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Making Defensible Edits

What does defensible mean? In copyediting, an edit can be defensible because it is correct: that is, because Merriam-Webster dictionary says that a word is spelled a certain way or because the Chicago Manual of Style recommends that a sentence be punctuated in a certain way or because a publisher’s house style requires a certain…
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7 Common Client Red Flags for Freelance Editors

Why should we be informed of some of the common client red flags for freelance editors? Since we want to weed out potentially troublesome clients before they make our lives miserable, or at least I do, it’s a good idea to have some weed-killing processes in place. For example, requiring a nonrefundable deposit means that…
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Using what’s in a story to edit it

A question newer editors often ask is, “How can I edit a manuscript and suggest solutions to problems without turning my recommendations into ‘here’s how I would write it’?” And I have a lot of advice about that, including understanding editorial methodologies and frameworks, but my main piece of guidance is to use what’s already…
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Making setting an extension of character development

Authors have a tendency to prefer focusing on character and/or plot at the expense of setting/world-building. (The exception is some SFF writers, who focus on setting and forget about plot and character.) So as editors we will often call that out and say something like, “Add a little description here. Otherwise it’s like Miles and…
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What topic should your information product cover?

You’ve probably heard that to get people to sign up for your newsletter list, you should create an information product of some sort (an ebook, a white paper, a collection of templates) to give away in return for their signing up for your newsletter. This is certainly a tried-and-true strategy (and I do it myself…
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