 6 tips to help you speak in public with confidence. By Simon Raybould
  • ​Editorial training without borders: Should you bother with international editing conferences?
  • Organizing an editorial conference. With Beth Hamer
  • Speaking at editing conferences: How to do it and love it
  • Why editors and proofreaders should be networking​


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

'Vivacity’ by Kevin MacLeod
  • Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4593-vivacity
  • Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

5 things you need to know about line editing crime fiction and thrillers

4/8/2022

0 Comments

 
Want to line edit crime fiction and thrillers? Pick up some handy tips to help you on your way.
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​Summary of Episode 96

Listen to find out more about:
  • What's distinctive about editing crime fiction and thrillers
  • What a good line editor needs to look out for
  • What new entrants to the field need to study
  • Marketing ideas
  • Top tips for being a successful freelance editor/proofreader
  • Do fiction editors use style guides?


Related resources

  • Course: How to Line Edit for Suspense
  • Course:Narrative Distance: A Toolbox for Writers and Editors
  • Book: Editing Fiction at Sentence Level
  • How to check a novel with PerfectIt 5 and The Chicago Manual of Style
  • ​Resources for fiction editors and writers


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


​Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

Proofreading: 12 things you need to know, Part 2

20/7/2022

0 Comments

 
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Summary of Episode 95

Want to become a professional proofreader? Discover 6 more key pieces of information you must know before you embark on your new career. 
​
  • How it requires a lot of hard work to build and sustain a proofreading business
  • Why having periods of no work isn’t something you have to accept as given
  • Why grammar- and spell-checking technology hasn’t made proofreaders redundant
  • How it’s a myth that all proofreading work is done in-house 
  • How proofreading means the different things to different client types
  • Whether word of mouth is a good enough promotion strategy


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


​Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors​
0 Comments

Proofreading: 12 things you need to know, Part 1

20/7/2022

0 Comments

 
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Summary of Episode 94

Want to become a professional proofreader? Discover 6 key pieces of information you must know before you embark on your new career.

  • ​Getting work even if you don’t have contacts in the publishing industry
  • The market for proofreading
  • Why training courses are a worthy and essential investment
  • Why training in itself isn't enough to get work
  • Why you can still build a proofreading career without former editorial experience
  • What you might earn


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


​Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors​
0 Comments

5 tips for proofreading PDFs in Adobe Reader DC

22/6/2022

1 Comment

 
Asian woman standing in front of desk and typing into computer
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​Summary of Episode 93

Discover 5 PDF proofreading tips you can apply when working with Adobe Reader DC. Listen to find out more about:
​
  • Rotating the page view
  • Using the ‘Show Cover View in Two Page View’ function
  • Attaching a Word file for large amounts of corrected text
  • Why you should avoid using ‘floating’ sticky notes
  • How to find invisible errors you know you’ve corrected
  • Free versus paid-for software: Is Adobe Reader DC good enough for PDF proofreading?


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
1 Comment

Why editing is NOT about being ‘a bit OCD’

24/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Silhouette of a person's head with scrunched up balls of paper around it
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Summary of Episode 92

We explore the term ‘OCD’ and why it has no place as a marker of attention to detail for the professional editor. Listen to find out more about:
​
  • The difference between character traits of orderliness and the lived experience of OCD
  • What is OCD and how does it affect people?
  • Why OCD is a noun and what that means for how we use the term
  • How OCD might manifest
  • How flippant and colloquial references to OCD diminish lived experience
  • Intention versus perception of harm
  • Editing text: querying rather than prescribing problems and solutions
  • Does fiction offer more scope for use of harmful language?
  • Alternative words and phrases
  • Helping clients create engaging rather than distracting messages


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

Editing the language of illness: With Louise Bolotin

12/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Sunset and beach
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​Summary of Episode 91

Should editors be interrogating the language of illness? We chat with Louise Bolotin about challenging normative narratives around cancer and terminal illness. Listen to find out more about:
  • Louise Bolotin's cancer diagnosis
  • Why the language preferences of those with terminal illnesses aren't homogenous
  • Terms in the language of illness that can hurt and harm
  • Why editors have a duty to challenge normative narratives that sugarcoat dying and death
  • How asking how a person wants to talk about terminal illness is better than assuming


Louise Bolotin's Facebook and LinkedIn statements

If you want to see how our guest and edibuddy talks about her cancer diagnosis and the language that surrounds it, or follow her Last Hurrah, take a look at these announcements, threads and pics on social media.
​
  • Facebook: The Last Hurrah album
  • Facebook: Statement about cancer diagnosis and language
  • LinkedIn: Announcement about cancer diagnosis and language


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

What is subediting? With Louise Bolotin

11/5/2022

1 Comment

 
Pile of newspapers
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Summary of Episode 90

Want to add subediting to your editorial skillset? Louise Bolotin has been subbing for 17 years and knows the job inside out. In this episode, she shares her knowledge and experience. Listen to find out more about:
​
  • What the different types of editors do in media publishing
  • The differences between subediting and copyediting
  • Editorial timescales for subeditors
  • Who controls the content
  • When things go wrong - legal responsibilities and insurance
  • Subediting lingo
  • A subeditor’s typical day
  • Transferring from copyediting to subediting - training and CPD
  • Core resources for the budding subber
  • How editing has changed over the years, especially for freelancers


Resources mentioned in the show

  • McNae's Essential Law for Journalists, 25th edition
  • National Council for the Training of Journalists
  • Subediting: London School of Journalism course
  • Practical English Usage, 4th edition (Michael Swan)


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
1 Comment

Is proofreading or editing a good side hustle?

29/3/2022

0 Comments

 
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​Summary of Episode 88

Think proofreading or editing would be a good side hustle? Two professional editors tell you what you need to know so you don't make mistakes. Listen to find out more about:
  • What a side hustle is and why it's popular
  • Why there's resistance to the term 'side hustle' in the professional editorial community
  • Whether an editorial business can be set up overnight
  • The importance of skilling up and marketing
  • The competition side hustlers have to deal with
  • The different levels of editing
  • How to find work
  • Business-critical considerations


Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us. There are two tiers to choose from: 
​
  • EditPod Tea Pot: Buy us a cuppa and help keep the podcast ad-free and independent.
  • EditPod Tea Party: All of the above, plus you get exclusive access to quarterly live Q&As that help you keep your business on track.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


​Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments

Academic developmental editing

29/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Want to know more about academic developmental editing? Laura Portwood-Stacer discusses what it involves and how to develop your skills.
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​Summary of Episode 87

In this episode, Louise and Denise chat with Laura Portwood-Stacer about:

  • What academic developmental editing is
  • Required skills and background
  • Why academic authors seek help from developmental editors
  • What do academic developmental editors do?
  • Why it's different from other types of non-fiction editing
  • The benefits to editors of offering an academic developmental editing service
  • How academic developmental editors find clients
  • Training and resources for academic developmental editors


​Useful links and resources

  • Contact Laura
  • Read The Book Proposal Book
  • Train as an academic developmental editor


​Join our Patreon community

If you'd like to support The Editing Podcast, thank you! That means the world to us. There are two tiers to choose from: 
​
  • EditPod Tea Pot: Buy us a cuppa and help keep the podcast ad-free and independent.
  • EditPod Tea Party: All of the above, plus you get exclusive access to quarterly live Q&As that help you keep your business on track.
SUPPORT THE EDITING PODCAST


Music credit

​‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/.
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.

  • Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
  • Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Learn: Books and courses
  • Discover: Resources for authors and editors
0 Comments
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