editing advice

A lot of people create elaborate resume sites to beef up their Google clout–after all, you never know who might be searching for an editor/writer and good Google results for your site could help you out in all sorts of unexpected ways. But Google can’t find you easily if you don’t make your site...
Read more »

Hey editors, what does your online portfolio look like? Do you include before and after examples of your editing work? Why not take a page from Stephen King’s playbook and show what somebody else’s work looks like after you’ve gotten done with it? In King’s book, On Writing, he throws in a few pages from...
Read more »

Yes, EditorWriter.org had a brief hiatus there for a time due to, you guessed it, deadlines. We had to go down for a bit but we are back now. Look for more of your favorite resources and such coming to this space and thanks much for your patience! In the meantime, here is a list...
Read more »

Interesting that while there are many insultingly low-paying gigs for writers–two dollars for an article, for example–and scammer sites aimed at freelancers, editors hardly seem to be on the radar. There could be a number of reasons for this, but it is fascinating as a concept. Writers’ work is frequently seen as little more...
Read more »

Self-editing is a skill you aren’t born with, you learn it over time. It’s not easy to look critically at your own work, which is especially true when you’ve been slaving away at it all day long. One of the best rules of thumb to follow when editing your own work is to put it...
Read more »

If you’re headed down the path towards publication, Pneuma Books wants to help. This small press and pro-self publishing advocate has a collection of how-to guides including a guide to book editing and another on the publishing process. But Pneuma isn’t the only help available for self publishers. Angela Hoy at WritersWeekly also runs a...
Read more »

New editors are rightfully hyper-vigilant about issues like apostrophe abuse and passive voice, but if you’re trying to learn the rules some of this stuff can be a real wilderness. Is it ALWAYS bad to use passive voice? Not according to this resource from the University of North Carolina. What about the proper use...
Read more »

When you put out your very first call for writers as a new editor, one thing you should do once the articles are all assigned and the search is over? Hang on to the suitable resumes and refer back to them when you need to hire a new freelance writer. Those who have already performed...
Read more »

As a writer it can often help to get another pair of eyes on something that you are working on, but this can also be true if you are an editor. Sometimes you will have copy that you are struggling with, or personal issues will be competing for your attention, making it hard to focus. In...
Read more »

by Joe Wallace What should a new editor expect from those early editing jobs? Whether you’re freelance or full time, chances are you’ll perform in a mixed capacity, writing some material and editing some. The days of  “pure” editing work and the duties associated with it are slipping away, but more experienced editors can still...
Read more »