Editors on the Blog: August 2018

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

• 10 tips for proofreading and copyediting self-published fiction by Louise Harnby, published on The Parlour: Louise writes: 'Here are 10 tips to help you prepare a mindful way for editing and proofreading fiction for independent authors and self-publishers.'
• How to create an amazing portfolio: Using stories to stand out by Louise Harnby, published on The Parlour: Louise writes: 'An editing site without a visible portfolio is at a disadvantage. It’s the next best thing to the social proof of a testimonial because it demonstrates that you practise what you preach. Using stories is a method every editor can use to bring their portfolio page to life.'

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​CLIENT FOCUS​: BUSINESS AND OTHER NON-FICTION

• Business communication layering: Technical content for different audiences by Howard Walwyn, published on Prism-Clarity.com. Howard writes: ‘I’m not usually a fan of writing templates, but this one can be used across a wide range of business formats and is a great way of reaching different audiences with the same content.’
• It’s good to make mistakes by Claire Bacon, published on Bacon Editing Blog. Claire writes: ‘Writing a research paper in a second language is hard. In this post, I encourage non-native English-speaking scientists to improve their writing by learning from their mistakes.’

CLIENT FOCUS​: FICTION

•  10 ways a book editor can help besides editing by Lisa Poisso, published on Clarity. Lisa writes: ‘An editor can give you a hand out of all sorts of tight spots in your book’s development, not just writing and editing. A seasoned outside eye can help you smooth out story issues before you start writing or help you sell your novel effectively once you’ve finished.’
• Everything wrong with your vovel in 15 minutes by Kerri Miller, published on Utopian Editing. Kerri writes: ‘If you’ve ever watched CinemaSins on YouTube, you know their movie critiques are harsh but all too often true. As an author, you need to steel yourself and find a developmental editor who will help save your book from a similar fate (though hopefully with a little more tact).’
  
• Is your book ready for editing? by Lisa Poisso, published on Clarity.
  Lisa writes: ‘When it’s time to come back to the drafting table to rework your manuscript, how many drafts is enough? The answer: as many as it takes to develop and polish all the elements that support your story.’
• Playing with the rhythm of fiction: commas and conjunctions by Louise Harnby, published on The Parlour. Louise writes: 'By playing with commas and conjunctions you can alter the rhythm of a sentence. Changing the rhythm can help your readers immerse themselves deeper in the mood of your narrative and the emotions of your characters.' 
• Should I ask for feedback on my novel while I’m still writing it? by Sophie Playle, published on Liminal Pages. Sophie writes: ‘Feedback on an incomplete first draft can assure an author they’re on the right path and inspire them to keep going, but it can equally knock their confidence and cause them to give up … So what should they do? Here’s my advice.’
• Trim the fat from your fiction: Redundancy by Kerri Miller, published on Utopian Editing. Kerri writes: ‘Redundancy can bloat your manuscript and bog down the reader. Learn how to recognize and trim the most common types in fiction.’
  
• What kind of editing do I need? by Kerri Miller, published on Utopian Editing. Kerri writes: ‘First-time authors might find the editing process confusing. What types of editing are there? When should each kind be performed? Read on for a lifeline.’
  
• Writing a crime novel – should you plan or go with the flow? by Louise Harnby, published on The Parlour. Louise writes:  'Some crime writers are planners. Some are pantsers (so called because they fly by the seat of their pants). Neither is better than the other. What matters is that the method you choose to write your story works for you and results in a tale well told.'

EDITING IN PRACTICE

• Help! My edit is choking my computer! by Lisa Poisso, published on Clarity.
  Lisa writes: ‘Word takes a lot of heat for choking on big documents when it’s really the user’s computer hardware at fault. The little laptop or older computer that’s served you so loyally for writing may not be able to keep up now that you’re showing and hiding tracked changes and formatting marks and forcing your system to repaginate on the fly.’
• PerfectIt, the copyeditor’s meticulous sidekick by Kerri Miller, published on Utopian Editing. Kerri writes: ‘Thinking about trying PerfectIt but can’t make up your mind? I documented my first experience with it and shared some thoughts that might help.’
  

LANGUAGE MATTERS

• ​Affordable ways to learn to be a better writer by Lisa Poisso, published on Clarity. Lisa writes: ‘Professional editing is overkill when you’re still getting basic writing skills under your belt—grammar, spelling, punctuation, usage, and fiction-specific narrative techniques such as dialogue and point of view. If you’re still learning to write, don’t invest in editing. Invest in writing.'
• Better words than 'said' by David Mundy, published on FPI Proofreading. David writes: 'Gustave Flaubert would spend an age looking for "le mot juste" in his writing! Here is a list, amassed by my 13 year-old students, of 180 words that can be used to replace the ubiquitous and over-used "said" in dialogue.'

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​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, and a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi).

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