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

language, words 1 Minute

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

By Robin Marwick

  • There’s a widespread misconception among writers that editors don’t really add much to their work and, indeed, often change it for the worse. John Adamus sets them straight. (Terrible Minds)
  • On a related note, Katharine O’Moore-Klopf explains to her clients why editing takes longer than reading for pleasure. (EditorMom)
  • Should you take an editorial test for a new client? Liz Jones says editing tests don’t have to be a burden. (Society for Editors and Proofreaders)
  • Productivity through procrastination is possible (promise!). The Chicago Manual of Style interviews John Perry, author of The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing, for some tips. (CMOS Shop Talk)
  • Building custom style sheets for PerfectIt is easy, says Daniel Heuman, and gives you a useful tool to ensure your capitals, hyphens, commas, and spelling are just the way your client wants them. (Society for Editors and Proofreaders)
  • Whether it’s losing a good client or having to deal with an impossible one, setbacks happen to every freelancer. Ruth E. Thaler-Carter has some tips for turning freelancing lemons into lemonade. (An American Editor)
  • Lexicographer Erin McKean searches for weird and wonderful words in the wild and corrals them at Wordnik, a not-for-profit online dictionary. Sounds cromulent. (American Copy Editors Society)

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

This article was copy edited by Jeny Nussey.

 

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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