Thinking like an editor

More editing classes at BCC

Developmental Editing

Groanless Grammar

Web Content Design

Project Management

Word: Using Styles and Templates

The latest DigiNews from BCC, including including software tools for writers and editors and student success stories (PDF, 321K)

This Web site supports the class Proofreading and Editing II, offered by Bellevue Community College in Bellevue, Washington. Most of the materials are restricted to enrolled students. For more information, contact the instructor.

BCC students—Class 4

In the fourth class, we discussed working with writers. You can learn more about:

Coaching techniques for working with writers

Working with subject matter experts (PDF file)

In the final class, we'll look at editing visual material, the needs of a global audience, and getting a job.

Lecture notes (PDF)

Exercises

Note: To access some of these pages, you need to enter the password.

Nitpick of the week

What's wrong with these sentences?

This report provides an explanation of the causes of the failure

It was written by Dr. Gupta and Dr. Martinez.

Having stayed up all night to finish it, the report contained several typos.

Answer

Editing in the news

Editing—against the law? A recent ruling makes it illegal to edit technical articles from certain countries.Story & updates

A good editor can save lives A new study shows that instructions for child safety seats are written in a language too difficult for many adults to understand. Story

Keep the apostrophe! When Albertsons eliminated the apostrophe from its name, the American Apostrophe Association objected. Story.

You can also read the correspondence between the association and Albertsons.

Useful resources for editors

EServer TC Library — Database of thousands of articles for technical communicators, maintained by the University of Washington; categories include editing, information design, web design, language, and science writing

Glossary of writing careers — Definitions for wide variety of job titles for writers and editors

Guide to grammar and writing — Comprehensive, interactive, well-written review of sentence-level grammar and paragraph development

Professional editorial standards — The skills and knowledge needed for editing at each level (structural and stylistic, copyediting, proofreading)

Reference Desk — Links to 50+ online dictionaries, including special-interest and foreign language sites

theslot.com — An entertaining, useful site for copyeditors

More editing resources