As an author, you’re likely pretty familiar with the concept of “writing style.” However, you might know less about “editorial style.” Where writing s...

Imagine you’re a dentist, and someone comes into your office seeking help with a bothersome tooth. You establish that the tooth needs a crown—and, luc...

I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of genres—as a reader, you’ll know which genres you enjoy and gravitate toward, and as a writer and author, ...

There are many resources out there on the internet for how authors can utilize social media—for marketing books, connecting with publishers and agents...

When most people think of “editing,” they probably think of things like fixing spelling, correcting grammar, and tightening up sentence structure. How...

So, you’ve taken your first steps to starting your career as a freelance editor—that’s great! You may have just finished your first paid project or tw...

As someone who likes to see writers get into print, I am particularly interested in the growth of the self-publishing community and the opportunities ...

The process of editing your work can be trying, difficult, and frustrating...but it can also be rewarding, enlightening, and satisfying. This month, w...

This week, in our series on artificial intelligence, I’m looking at AI tools and how these might be affecting our editing practice. While these new to...

This book is for everyone—nonfiction authors and editors alike. It is clearly written and covers the essential steps of editing a manuscript in short,...

In a departure from the other books reviewed in this series, a wonderful collection of editorial “how-to” manuals and grammar guides, Diana Athill’s S...

I recently had the pleasure of reading Steve Dunham’s The Editor’s Companion: An Indispensable Guide to Editing Books, Magazines, Online Publications,...

I must admit that I was pretty excited to read Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know about What Editors Do. The book is a collection of essays...

There’s never a bad time to refresh your writing skills, and now is as good a time as ever (especially if you’re finding yourself with some extra time...

Pretty much everyone uses punctuation marks in their day-to-day life, whether it’s in texts, emails, professional communications, business writing, le...

As you can imagine, there are a lot of rules to remember when it comes to editing: rules for punctuation, sentence structure, capitalization, word usa...

Summer is just around the corner, and in addition to higher temperatures and long-awaited vacation time, many editorial professionals are looking forw...

A synopsis—what is it, really? Well, to put it simply, a synopsis is a brief overview of your larger work. For a nonfiction manuscript, a synopsis cou...

A famous editor might sound like a contradiction in terms to some, but for those plugged into the literary world there are a few names that pop up tim...

As editors, we at TEC are well aware of the ins and outs of working with the varying needs of each of our clients and helping them navigate the editin...

When you’re an author looking for an editor, it can be difficult to gauge what, exactly, an editor does. After all, there are multiple types of editin...

The holidays are fast approaching, and there is lots to do! Gift shopping, holiday baking, cleaning, decorating, scheduling visits with family an...

To continue with our "Ask the Editor" theme, we thought it would be helpful to revisit this blog dispelling some of the most common myths surrounding ...

If you’re at the stage where you’re working with an editor, congratulations, you’ve made it a long way! You are now one step closer to completing your...

Your first meeting with your editor is important, as it can really set the tone for your working relationship. This is your chance to show that you’ve...

Editors, much like authors, tend to have specific areas of focus. Even among editors who consider themselves generalists, their literary preferences a...

So, you’re ready to start the editing process and need to find the editor who will be the best fit for you. First of all, congratulations! The time yo...

The recent heat wave provided ample opportunity to enjoy a frosty beverage or two either on a patio or within the confines of one’s air-conditioned ho...

As a human being, language is one of the most influential tools that you have. As with everything in life, language evolves and you need to ensure tha...

When it comes to learning more about how editors and authors work together, you might find that there is a lot of content out there that paints editor...

Chances are, if you produce written documents on a daily basis—whether professional reports, personal projects, school-related work (such as dissertat...

Writing a good play is hard work but by learning a few tricks in Microsoft Word, playwrights can make the process of formatting scripts easier. Like b...

TEC has had a number of dissertations cross our desks over the past few months, and working on these important documents is always a process that requ...

The process of editing your work can be trying, difficult, and frustrating...but it can also be rewarding, enlightening, and satisfying. This month, w...

It’s 2022, and the start of a new year may be enough for you to feel inspired to tick off some of the items on your to-do list. If one of the items on...

There’s never a bad time to refresh your writing skills, and now is as good a time as ever (especially if you’re finding yourself with some extra ...

Well, 2021 is coming to an end (where did the year go, exactly?), and as 2022 approaches, it’s hard not to look back on the past year and think about ...

Writing fiction and non-fiction presents trade-specific challenges to authors, and editors provide valuable advice that can help turn a manuscript int...

As humans, we know that receiving critiques and feedback isn’t always easy to do. No one likes to be told that something you did (or are doing) is wro...

In this blog from the archives, we discuss how the exchanges between author and editor become a conversation between the two as a manuscript goes thro...

Pretty much everyone uses punctuation marks in their day-to-day life, whether it’s in texts, emails, professional communications, business writing, le...

The ways that linguistic conventions change over time are sometimes obvious. New dialects and turns of phrase crop up, and many of them gradually chan...

Not too long ago, I was asked about the best piece of editing advice I ever received. I had actually only recently had an epiphany about this, so I re...

Why Do We Fact-Check?   As The Chicago Manual of Style points out, in publishing, the author is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of a work. A...

In this blog from the archives, our former editor Jean Mathew walks us through her experience of creating and editing her first comic book. The artwor...

The process of working on any manuscript presents a range of concerns specific to the manuscript’s intended genre, so don’t get caught with your space...

The first step in preparing a document for publication is the copyediting of the work. The majority of copyediting tasks today are carried out on-scre...

As editors, we at TEC are well aware of the ins and outs of working with each of our clients and helping them navigate the editing process.   We als...

Here at TEC, it’s our job to provide our clients with the best guidance and advice in the editing and flow of their documents. Recently, we had a clie...

Editorial work entails a variety of different jobs. These include substantive editing, line editing, and proofreading. Because the process of editoria...

Ryerson University’s Publishing Program is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year!    Founded in 1990, the Certificate in Publishing is the larg...

Although there are some who would advocate for a world free of passive-voice constructions, an all-out ban on this wrongfully maligned verbal form wou...

Picture this: you’re an author who has just sent your first manuscript off to an editor for a professional copy edit. Eventually, the editor returns t...

For our blog just a few weeks ago I was asked about the best piece of editing advice I ever received. I had actually only recently had an epiphany abo...

niche /niːʃ/  noun 1.  a shallow recess, esp. in a wall to contain a statue etc. 2.  a comfortable or suitable position in life or employment. 3. ...

Here at The Editing Company, we occasionally have to answer a familiar question from an inquiring caller: “How can you guarantee perfection?” This is ...

Spring is here, and as the trees start to bud, and the snowdrops and crocuses start to poke their green tips out of the dirt, it’s hard not to think a...

Like any profession, editorial work involves keeping up with how professional standards and tools of the trade change over time. Unlike aviation stand...

As an editor, remaining empathetic and sensitive to the author's needs will always be important. So, we decided to revisit this blog from earlier in t...

Editing training can teach you many things – grammar intricacies, plotting, structuring, developing proper flow, etc. But there’s more to being an edi...

Editorial work entails a variety of different jobs. These include substantive editing, line editing, and proofreading. Because the process of editoria...

Punctuation marks are the signposts of prose. They indicate what’s important and where to pause. They add rhythm to your sentences. They help your rea...

Emphatic writing allows writers the opportunity to drive home the importance of letters, words, phrases, sentences, and ideas. Aside from mechanical c...

In this week's blog, we decided to share some of the most basic editing rules that editors must remember to follow, regardless of what type of text th...

Citing sources from the internet is something most academic writers do all the time; papers can be written without consulting a single sheet of paper....

We thought we would repost former TEC Editor Melissa’s blog this week to help us review four of the most common punctuation-related errors or inconsis...

Your business documents are vital to getting your message across, differentiating your organization from others, and reflecting your brand. Never befo...

At TEC, we work with our clients to organize, edit, and lay out their documents – which are short publications like information guides, professional C...

We use different tenses all the time: I am listening to music. I went to the store on Saturday. I will make broccoli tonight. I am waiting for the tel...

November has rolled around again, which can only mean one thing (for students, anyway): midterms and papers are coming up and will be due before the w...

As anyone who edits (or writes) non-fiction knows, few things are as frustratingly difficult to keep straight as acronyms and initialisms. Two weeks a...

It has been considered a usual style to shorten words in order to save time or space for some time now. Some of us will remember acronyms and initiali...

Over the years, TEC has grown, acquiring new editors and a new office. One of TEC’s greatest strengths is that its editors work together in the same r...

Although you’re unlikely to find many writers or editors willing to give up the hard copies of their dictionaries or style and usage guides, working a...

Editors Canada’s website describes its mission statement thus, “Editors Canada promotes professional editing as a key in producing effective communica...

Having your thesis or dissertation edited by a professional editor can be an incredibly valuable investment. After all, a graduate degree is typically...

As an icebreaker activity in one of my publishing courses, a teacher asked us to give our names, what we liked to read for fun, and what our favourite...

The most common mistakes with grammar often involve seemingly simple things. In English, possession is indicated using an apostrophe and, usually, an ...

A famous editor might sound like a contradiction in terms to some, but for those plugged into the literary world there are a few names that pop up tim...

In 2009, “unfriend” was the Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year, leading to teeth-gnashing of grammar purists across the world. How could th...

There are many myths out there about the editing profession, and there are many myths about editors. An editor is many things, so we know that what we...

January is the time of year when we begin hearing from students who need help with their dissertations, theses, and papers. To help them out, we're re...

Although you’re unlikely to find many writers or editors willing to give up the hard copies of their dictionaries or style and usage guides, working a...

  Citing sources from the internet is something most academic writers do all the time; papers can be written without consulting a single sheet o...

  The publishing world has well-developed rules and guidelines for describing and citing work that exists as printed text. Things can be less cl...

      The postgraduate student researching the rise of postmodernism in the postwar period found herself with post-traumatic stress ...

The Latin word ibidem, better known these days by its short form ibid., is one of the technical tools of academic writing and editing. Literally meani...

dramaturgy n. 1 the art of theatrical production; the theory of dramatics. 2 the application of this. dramaturgical adj.   ~Paperback Oxfo...

  Having worked as a freelance writer and editor in Toronto, Grey County, and now the Hamilton area, I've had the opportunity to learn about...

Editing is hard work, and sometimes it's nice to take a break from editing a particularly difficult piece of text and have a bit of fun. I've collecte...

Did you know that for TEC's tenth anniversary, we are running a promotion where you can get a free consultation with our Senior Editor, Beth, to discu...

In celebration of the 17th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (both hard copy and digital editions) we thought it would be appropriate t...

This week, we wanted to re-post one of our most consistently popular blogs: Barbara's 2015 blog on hyphenation! Even two years later, it's always at t...

    Remember Groucho Marx's famous quip? "One morning I shot an elephant in my pyjamas. How he got into my pyjamas I'll never know.&q...

TEC has had a number of dissertations cross our desks over the past few months, and working on these important documents is always a process that requ...

  Having your thesis or dissertation edited by a professional editor can be an incredibly valuable investment. After all, a graduate degree is...

  We at TEC welcome phone calls from our potential clients looking for guidance about the editing process and the cost of editing. When we recei...

Could your academic writing use a good de-cluttering?   While doing structural editing for a client—especially with graduate students&...

  What does it mean when we say an author is "working" the manuscript? It means that we recognize that the author is making the time...

The holiday season is like a mercifully distant relative who visits only once a year; I am always glad to see her arrive and always gladder to see her...

As one of our Academic Editors here at TEC, I've recently been working on a lot of graduate theses and dissertations, helping students to shape what t...

At this year's EAC conference, a major theme was professional development and keeping up-to-date. Just as a physicist must keep abreast of advances an...

Last week was a very exciting event for editors in Canada (and around the world)--the 2015 EAC International Conference, "Editing Goes Global,&qu...

  In the last “Ask the Editor” blog, I talked about bringing an editor on board before you’ve even started writing the book, a...

We posted this blog in 2015, but the information below is timeless! If you're looking to write a book, or have started already, reaching out to an edi...

They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So when I recently came upon a text riddled with hyphens popped in willy-nilly where th...

Recently, we posted our second eBook publication, The Author's Guide to the Pre-Publishing Editing Process. In this blog and a few to follow, we want ...

As 2015 rolls around, our use of social media continues to grow. Now, more than ever before, authors (both academic and non-academic) are citing socia...

Here at The Editing Company, we occasionally have to answer a familiar question from an inquiring caller: “How can you guarantee perfection?&rdq...

  Editing. It sounds like a simple process, but what many people don’t realize is there are actually a few types of editing that aim t...

Leafing through past issues of The Editorial Eye, I am offered a glimpse of what it might have been like to be an editor in the 1990s. These issues ...

The Editorial Eye was a professional newsletter for editors and writers published by the Editorial Experts, Inc. in Alexandria, Virginia. I began su...

“Tracking Change: e-Merging Methods and Markets” was the theme of the Editors’ Association of Canada Conference held in Toronto th...

So, you’ve decided you want to be an editor. You love books, working with words, and maybe even enjoy all the grammar rules that might drive o...

I wanted to write about punctuation marks and symbols because I’m fascinated by their use. When used correctly — that is, according to s...

From the Jersey Shore (anyone up for GTL?) to high government offices (the GOP signed an MOA with the DED!), abbreviations are handy little tools ...

One of the first booklets I read as an editor starting out was Author & Editor: A Working Guide, written by Rick Archbold, Doug Gibson, Dennis Lee...

Editing isn’t for everyone. It can be quite strenuous and demanding, as well as rewarding and satisfying. Those of us who are editors know that ...

With the rise of self-publishing, more and more authors are able to bypass traditional avenues and get their books directly to their readers. Instead ...

I fell in love with the footnote when I was an undergraduate in Montreal. I was learning to write academic essays: first in English literature and the...

At The Editing Company, each time we begin a new editing project, we make sure we have a style sheet to guide our work. What is important to know, and...

It’s not an easy world for new editors out there. The publishing industry is changing while job markets everywhere are suffering. And yet, if yo...

Happy Canada Day and Happy Pride Day! It’s July and summer has arrived. We’ve been keeping busy through May and June with new and ongoin...

Editors and writers: some see them as bitter enemies, some describe a beautiful partnership—and some say that editors are just writers who&rsq...

We thought we’d give you a quick overview of some of the projects we’ve been working on here at The Editing Company. We’re keeping...

An apology to our readers! We know we are late in posting a blog. In fact, we are seriously out of sync. We have reasons for falling so behind, and ...

  Today is our last day at 360 Bloor St. West, Suite 507. The Editing Company is moving on Monday, November 1, 2010. They say that with a new ...

In my life outside of TEC, I also work as a sessional English instructor, meaning I am hired on a sessional (or semester by semester) basis to teach...

As an editor who works primarily for the Canadian market, I am amazed at all the subtle differences that separate Canadian and American English, and...

In last week’s blog, Camille mentioned her disdain for the use of the word “impact” as a verb. You’re definitely not in a on...

Crash blossoms: Headlines Gone Wrong Shealah Stratton   What’s a crash blossom, you ask? Ben Zimmer wrote an article about the phenome...

During my third year at university, the professor of one of my copy-editing courses began her first seminar by listing the names of several useful s...

  I get excited about proofreading. I approach a project as I would a puzzle or a game. The challenge for me is to find as many errors as possib...

When people ask what I do, it’s not uncommon for my response "I'm a copy editor" to elicit a blank or confused expression. Outsid...

Welcome! This is the official blog of The Editing Company.   The Editing Company team delivers high-quality editorial services to publishers,...