The Art of Copyediting Blog

I've been watching the discussions in the ICF WhatsApp group in the last few days. You all know that I keep promoting learning all the time. And I know that when you ask serious questions, it is my responsibility to give you some helpful answers. But the questions now were deep—and very persistent t...

I had never thought of this as a year-end post. In fact, I'd prepared this as a draft by the end of October. But somehow things happened in such a way that I could fine-tune it as a blog only now—perhaps it was destined to be only a year-end post!

Who is a copyeditor?

The content in the two pictur...

The Indian Copyeditors Forum’s (ICF’s) second book Copyediting: A Closer Look has a blog of mine as one of its chapters. But my contribution as an author is quite minimal in comparison with my role as the copyeditor of the book.

Although I've been with individual copyeditors through entire books, a...

I received a complimentary copy of Vivek Kumar's Discover the Editor in You—Copyediting as a Career just two days ago. I had written a chapter for the book.

For several personal and unrelated reasons, I’d never thought seriously about the book in the last two years. I didn’t think much of it even w...

Note

This is a piece written by Vandana Bhasin of Gurugram, who took up The Art of Copyediting's Foundational Skills for Employability and Earning training and mentoring program in November 2022. 

The Foundational Skills for Employability and Earning (FSEE) program by The Art of Copyediting...

Not many people have a clear sense of purpose in life, which, when present, goads them to learn something every day, every week, every month, every year.

But for most people, learning itself does not happen on its own. It happens only when you consciously take that decision to learn. It happens ...

Summary

A copyeditor in India faces almost insurmountable hurdles in learning the profession. I discuss these problems in detail and provide (a) a practical method of learning the basics via The Art of Copyediting group-learning plan (now affordable by everyone) and (b) an engaging, challenges-base...

Note

This is a piece written by Dr. Mothi Paul of Tirunelveli, who took up The Art of Copyediting's Foundational Skills for Employability and Earning training and mentoring program recently. I'm publishing it here (along with my blogs) as Dr. Paul does not yet have a website of this own.

Summary

This blog recommends a combination of standard Word shortcuts and a few basic macros (with recommended shortcut keys) to help a copyeditor navigate efficiently within a Word window and edit with a clear focus. This involves a one-time set up and may benefit both new and experienced editors....

Copyediting outsourcing to India

It was sometime between the late 1980s and early 1990s that the experiment to “outsource”—the term was not common then—editorial work to India began. Typesetting had been there for some years, and it was perhaps felt that copyediting too can be done in India, if the...