Kate Wood

This is a good read. My take is: I like to include some kind of spelling and grammar check in my team's editing process. What does this extra set of mechanical eyes bring? Well, it's excellent for catching rogue curly quotes, unintended double spaces, repeated repeated words, and other hard-to-spot issues. It lets the human editors concentrate on the more interesting challenges of line editing, say. As humans, we do make mistakes, too! We can get too close to a text to see it with truly fresh eyes. Spell checkers don't have that issue. But they also don't have the context to understand when, in dialogue, a writer plays with "incorrect" language to shape different character voices, for example. Effective editing is a balancing act of objective correctness and subjective meaning, especially in fiction. Automated systems can help with the first (also not perfectly, I'll note), but with the second? Not so much. The tool doesn't build the house--the builder does.

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I am launching a new Substack newsletter for writers called "Writing is the Way." If you have always wanted to be a writer but don't know where to start, this is for you. If you are a seasoned writer with decades of experience, this is for you, too. "Writing is the Way" is a place where anyone with a story within them can find advice and inspiration. First post will be up tomorrow morning. Please subscribe to get notified every time I post. #writers #writing #newsletter #motivation #forwriters #amwriting #storytellers #poets #bloggers #writingtips #joinme

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Guest Post: Designing an Efficient Workspace: Tips for Writers and Creatives via Digital Pubbing #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/eim5TkGv

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How to Fix Big Story Problems via Writers Helping Writers #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/egygij7u

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You probably know your MBTI (Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator)  But do you know your ILBS type? 👇👇👇 To help you identify your LinkedIn type, I’ve developed the ILBS (Inflated Language BS Scale). Here are the 4 types: I: Inflator: Masters of hyperbole, these folks can turn a simple project into a heroic story. F - Frustrated Aficionado: These are the seasoned freelancers who know their craft, but are trying to figure out how to escape the loop of needing followers for engagement and needing engagement to gain followers. W: Wisdom Warrior: These people are convinced they hold the keys to success and are generous (or annoying) enough to share their knowledge — often in posts that are longer than a CVS receipt. A: Annoy-bot: With the help of their chatbot cousins, these people flood your feed with so many updates, endorsements, and connection requests, you wonder if they ever sleep. My ILBS type is F.  I also share editing tips and common typos. ✍️ My Meyers-Briggs is INTJ. #humor #editing #proofreading

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Take a big step forward in embracing accessibility and inclusion best practices by making your PDFs accessible using this actionable 8-step guide!

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A useful resource for aspiring writers - this is a great blog - I’d recommend signing up for their e mails as there’s always something useful. Learning never ends 😊 #TBWRWritingTips

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What people say when you mention you're a #writer. "Fiction or non-fiction?" Uh... insurance stuff? I guess that's non-fiction, since it's legally approved. 🤷‍♀️😂 #comtentwriter #contentwriting #uxwriter #copywriter #copywriting #content

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Technical writers have been underappreciated and disregarded by engineers for decades, despite their critical role in product development and user understanding. Contrary to popular belief, technical writing requires both linguistic skills and a deep understanding of the technical domain and target audience. Check out the link below to see what you can learn. #technicalwriting #techwriters https://lnkd.in/gYguX2r8 

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Sometimes the messiest documents I edit are the ones with multiple authors. They’re usually very well-written. But it doesn’t matter how great the individual writers are: the more hands making changes in the document, the more variation creeps in. When I have a multi-author doc, here’s what I keep a super-close eye on: ❇ Muddled voice and tone. This is the biggest one with writing teams. It’s also the trickiest to fix. When there are noticeable variations in tone, I use the style guide to help impose consistency. ❇ Wonky numbering. Tables and figures, sections, and appendices often get added or moved around by different writers. If there are lots of numbered items, I’ll do a pass of the whole document just for numbering. In longer documents this can be hours of work all by itself. ❇ Haphazard use of ampersands. Some people love these little beasts, and others never use them. I always seem to find at least a couple of random ampersands lurking in headings or captions. ❇ Inconsistent abbreviations. Are we using LGBTQIA+ or 2S/LGBTQ? Should it be "PHAC" or “the PHAC"? It can be hard for one writer to keep track of these details, let alone a team of writers. I keep a close eye on these things in EVERY document, of course 😊 But when more than one person has created the text, it’s more likely that I’ll find errors in consistency. Do you write in a team? What editing challenges do you have when collaborating? #editing #communications #nonprofits *** If you don’t want to worry about these kinds of details, I can help! I'm Jenny, a professional editor who helps nonprofits and other organizations. DM me to inquire about my availability.

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Check out my blog post all about "ing" words. I LOVE "ing" words and use them all the time...then, I found out they are bad! https://wix.to/RRSAr2q #newblogpost https://wix.to/7VeZQI6

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#TuesdayTips: Tighten Your Prose Great writing often comes from great editing. One of the best ways to improve your writing is to eliminate redundant words and phrases. Look for areas where you can be more concise without losing meaning. This will make your writing more precise and impactful. Think of editing as sculpting—removing the excess to reveal the masterpiece within. A professional editor can assist in this process, ensuring your work is polished and compelling. #EditingTips #WriteBetter #ClearWriting #ProfessionalEditing #BookEditing #TellYourBestStory

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People who haven't worked with proofreaders may assume that we look for only misspellings, punctuation mistakes, and incorrect grammar. While we are laser-focused on all of those things, another aspect we pay close attention to is consistency. A manuscript needs to be consistent in terms of style, how words are spelled, and plot details. The best editors build style sheets as they work, which helps them to keep all these things straight. Here's an example from a manuscript I'm currently working on. *WARNING: The following mentions suicide.* The beginning of the manuscript describes a tragic suicide, the details of which aren't mentioned again until the end. When I arrived at the end, I noticed something minor that had changed since its first mention. Thankfully it was easy to confirm my suspicion of this minor plot inconsistency with a quick consultation to my style sheet. Even the best writers make small mistakes like this; writing a book is hard work after all. That's why it's always a good idea to hire an editor or proofreader to help you with things such as internal consistency of facts. I'm Timothy, a fiction editor. My calendar is packed for the remainder of the year, but if you're looking for an editor for 2025, I'd love to start chatting now. I provide free sample edits so we can see if we're a good fit. Happy writing! Timothy #amediting #writingcommunity #editing #copyediting #proofreading #books #fiction 

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