Editing the page — stand by

What's new
  • My fourth webinar on using, loving, and sometimes ignoring your style guide is scheduled for October 10, and you can sign up directly through this website. The Latest In Style: Updates To AP, CMOS And More is a 90-minute session (with time for answers). I've also prepared a two-page handout with most of the important updates.
  • Style guide changes were the subject a Copyediting webinar, available here and a free webinar for members of ACES: The Society for Editing, which is available with membership.
  • I can also bring your editorial department up to speed on changes in the Associated Press Stylebook and Chicago Manual of Style. Check here for a customized presentation.
  • I presented 79 Tips for On-Your-Feet Editing at the 2018 ACES National Conference in Chicago.
  • If "they" is singular, does "themself" naturally follow? I wrote about the question in a blog entry.
  • I examine the penultimate paragraph of The Great Gatsby in a blog entry. This is a topic I discuss with my Advanced Copyediting students at UCSD Extension.
  • I ran the American Copy Editors Society national conference in St. Pete, Florida.
  • I presented Mnemonize Your Word Choices, a pecha kucha, (20 slides, 20 seconds each) at the ACES 2016. The handout contains dozens of mnemonics.

Questions I am frequently asked

Do I affect the effect or the other way around?

The noun is usually "effect," and "affect" is usually the verb. As verbs, to "affect" is to influence and to "effect" is to bring about, as in "effect change," meaning create change.

 

Did I lay down or lie down?

You "lay" something. Annoyingly, "lay" also is the past tense of "lie." If you just took a nap, you say "I lay down for a bit."  Many people say "I laid down for a bit," but we usually reserve "laid" for when there is an object involved: "She laid the scissors on the mantel."

 

Is it ever OK to use "they" to refer to an individual

We do it all the time in speech. In writing, it would sure be useful, wouldn't it? You will find that sticklers stickle, but "they" as a singular, genderless pronoun is gaining acceptance.

 

Beside or besides? Toward or towards?

"Beside" means physically next to. "Besides" means "other than." They used to be interchangeable, but they've grown distinct. Most -ward words are interchangeable, but Americans tend to leave off the "s" while British English writers tend to leave it on.

 

If I'm talking about a cat, is it "awe cute"? "aww, cute"?

Awe traditionally is fear, respect, wonder. Awesome things are usually not fear-inducing these days, but as awesome as your cat may be, you are looking for "aw, cute." Some dictionaries accept "aww, cute" for particularly cute cats.

Click for more FAQs

Clarity through copy editing

A good copy editor takes on the  role of reader, making sure the author’s point is understood. A good copy editor helps the author and reader connect.

 

Knowledge to share

Presentations range from a seven-minute look at confusable words to day-long workshops on writing, copy-editing, grammar, style guides, and other topics. I'm available via webinar or in person.

 

Writing that makes the point

Projects include researching and writing  marketing documents, business-to-business letters and newsletters, and internal newsletters. I also researched and wrote an institutional history book.

Mark Allen was the first freelance copy editor elected to the executive board of the ACES: The Society for Editing in 2012. He also is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the American Society of Business Publication Editors, and the Society for Editors and Proofreaders.
Rates are competitive, based on ranges published by the Editorial Freelancers Association and an estimate of the hours involved. We can chat about your budget and make a plan for what will work best. I can also provide proofreading, formatting, and design services.

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Some very nice things (some about me) on Twitter

Copyright 2017 Mark Allen Editorial LLC

Mark Allen was the first freelance copy editor elected to the executive board of the ACES: The Society for Editing in 2012. He also is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the American Society of Business Publication Editors, and the Society for Editors and Proofreaders.
Rates are competitive, based on ranges published by the Editorial Freelancers Association and an estimate of the hours involved. We can chat about your budget and make a plan for what will work best. I can also provide proofreading, formatting, and design services.