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How (and Why) to Work with an Editor

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Barbara McNichol from June 2018 issue of Speaker Magazine

work with an editorAs a professional, you send your ideas into the world in writing—via books, blogs, articles, and more. In today’s crowded marketplace, the more you write, the more every word counts.

Who can help you break through the clutter? Editors: your conduit to communicating to those you want to influence. For if an experienced editor doesn’t “get” your message, neither will they. And because the written word sticks around longer than the spoken word, it matters!

Why You Need an Editor

It’s tempting to regard hiring editors as an unnecessary expense. Instead, see it as an investment in effectiveness. Here’s why:

  1. You grow as a writer. Pay attention to editors’ changes and learn the tricks of the editing trade. That includes getting assurance that your piece meets your objective.
  2. You improve your book’s marketing power. A good editor can wordsmith titles, headings and subheads as well as incorporate keywords to hook readers during online searches.
  3. You gain insight and save embarrassment. Your writing benefits from an editor’s initial “deep massage” that asks insightful questions and makes suggestions to hone your message. It’s followed by a tight copyedit to find those pesky grammar gremlins and wording errors before readers do. After you make changes, your editor reviews everything, does a final proofread, and keeps your project moving.

Then at the end of the process, you can declare with confidence, “My writing sounds just like me—only better!” (As an editor, that’s what I desire for my clients.)

Choosing an Editor

For books, the magic of selecting the right editor lies in the Sample Edit—a complimentary edit of your work from your manuscript. Sure, you get value from seeing Before and After of someone else’s project, but don’t skip this step. Request samples from all contenders. That’s how you come close to comparing apples to apples.

I call the Sample Edit “magic” because you get to see:

  • the level of editing required
  • how clearly your message can be expressed
  • if the edits changed your voice—a huge concern for authors.

And it does something else: The Sample Edit helps determine your project’s place on the editing spectrum. Does it require proofreading, copyediting, or a complete rewrite? Along with word count, that determines an editor’s customized fee, communicated in writing up front.

In your selection process, be sure to examine prospective editors’ credentials. Study their websites and peruse their portfolios. Testimonials are great, but also ask for references so you can pose questions to their clients related to your needs.

In short, don’t miss the opportunity to deliver your best writing. After all, it’s you, your voice, your contribution to the world. Make sure your message comes across clear and strong. It’s that important!

Tricks of the Editing Trade

  • Enliven your text by using active (not passive) construction:
  • Active: “The boy chomped into the juicy watermelon.” The verb “chomped” is active.
  • Passive: “The juicy watermelon was eaten by the boy.” The word “by” is a clue that it’s passive.
  • Keep it simple:
  • One idea per sentence
  • One distinct point per paragraph
  • No more than 21 words in a sentence.
  • Whack wordiness:
  • “I really think it’s time to go.” (“It’s time to go.”)
  • “Due to the fact that” (“Because…”)
  • “There are m[M]any experts that believe in magic.”

Word Alert: The word “that” doesn’t substitute for “who” when referring to a person. You’d refer to someone who speaks, not someone that speaks.

  • Use the correct word to say what you mean. Even from excellent writers, editors often encounter misused words: browse vs. peruse, compliment vs. complement, advice vs. advise.

As an expert editor, Barbara McNichol proudly helps speakers/authors change the world with their well-crafted words. Over 24 years, Barbara has placed more than 350 books (and counting) on her editor’s “trophy shelf.” She is also the creator of Word Trippers Tips, a resource for better writing available at www.WordTrippers.com.

Be a Better Writer and See Your Career Soar

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Do you want to be More Valuable to your company or your clients? Your writing qualifies you for hiring, for retaining, and for getting promoted. But writing is the gateway to rejection, too. 

People judge your abilities by the quality of your writing.

It’s a harsh fact. In business, people who don’t write well to communicate—who don’t  select the right words to express complex ideas—are perceived as lacking credibility … professionalism … accuracy in their work.

On the flip side, those who master the written word are remembered as influential … reputable … successful.

My name is Barbara McNichol, chief architect of Word Trippers Tips. After years of editing nonfiction manuscripts and proofreading hundreds of thousands of lines of copy, I realized that everyone makes mistakes … everyone mixes up similar words … and everyone loses credibility the moment readers recognize the errors.

I have turned those common errors into a program professionals use to improve their writing instantly: Word Trippers Tips. It includes a 38-minute WEBINAR on its own and/or 12 MONTHS Word Tripper of the Week plus bonuses.

How can you learn to be a better writer and make your career soar?

Go to www.WordTrippers.com  and/or listen to this teleclass 5 Nuggets Successful People Know and Use on better writing.

Please share you comments and questions here.

18 DAYS to Become a Better Writer – New E-Guide

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Set aside 18 days and study one of these easy, effective tips to be a better writer each day for 18 days, continuous or not.

Your goal: Make a point of integrating a new one into your writing every day . . . and see the difference you make perfecting the communication loop to benefit you, your clients, and your career.

better writer

 This e-guide can be purchased for only $14.95. Click here to order. Use code 18DAYS to receive a $4.95 discount!

Who or Whom? Here’s How To Choose Between Them

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by Kathleen Watson

Do you have difficulty when it comes to choosing who or whom in your writing?

Some think whom sounds stuffy and pretentious.

When did proper grammar become stuffy? I think that’s an excuse made by people who don’t know the difference.

who or whom

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Does anyone criticize Ernest Hemingway for using whom in the title of his famous novel For Whom The Bell Tolls?

 

Three Guidelines

Here are three guidelines to help you recognize whether to use who or whom:

  1. Who is the doer of the action.

Who was driving the car?
He was critical of people who didn’t support his decision.
The winner, no matter who she is, will wear the crown for a year.

2. Whom is the object, the person acted on, and it often is preceded by a preposition (at, in, for, from, of, to, with).

Did you speak to her? To whom did you speak?

Who gave you the check? From whom did you get the check?

Did you take a walk with her? With whom did you take a walk?

3. Consider these substitutions as shortcuts to helping you make the right choice:
he, she, they (subjects) = who
him, her, them (objects) = whom

Who was driving the car? He was driving the car.

You invited whom to dinner? You invited her to dinner.

For whom were members of the audience applauding? Members of the audience were applauding for them.

Do you have sentences that you question if who or whom is correct? Submit them here for a reply.

You’re Told to Fix and Polish This Message–But How?

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By Barbara McNichol

Suppose your supervisor emails you a message that says, “Fix the attached” or “Polish this piece.” But exactly what does it mean to fix and polish? In addition to correcting punctuation, typos, misspellings, and grammar glitches, what’s required beyond that?

First, find out what your supervisor thinks it needs. Where does it fall short? What’s missing? Whether or not you receive an answer, go through the following key questions yourself:

  1. Why is this piece needed? What’s its intended purpose? Because readers are busy, you must immediately make clear what this message is about. A specific title or subject line goes a long way. For example, instead of writing “For New Customers” you might write, “5 Ways to Communicate with New Customers.”
  2. What should the reader do, think, believe, or remember as a result of this piece? Does the communication specify what you want readers to do and by when? How easy is it for them to first understand the instruction and then take action? For example, if it’s a letter to a credit card company about a dispute, make it clear what you want, e.g., future credit or a refund. Then state when you want a resolution, e.g., “before the next payment cycle on June 23rd.” Put this call to action near the top!
  3. How long should your sentences and paragraphs be? Ensure your message comes across in short, easy-to-read sentences. My rule of thumb is not more than 21 words in one sentence or 3-4 sentences in one paragraph. Why? It’s hard for anyone to track your meaning when sentences ramble, especially when they’re part of long paragraphs. People scan more than they read; they can take in short sentences and paragraphs more quickly than long-winded ones. Don’t make it seem like hard work!
  4. How can you use polite, positive language to persuade others?Remember, a positive outcome should be the goal of every communication. Your objective may be to retain a customer, win a contract, build a relationship, gain approval, or advance a project. Always spell out benefits: e.g., resolution, improvements, increased profit, etc. And be polite by using words such as welcome, thank you, please, appreciate, happy to, and value your input. If your piece doesn’t include positive language, then why send it at all?

When it’s up to you to fix and polish that important message, use these questions as your checklist every time.

  1. Why is this piece needed? What’s its intended purpose?
  2. What should the reader do, think, believe, or remember as a result of this piece?
  3. How long should your sentences and paragraphs be?
  4. How can you use polite, positive language to persuade others?

What essential fix and polish elements would you add to these?

“Since” and “Because”–What’s the Difference Between These Confusing Words?

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confusing wordsby Barbara McNichol

In my recent post on the blog of Nonfiction Authors Association (NFAA), an author asked about  confusing words this way:

Barbara, I’d love to see you do an article on the difference between “as” and “since” and “because.”

Here’s a summary of what my research told me.

Both “because” and “since” imply cause. They can be interchangeable when “since” means “for the reason that.” e.g., “Since my dog needs exercise, I take him for a walk.” e.g., “I walk every day because my dog needs exercise.”

One source suggests using “because” when the reason is the most important part of the sentence and “since” or “as” when the reason is already well known and is less important. e.g., “The match was cancelled because it was raining.”

I endorse this as an important distinction and use it myself.

Note that “since” also refers to a time frame. But look at this example. “Since we ate lunch, we had lots of energy.” Do you see how this statement is ambiguous? Does it mean “from the time we had lunch” or “for the reason that we had lunch”?

To avoid confusion, I recommend using “because” when your meaning relates to “cause” and “since” when it’s a factor of time. Keep the meanings distinct; it’s a good way to add clarity to your writing and power to your pen.

For clarification of commonly confused words, request a free reference guide at Word Trippers.com

What word pairings trip you up? Share them here.

Use the “Language of the Positive”

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by Joan Burge (used with permission)

Did you know that changing just a few of the everyday words you use while conducting business can actually enhance people’s positive impressions of you? Here are three highly effective tips you can start using today.

  1. “Do” or “can” instead of “try.” When you’re a pro at what you do, you understand the importance of managing expectations among the people you support and work with in the office. That’s why so many of us use the word “try” (as in, “I will try to have that report finished Tuesday”) to buffer our schedules and communicate parameters on tasks and projects. Problem: “Try” has a somewhat wimpy connotation, as if you’re unsure – even when you aren’t, of course! Solution: Replace with variations of the words “do” or “can” instead – and focus on what is definite: “I’ll do a preliminary outline by Tuesday for review,” or “I will complete a preliminary outline Tuesday.”
  2. “Believe” instead of “think” or “feel.” If you’re a careful listener, you’ll often hear people say something like, “I think/feel the best course of action is….” Communication experts agree that replacing “think/feel” with “believe” expresses even more assertiveness and self-confidence to management, colleagues and clients: “I believe you’re right.” Bonus fact: To communicate even more directly and succinctly, practice dropping the use of “I believe” and stick with the statement itself: “You’re right.”
  3. “And” instead of “but.” Here’s one of my favorites! See if you can tell the difference between these two statements: “I know you’ve missed the deadline, but…” vs. “I know you’ve missed the deadline, and….” The first sets up a negative “but,” which precedes bad news – and since people know this, they tend to get defensive or tune out whatever follows, regardless of its legitimacy. Conversely, the second statement acknowledges the bad news, yet skillfully avoids the sense that a shoe is about to fall. Result? The “and” says, “We can work on a solution, which is more important than the blame right now” – and people are far more likely to listen, meaning communication improves.

Successful professionals focus on what I call the language of the positiveCan you think of  additional ways to change commonly used words or phrases so co-workers and clients respond even better? I encourage you to delve deep and test new ways to communicate verbally and in writing!

Known as the pioneer of the administrative training industry, Joan Burge is an accomplished author, professional speaker, consultant, and corporate trainer. She is the founder, CEO, and visionary of Office Dynamics International, an organization that provides high-performance executive and administrative assistant training and coaching.

How could you change commonly used phrases to increase the responses you get? Share your ideas here.

One Simple Path to Reduce Email Overwhelm

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By Barbara McNichol

Do you experience email overwhelm?

impeccableYour emails can present problems to your recipients when stale subject lines, too many topics, and lack of clarity get in the mix. 

But this single time-wasting practice can be big: not making the most of your email message. It causes people to walk back and forth a dozen times on the communication path.

Build in Extra Thoughtfulness to Prevent Email Overwhelm

Well, a dozen times might be exaggerating but no matter what, you can streamline the process by building in extra thoughtfulness. Take the example of setting up something as simple as a meeting. Messages could go back and forth annoyingly before you nail an agreed-upon day/time/place.

Try crafting your initial email with an “if then” option. You’d simply write, “I’m available Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday in the afternoon after 3 p.m. If any of these don’t work for you, then give me three times when you’re available.”

Use the “If Then” Technique

The “if then” technique has just narrowed down the possibilities to three afternoons. Recipients know those times are off the table and will suggest a different three options. You’re likely to come up with a workable time/place in fewer than two emails.

Compose your emails to serve you as efficiently as possible. This “if then” approach is an easy path to follow.

Barbara McNichol is passionate about helping authors add power to their pen. An expert editor of nonfiction books, she has created a Word Trippers Tips resource so you can quickly find the right word when it matters most. It allows you to improve your writing through excellent resources, including a Word Tripper of the Week for 52 weeks. Details at www.WordTrippers.com

What paths do you follow to deal with email overwhelm? Share you ideas here.

Headline Grammar Errors NOT to Copy

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By Kathleen Watson

grammar headlinesHeadlines provide never-ending examples of incorrect grammar, whether in word choice, word order or punctuation.

Reminder: I define grammar as the words we choose, how we string them together, and how we use punctuation to give them meaning.

News stories and their headlines should be examples of excellent writing. They also should conform to Standard English, defined as the way educated people write and speak. Writing in haste is no excuse for careless headline grammar errors.

1) How To Act When Someone Around You Loses Their Job

In 2017, the Associated Press proclaimed that nouns and pronouns no longer have to match in cases of gender sensitivity. I strongly oppose the change. In this headline, the indefinite pronoun someone is singular, but their is a plural possessive.

Rather than using the awkward someone loses his/her job, the headline could easily have conformed to standard usage if it had been phrased this way:

How To Act When Someone Around You Loses A Job

2) Look At Aaron Rogers Amazing House

Green Bay Packer quarterback Aaron Rogers no doubt earns enough money to have an amazing house, but this headline lacks the apostrophe that shows the house belongs to him. When a name ends in s, show possession by adding an apostrophe:

Look At Aaron Rogers’ Amazing House

3) Students Walkout Across Country to Support Florida School-Shooting Survivors

To walk out is a phrasal verb; a walkout is a noun.

An earlier post, One Word or Two: Use Care With Your Shortcuts, has a list of other word combinations called phrasal verbs — a verb and a preposition that, when joined, often form a noun: set up/setup | break down/breakdown | start up/startup | cut back/cutback … and more. The headline should read:

Students Walk Out Across Country to Support Florida School-Shooting Survivors

4) Parkland Survivor Criticizes Laura Ingraham For Only Apologizing After Advertisers Fled

As so often is the case, the modifier only is misplaced. When only precedes apologizing, it implies that apologizing was not enough. Should she have done more than apologize?

The criticism underlying the report was aimed at the timing of her apology. Some thought Ms. Ingraham should have apologized immediately, rather than waiting until some advertisers withdrew their support of her program. A clearer headline would have been:

Parkland Survivor Criticizes Laura Ingraham For Apologizing Only After Advertisers Fled

5) What Does It Feel Like to Be Wrong? Our strong need to be right and it’s impact on our lives

The first line works, but the subhead is punctuated to read:

Our strong need to be right and it is impact on our lives

People continue to confuse it’s, the contraction for it is, and its, the possessive form of the pronoun it. Here’s how the line should read:

Our strong need to be right and its impact on our lives

I hear from plenty of people who lament the apparent lack of grammar knowledge in some media representatives who are considered professional communicators: print, electronic, and television journalists and commentators.

We’re all judged by the way we write and speak. Don’t let careless grammar or lack of grammar mastery detract from your credibility.

Kathleen Watson has a love/hate relationship with grammar; she loves words and the punctuation that helps them make sense, yet she hates those pesky rules. Knowing others do, too, she wrote an easy-to-use grammar book called Grammar for People Who Hate Rules to help  people write with authority and confidence.

Share examples of headline grammar errors you find.

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