In December, I packed my Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) in a box that won’t be opened for at least twelve months. Sounds blasphemous, doesn’t it? Don’t worry—it’s in good company, alongside my beloved Canadian Oxford Dictionary. Unfortunately, they take up too much space in my luggage, which holds everything Read more…
At the feisty age of sixteen, I was given an opportunity to study in Switzerland. My intention was to improve my French skills, but after committing, I found out that the only exchange spot was in Bern, the country’s German-speaking capital. My teenage determination told me I could learn the Read more…
When I was an editorial assistant, my first mentor suggested that editors have the difficult job of preserving the author’s voice, while improving the quality of the text to get it into the shape and format required for submission. And this is to be done without upsetting the author—many authors Read more…
Yee-Lum Mak, Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from around the World (Chronicle Books, 2016). Jungian analyst Robert Johnson’s oft-quoted words from his book The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden have stayed with me: “Sanskrit has 96 words for love, ancient Persian has 80, Greek three, and English only Read more…
The Master of Publishing program was ground breaking when it launched in 1995 at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Using recommendations by an industry advisory board, the University worked hard to create “ready-to-go” employees who would respond to the needs of the publishing industry long before anyone had dreamed of Read more…
This is the first in a series of articles on technology as related to editing. Whether you work in-house or freelance, chances are you’ll eventually be called upon to work while on vacation or otherwise travelling. Fortunately, editing is the sort of work that can be done remotely with relative Read more…
Our anthem has been updated! It’s gotten royal assent! If you haven’t yet, you will need to get used to singing “true patriot love in all of us command.” And, perhaps less frequently, to hearing people complain about the change. Some will contest the grammar: “Shouldn’t it be ‘in all Read more…
Recent Comments