The case for “you”
In workplace writing, addressing readers as “you” and “your” will help them understand and use information.
Writing with the right tone
If you write workplace documents, you need to think about tone.
High standards for plain language and editing
Coming soon: two new plain language standards to help readers find, understand, and use information.
A 12-step plan for publishing a corporate or personal history book
Producing a corporate or personal history book can be daunting to those new to the publishing process.
The everyday practice of plain language
At the beginning of plain language workshops for workplace writers, I like to show a photo of an outdoor water feature located near a busy retail corner in Vancouver. In particular, I want people to see the sign on the…
Happy 40th, CJSAE!
Congratulations to the Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education on the recently published 40th-anniversary special edition! Since its inaugural issue in 1981, the peer-reviewed scholarly journal has been making significant contributions to the field of adult and continuing…
On mountains, spreadsheets, and becoming an editor
In the proofreading classes I teach at Simon Fraser University, and in conversations I have with people new to the editing profession, I often hear questions like “How do you get started as an editor?” “How do you get clients?”…
Celebrating a new book: The Larder of the Wise
Every so often, a project arrives that hits an editor’s sweet spot, the topic a perfect fit with the editor’s own interests. Such was the case with me and The Larder of the Wise: The Story of Vancouver’s James Inglis…
Storytelling in non-fiction business writing
While doing substantive edits of several business books this year, I found myself repeating the same thing over and over again to authors: “This section could use more of a storytelling style.” These books were about different business subjects, but…
Divine Threads: A silky, sumptuous look behind the scenes of Cantonese opera
What a huge delight it was to attend the February 28 launch of Divine Threads: The Visual and Material Culture of Cantonese Opera, by April Liu. The latest in a series of exquisite books co-published by Figure 1 and the…