Topic: Editing Specializations

Narrative arc roughly describes the way stories in English-language cultures flow: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, climax, resolution. (Different cultures tell stories in different ways and with different goals. Narrative arc does not apply to storytelling across all cultures.) Creative nonfiction uses the same structure as fiction, but whereas fiction authors create a compelling arc […]

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As editor in chief for an institutional magazine about particle physics and astrophysics, Kathryn Jepsen has spent a lot of time thinking about how to tell stories about science. In this talk, learn about four different story structures: the news story, the explainer, the feature, and the profile. Come away with an understanding of the […]

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Conscious language is a growing area of interest for editors, and it applies to fiction as well as nonfiction. Language in fiction (in both narration and dialogue) that is sexist, racist, ageist, ableist, homophobic, or transphobic, although it may seek to reflect real life and further the story, can be harmful to readers. At the […]

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When teaching authors how good fiction works, you can go through elements of writerly craft, and often that’s what they wanted and they’ll go away happy. Sometimes, though, they want more: how craft came to be and the secret mechanics underpinning it. Often, this ends with a recommendation to study psychology, in the hopes that […]

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Beyond proofreading and copy editing the text in comics, editing the art and design of the lettering is an integral responsibility of comic book editors. This is where stylistic editing comes into play as it considers factors such as: Why composition, clarity, consistency, and purpose are key to the art of lettering How important spatial […]

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As adults, we may think of children’s picture books as short and simple. Kidlit editors know that they’re anything but. Editing for children is a joyful, engaging niche—but picture books come with editorial considerations that can differ from those in other fields of literature. As an editor and an author, I’ve been on both sides […]

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Almost every first-time author approaches an editor when they believe their manuscript is finished and ready for the finishing touches—and almost every first-time author is wrong. What’s an editor to do? Consider adding manuscript evaluations to the menu of services you provide. Without running up a big tab, the author can get a realistic appraisal […]

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Book Coaching is a relatively new profession that has sprung up in recent years to replace the support publishing houses no longer provide to writers. But how does book coaching differ from the services editors provide? Can anyone call themselves a book coach, and what exactly do they do for writers? A vibrant community of […]

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Two years and many books are between Book One and Book Two. You pick up the second book’s manuscript to edit it — and you freeze. Who was that minor character, again? What were we doing? When did Main Character get that scar? That’s one scenario where a good concordance can save you time, headaches […]

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This webinar will provide a step-by-step guide to build your online publication. Whether it’s an indie magazine, a personal passion project or an editorial extension to your brand, you’ll receive practical tools for launching your publication and growing its presence over time. You’ll be led through essential initial steps such as finding your editorial voice, […]

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In this webinar, attendees will be introduced to the exciting world of cookbook and recipe editing. Lauren will cover the basics of editing recipes and speak to some of the unique challenges associated with this niche. Topics include best practices for editing ingredient lists and methods, how to address special sections and what to include […]

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Whether you’re working with scripts, rough sketches, or nearly final art, even the most visual of stories can be aided by an editor’s sharp eye. Learn how to incorporate art directions in your developmental editing, balance text with art in stylistic editing, and proofread with roughs and finished pieces. This course will teach you how to tackle the art portion of an art-based story with confidence.

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Book series can be lucrative endeavours for indie authors and publishers alike, but they also come with their own challenges. In this two-part webinar, you will learn about how editing a series differs from editing an individual book.

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Many editors and medical communicators stumble into working on manuscripts for scientific or medical journals, with little to no training on how to perform a good edit and what’s needed to shepherd a manuscript from draft to submission.

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One day your long-term client in the marketing field will entrust you with a "tiny contract" or "very easy confidentiality agreement." Whether we want it or not, legal documents come knocking on our doors. Are you ready?

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In this webinar, geared towards developmental editors, Andrew Hodges and Genevieve Clovis will guide you through approaches to worldbuilding theory and practice.

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This webinar uses scenario-based discussions to explore issues of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). We know that language is constantly evolving to reflect rapidly changing social interactions and dynamics. How do we, as editors and publishing professionals, keep up with these changes? How do we express our flexibility, our willingness to change, in our work? What are the issues we need to be aware of as we consider EDI and accessibility? By the end of the webinar, participants will have an understanding of EDI issues most relevant to editing and publishing, and practice how editors can help shape language with an eye to inclusion and justice.

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This two-part webinar will introduce attendees to medical-legal report editing and provide tips and tricks for success in this interesting and expanding field.

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Here’s the question that will change the trajectory of your career: Should you be a generalist or a specialist? Being a specialist and “niching down” means selecting an area to focus your editing practice, rather than being a generalist and taking any project that comes your way. It may feel counterintuitive, but niching down can help you get more clients, make more money, and build a bigger and better reputation as an expert and thought leader.

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Want to get your fiction manuscript into top shape, but don’t know where to start? Start here! This short series breaks down the fiction editing process into understandable and accessible chunks.

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This webinar will walk the totally terrified through the basics of editing poetry—from developing an understanding of what poetry might be, to identifying fundamental elements and building a lexicon to describe editorial feedback.

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Editing craft patterns is a fascinating and multi-faceted challenge, requiring a review of the actual design, a confirmation of the clarity and accuracy of the instructions, and a good old copyedit. In this session, experienced knitting technical editor Kate Atherley will talk about the work – what it entails and how to go about doing it; and how to get the work – what skills and experience you require, and how to get started. Whether you’re an editor with an interest in craft, or a crafter with an interest in editing, this session will have you looking at the instructions in a whole new way.

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Self-editing can be a daunting task for fiction writers, whether they are new or seasoned authors. This webinar is for fiction writers at any stage in their career and for editors looking to help fiction clients with self-editing. In this session you will learn general revision strategies, specific methods for large-scale editing and sentence-level editing, […]

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Want to start editing scientific and engineering documents? Learn how from the best! With 20 years of experience as an international science writer and editor, Christa Bedwin knows the unique challenges of working in these fields. This webinar will help boost your confidence and prepare you for this new challenge. The webinar will cover important style guides and resources, special industry and government needs, unique issues to keep in mind when editing STEM documents, and tips to effectively communicate edits to scientists.

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