The Nitpicker’s Nook: June’s linguistic links roundup

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The Nitpicker’s Nook is a monthly collection of language-related articles, interviews, and blog posts from around the Web. If you read something that would make a good addition, email your suggestion to [email protected].

By Robin MarwickThe Nitpicker's Nook

If you’re a Toronto editor who didn’t go to Editing Goes Global on the weekend of June 12 to 14, you missed out on a weekend filled with more great sessions than any one person could attend. Fortunately, quite a few people tweeted and blogged about their weekend, so those who couldn’t make it can still learn.

  • Sarah Grey presented a session on inclusive editing: the art of making sure that language doesn’t hurt people. (Grey Editing)
  • Adrienne Montgomerie and Cheryl Stephens discussed the elusive art of editing visuals, including graphs and illustrations, and ensuring that they are as clear and useful as the text they accompany. (Iva Cheung)
  • James Harbeck gave a talk on the many possible reasons to use “bad” English. (Sesquiotica)
  • Teresa Schmedding and Karen Martwick discussed “triage editing.” In an ideal world, we would all have time to make sure everything we edit is perfect; of course, this is not an ideal world. Schmedding and Martwick’s goal is to bring evidence, rather than hunches, to editors’ decision-making. (Copydesk.org)

For more coverage of conference sessions, search for #editors15 on Storify.

Of course, life went on outside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

  • Most editors are quite at home with words, but many are at sea with numbers. Yet, numbers are often necessary! Erin Brenner discusses stress-free math editing. (Copyediting.com)
  • Too much work: it’s a problem any freelancer wishes they had, until it actually happens. Liz Dexter discusses what to do if you’re overcommitted. (LibroEditing)
  • Finally, if you’re frustrated by neologisms and sloppy usage, take heart. Editors in 1870 had the same frustrations, although their pet peeves may surprise you. (Huffington Post)

Robin Marwick is a Toronto-based freelance editor, medical writer, content strategist, and dog lover.

This article was copy edited by Afara Kimkeran.

Published by Editors Toronto

We are the Toronto branch of Editors Canada — the only national association devoted to editors and the editing profession, with more than 1,300 members across the country and more than 300 in Ontario. Editors Toronto is an active, vibrant group of freelance and in-house editors who work with organizations and individuals in the corporate, not-for-profit, technical, government, digital, publishing, and academic sectors in Canada and around the world in a variety of languages. We meet on the last Wednesday of every month, except in June, July, August, and December, for an engaging program followed by discussion and networking opportunities.

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