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By Suzy Bills and DeAnna Burghart Perfectionism can be one of your greatest assets as an editor, motivating you to perform at your highest level and to examine even the smallest details to ensure accuracy. But perfectionist tendencies can also cause intense stress, prevent you from starting on a project, and even create mental blocks…

By Mark Allen This article originally appeared in the Copyediting newsletter as part of a series of “show and tell” articles describing the process of copy editing problematic passages. The original text is presented first so you can try your hand at making corrections before reading on. I have a jar on my desk where…

By Brady Jones I found LGBTQ literature much later in life than I’d be proud to admit. Just a few years ago, in fact. But if you knew my small-town, western Nebraska upbringing, that wouldn’t really surprise you. I loved reading when I was a kid, meeting new people and characters both—real and imagined—and following…

By Wanjiku Migichi Imagine being asked to edit a manuscript that is so poorly written that you know it shouldn’t proceed to the editorial level. Maybe the manuscript is poorly organized, or maybe the writing would demand painstakingly substantial revisions. What do you do as an editor? Here are a few tips on how to…

By Aubrey Nagle If you’ve spent any time in a newsroom, you’ve likely encountered a dispute between reporter and editor over whether a single word is the most objective and accurate choice. It’s a ubiquitous argument because journalists are, after all, wordsmiths who should care deeply that their work be unbiased. But this premise assumes…

By David Yontz Many copy editors have a reflexive dislike of the words utilize and impact. Sure, we’re trained to detest corporate-speak, but should we, in a Newspeak-like canceling of words, always change utilize to use? Is there always a better word than impact? In short, no. Consider this example: The Dodgers are going to…

By Andy Hollandbeck Diphthong is one of those words that occasionally come up in a grade school English class. Maybe we more or less understand what a diphthong is — something to do with vowel mash-ups — but for the most part, except for those who go into linguistics or phonology, it’s a word that…

By Adrienne Montgomerie My colleague edited with me for 14 years and still wouldn’t call herself an editor. I, myself, found I was saying “Why are editors asking my opinion?” Our mentor had to shake us and say “You are now senior editors!” After all those years, we still didn’t feel legit. We still felt…