Three decades of usage
In 1989 things seemed fresh. The Berlin Wall came down. Reagan finally left the White House. Seinfeld hit TV screens; so did The Simpsons. New Kids on the Block were actually new. For me 1989 marked a fresh start. At…
New Year’s resolutions
’Tis the season of New Year’s resolutions—with a constant stream of articles, TV and radio news stories, and online clickbait telling us what we need to do to have better health, better productivity, and a better life in 2019. I’ve…
Happy 60th, BCMJ!
Congratulations to the BC Medical Journal on 60 years as the flagship publication of Doctors of BC. For a good many of those years, the journal has been a favoured client of ours. Claudette Upton, a founding member of WCEA, served…
It’s cool to be kind
One of the best editing tips of all time, and one I apply in every project, is to begin query letters and emails to writers with a compliment before launching into the many surprising and creative ways the author may…
Story and structure: Opening our minds
At an October 2017 seminar in Vancouver, Greg Younging treated editors and other publishing folk to a sneak peek at his forthcoming book, Elements of Indigenous Style. Since the book hit stores in February 2018, it’s been sailing off the…
Aids to editing
When I’m not editing, one of my favourite activities is horseback riding. For 10 years I owned my own horse, Cannon, a retired Quarter Horse “schoolmaster” with a huge personality—think Alistair Cooke with a glass of port and a wry…
Certifiably proud
We are beyond proud of partner Lana Okerlund, who has some new initials after her name: CPE. Lana has passed her final Editors Canada certification test, which means she has inserted, deleted, recast, suggested, transposed, restructured, queried, and stetted her…
Crisis time management: Are you ready?
Over the many years of my editing career and teaching editing courses, I have counselled hundreds of would-be freelancers on how to succeed. My short advice is simple: “Show up. Deliver.” I’ve worked with and hired enough freelance editors myself…
BC bestsellers
We're always thrilled to see a book we have worked on appear on the BC Bestseller List, and especially when it hits the number-one spot. That is the case with A Matter of Confidence, by Richard Zussman and Rob Shaw, which…
Handing over the red pencil
People often get a deeper insight into their profession when their table turns: teacher becomes student, doctor becomes patient, or, in my case, editor becomes writer. I’ve been writing for years and have been edited plenty of times. My graduate…