178 Answered Questions for the topic editing

04/06/19

Editing: Those darn comma splices?
I have a question regarding comma splices. I'm trying to learn more about comma splices and how to remove them from some work I am doing. I understand the basics regarding them but I have a... more
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04/05/19

How to start a freelance editing company?
I am 17 and I want to start a freelance video editing company, using Motion and Final Cut Pro X. Only problem is, I have no idea how to go about starting it. Where are some good places to begin?
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04/04/19

An organization writes its acronym in lower-case - do I have to, too?
I'm writing an article that includes reference to an organization - let's say National Ecological Council of Concerned Citizens - which, instead of NECOCC, uses the acronym *necocc*, i.e.... more
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04/04/19

What is the role of editors in news media today?
Back when rocks were soft and the world wide web hadn't yet been invented, I worked on a college newspaper that, I was told, followed the same patterns as professional papers. (That is, the skills... more
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Editing Proofreading

04/04/19

How do I start editing my novel?
I had written the first draft of my book and put it in the freezer almost 6 weeks ago. Yesterday I took it out, and after going through a first read to note my reactions, I have decided to start... more
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04/03/19

Removing glow from behind and around trees?
I've been editing a landscape image with lightning in the sky, and I've brought up the clarity and contrast in Lightroom to make it stand out more. However, I end up with a noticeably brighter sky... more
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04/02/19

How much value do publishers and editors place on informative/educational content in fiction stories?
I have heard people say that ‘good stories are educational as well as entertaining’. But how much does it actually matter in the eyes of editors and publishers? For example, if one is writing a... more
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04/02/19

What should I keep in mind when reviewing and improving already published chapters?
I began writing a fantasy novel as a "last week of vacation fun project", and it hit off very well. *It is my first time writing*. I'm publishing as a web novel in a popular webnovel site.And of... more
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04/02/19

What is an APA-certified editor?
Is APA-certified editor an actual credential?If yes, is there a universally-accepted proof in the U.S. for that credential?I tried a web search on "how to become an APA-certified editor." I clicked... more
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04/02/19

How can I keep my writing from being perceived as "too complicated"?
This is from a piece I wrote a couple of years back:> The sky seemed like a big, large pool of grey smoke. The weather was cool, moist. A fresh, earthy smell hung on the air.> I peered... more
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04/02/19

How can I catch more errors when I proofread?
I have a problem where I often proof my own writing and I don't catch all the errors while I am reading through it. I often miss entire words out of sentences or find myself repeating words. I can... more
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03/31/19

Looking for some tips on how to improve writing?
I have just completed my first draft of a novel. Now the story is completed it's time to capture the style so the reader can engage in the story. I want to make sure the story style is easy enough... more
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03/30/19

When to ask for feedback of novel?
At what stage in writing do you ask for feedback on your new story? - After writing a plot outline? - After the first draft? - After the second draft? - After you polish it for the public?What kind... more
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Editing Proofreading

03/30/19

When proofreading a chapter, should I try to prevent a few lines spilling onto a new page?
I am proofreading a novel chapter for the first time. I do not have the other chapters to review. The book is a 2nd edition, and several chunks of text have been inserted, so the end of the chapter... more
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03/28/19

How to minimize language mistakes while writing?
While it's true that: - Editors do proof reading for you, and - word processors have spell checking and grammar checkingyou do not always have an editor available, and software tools aren't perfect... more
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03/28/19

I'm an editor who generally uses Word to communicate changes with my authors. Is Adobe's InCopy better for this task?
For all of my editing work I'm currently using Microsoft Word. But I've heard a bit about Adobe's InCopy being good for editing and publishing. Is it really better? What makes it better than Word?
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03/28/19

When and how often edit the style and content of a story?
An early story I did I edited again and again to make it better. But in the end, I got the feeling the result was worse than before. Recently I tried to write (short-stories) in one go and only... more
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03/28/19

Strategies for shortening texts?
When reviewing a text to shorten it beneath a fixed, externally imposed word limit, which strategies are available for shortening the text? What kind of shortening can be expected?The most obvious... more
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03/27/19

Can Extensive Outlining Take the Place of the First Draft?
**Background:** I've been writing fan fiction for five years now. I began when I didn't have a clue what I was doing, so my methods have evolved during those years. By now I have a solid process... more
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03/27/19

What needs to be included in a corporate style guide?
What kinds of things need to be included in a corporate style guide that can't already be found in S&W, AP, Chicago Style, etc?
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03/27/19

UK vs. US editions of fiction?
I am reading a novel the copy of which was bought and published in the US, but the novel was written and copyrighted by a British author and first published in the UK.\\*Apart from the apparent... more
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03/27/19

Why does an author need an editor?
I'm firmly in the camp of "your novel needs an editor, and that editor better not be yourself." But recently I was asked why that was, and I couldn't articulate an answer that was passable. Young... more
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03/26/19

How do I find an affordable editor?
I wrote a few chapters of a book several years ago. How do I find an affordable editor?
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03/26/19

What is the standard editorial timeline for genre fiction novels?
I'm signed with a publisher working on my first genre fiction novel. The editor is driving me crazy not getting her work done and putting the rewrites on me at the last minute up against the... more
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03/26/19

Adding breaks in a novel—spaces, asterisks, or a chapter break?
I am editing my first novel and wherever I find a natural break in the story, I add a few spaces. I want to go back and adjust what types of breaks those are, but how best to represent those spaces... more
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