Two pairs of eyes: why do we edit and when do we stop?
What we need to share with people outside publishing Why do we edit? Twice recently I have been surprised by the disgruntled reaction of my…
Copy-editing and proofreading
Becoming a publishing freelancer: what you need to know
Kelly Urgan, a self-employed editor and writer, contributed an article to BookMachine in April about the four levels of editing. We came back to her…
Getting started as a freelance proofreader
In this article, editorial freelancer Sam Kelly shares his personal journey into proofreading, with the help of the CIEP. There are as many routes into…
Six ways to be the freelance editor you want to be
I’ve never been much of a trendsetter – I’m writing this in my trusty cardigan and slippers – but I was ahead of the curve…
The value of community: my experience with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
They say that our human and not-so-human ancestors evolved learning that they needed to be part of a community to survive. They did everything they…
The four levels of editing and how they fit within the publishing timeline
Most editors will give varying answers to the question, ‘What are the levels of editing?’, but there are industry-accepted stages of editing that I’ll outline…
Building Skills and Confidence in Editing: How skills training programmes can support a more diverse editorial workforce
In 2018, The Literary Consultancy offered a pilot initiative for aspiring editors, with three short seminars giving an introduction to the basics of copy-editing, proofreading…
Nuggets of Word wisdom
Guy van der Kolk first got hooked on publishing while attending an international school in Ivory Coast, where he used Pagemaker, Photoshop and an Apple…
Progress Reports: What’s happening during your edit? [FOR AUTHORS]
It’s 10:00 p.m. Do you know where your manuscript is? It’s like being trapped in a replay loop of the old TV public service announcement…
Fact Checking: Vital or a waste of time?
I spend a lot of my time editing non-fiction; no matter how much I love fiction, the factual stuff takes up more of my time…
Stop the race to the bottom, value your writing services
I need an editor … you’ll be rewarded I need an editor … you’ll get great exposure I need an editor … fast I need…
A guide on book title punctuation
For the trained eyes, there is nothing more annoying than looking at a book which is just one letter away from perfect. It is possible…
So you want to be a freelance editor? Tips from the coalface
It is a truth universally acknowledged that book editors spend their days languidly leafing through the pages of books and occasionally waving a red pen…
Your guide to using styles in Word
Styles Make Your Writing Better Well, ok, they won’t make your writing better, but they make it a hell of a lot easier to format.
The quick and easy guide to using beta readers [FOR AUTHORS]
Oh, no … You didn’t just ask your spouse, your mom, or your best friend to read your book and tell you what they think,…