15 Writing Tips from a Professional Editor

 Everyone approaches editing a little bit differently, but here are a few common things she always keeps an eye out for.

Let’s take a look at what they are.

1. Editors often expect writers to not accept a lot of the changes they mark within a document.

“We’re not grading a test; we’re flagging inconsistencies and potential errors to make sure they’re intentional. If you’re cool with 85-90% of my edits, I’m ecstatic,” she said.

2. If you self-edit, learn the ins and outs of a style guide such as AP or CMOS.

You’ll write more efficiently when you don’t stop to think about Oxford commas or whether that compound word should be hyphenated or fused.

3. Use only one space after a period or other punctuation.

“Two spaces are as dead as the printing presses on which they originated,” she said.

4. Put in the extra thought to avoid jargon and clichés. It’ll make your work more precise.

5. A “from” needs a “to.” No exceptions, not even when writing the time of an event.

6. “Since” and “due to” are not great synonyms for “because” or “because of.”

Colloquially, sure—but not in professional writing.

7. Refer to a government, a company, or a partnership as “it” and use a singular verb.

(The singular “they” is awesome, but it applies to people.)

8. Most words—including job titles, department names, and specialized technology—don’t need to be capitalized.

“A lot of capitalization orbiting out there on the web is meaningless unless you’re entering a password. There, I said it.”

9. Using simple language isn’t for the sake of your audience’s intellect; it’s about respecting their time.

10. Contrary to what the Bachelor franchise would have us believe, “I’s” is not a word.

To show compound possession, use “my”: “Britney’s and my first date.” If that feels awkward, swap in “our.”

11. Items in a list should share the same grammatical form.

This is called parallel structure, and it’s jarring when people get it wrong.

12. Em-dashes and en-dashes got their names because they’re, respectively, the same length as “m” and “n.”

Don’t use either one when you should use a hyphen, and vice versa.

13. Accuracy is currency.

Be credible with your sources or risk breaking the reader’s trust.

14. Grammar is more subjective than you might think.

Good editors understand nuance.

15. No one will read your work as closely as your copy editor.

(Well, except maybe your mom.) Relax and enjoy the attention!

Hope these tips are as helpful to you as they were for me!

And remember: Don't take edits personally.

When you work with an editor the goal is to produce the best possible piece. You're on the same team; not opponents.

 

From: https://www.kaleighmoore.com/blog/2021/6/24/15-writing-tips-from-a-professional-editor

The Semicolon

 

The semicolon is similar in name and appearance to the colon, but its function is unrelated; it serves as a weak period, as employed here, or as a strong comma, as shown in the next paragraph. In its weak-period guise, it marks the end of one statement and the beginning of another; however, it is appropriate in place of a period only if the second statement is closely related to or dependent on the first one. Note that when a semicolon appears in such a case, no coordinating conjunction (such as and or but) should follow it. (However, when the conjunctive adverb that begins this sentence, or others such as moreover or therefore, follows a semicolon, as occurs earlier in this paragraph, a comma should follow the word.)

A strong-comma semicolon is one used in place of two or more commas when the elements in a run-in list are themselves lists, as in this sentence: “The three most frequent color schemes in flags are red, white, and blue; red and white; and, tied for third place, red, yellow, and green and red, white, and green.” (Note that not all list items must include internal punctuation.)

Many writers are reluctant to use semicolons because they do not understand how to use the punctuation mark correctly or consider it overly formal, but its roles are simple and helpful.

How to Punctuate Introductory Phrases

 

With a comma. Always. Except when you don’t. Perhaps I should annotate that: In the overwhelming majority of cases, follow an introductory phrase at the beginning of a sentence with a comma.

Adverbial Conjunctions
Eight classes of adverbial conjunctions exist, and a comma should generally follow one in every class. Each of these sentences includes an example of one such part of speech from each class:

Addition: “Finally, I reached the station.”

Comparison: “Similarly, chickens are omnivores.”

Concession: “Naturally, you’ll want to see for yourself.”

(Note, however, that however isn’t always an adverbial conjunction. In this sentence, it’s an adverb modifying important: “However important you think it is, I’m not giving him the message right now.”)

Contrast: “Nevertheless, he didn’t go into detail.”

Emphasis: “Of course, she’ll be there, too.”

(An exception can be made for this particular phrase: There’s a subtle but distinct difference between “Of course, you’ll want to do it your way” and “Of course you’ll want to do it your way.” In the first sentence, your is stressed; in the second, course, perhaps accompanied by a sneer, is emphasized, with a secondary stress on your -- and likely an exclamation point to signal emotion.)

Example: “For instance, the floor was swept but not mopped.”

Summary: “In conclusion, I recommend that we approve the measure.”

Time sequence: “At last, we saw their car approaching.”

(Some writing and editing guides suggest that short introductory phrases don’t require commas; often, such brief modifying phrases involve time: “Yesterday I saw a ghost,” for example, or “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” I recommend, though, use of commas in such cases. Otherwise, the exception to the rule is rather arbitrary; how long does a short phrase need to be before it merits a comma? And why omit commas in some cases and include others?)

Hence, Still, Then, and Thus
Another class of words may or may not be followed by a comma depending on subtle differences:

“Hence the name,” but “Hence, I was back where I had started.”

“Still the waters raged though the rain had ceased,” but “Still, I try one more time.”

“Then I tried to start the car again,” but “Then, I would have acted differently.”

“Thus we are back where we started,” but “Thus, I concede the point.”

Infinitive Phrases
“To get there, turn right at the second intersection.”

Participial Phrases
“Under the circumstances, I cannot allow it.”

From: Daily Writing Tips