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THE BUSINESS OF EDITING
THE BUSINESS OF EDITING
Effective and Efficient Ways to Think, Work, and Prosper
Richard H. Adin
Edited and with a Foreword byRuth E. Thaler-Carter and Jack M. Lyon
WAKING LION PRESS
ISBN 978-1-4341-0369-7
Copyright © 2014 by Richard H. Adin. All rights reserved.
An American Editorsm is the exclusive service mark of Richard H. Adin.
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book (otherthan very brief quotes as part of a book review), write to:
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, write to:
Printed in the United States of America.
First edition.
Published by Waking Lion Press, www.wakinglionpress.com.
Design and production services by Jack Lyon.
Indexing by Sue Nedrow, www.nedrowindexing.com.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
DEDICATIONS
Everyone has someone they love and who has shown great patienceas projects like this one are brought to fruition. Thus, we make thesededications:
To my true better half, Carolyn, my wife, who shows her love for meevery day. Also to our grandchildren, Azra and Ziva, who, young thoughthey are, bring me true joy and remind me how wonderful life trulyis. Perhaps someday they will read this book and think I was a literarygiant. —Richard H. Adin
To my beloved husband “Wayne-the-Wonderful,” who couldn’t be moresupportive of my work; and to my respected colleagues Rich Adin andJack Lyon, who made my year by asking me to be involved with thisbook. —Ruth E. Thaler-Carter
To my wonderful and supportive clients and customers all over theworld. —Jack M. Lyon
v
CONTENTS
Foreword xv
Preface xvii
Five Key Resources xix
I Roles 1
1 What is Editing? 5
2 Finding a Professional Editor:The Needle in the Haystack Problem 8
3 Editor, Editor, Everywhere an Editor 11
4 The WYSIWYG Conundrum: The Solid Cloud 14
5 The Changing Face of Editing 17
6 The Blurring of Roles and the Downward Pressure on Price 21
7 A Rose by Another Name Is Still Copyediting 24
8 Light, Medium, or Heavy? 28
9 The Elusive Editorial Higgs Boson 32
10 Expectations 36
vii
viii Contents
11 The Commandments: Thou Shalt Use a Professional Editor 40
12 The Commandments: Thou Shalt Treat Editors as Partners 44
13 Relationships and the Unwritten Rules 47
14 The Missing Ingredient: Grammar Skills 51
15 Professional Editors: Publishers and Authors NeedThem—Part I 54
16 Professional Editors: Publishers and Authors NeedThem—Part II 57
II Tools 61
17 The Professional Editor’s Bookshelf 65
18 On My Bookshelf 68
19 It’s the Little Things: Hardware 72
20 It’s the Little Things: Software 76
21 It’s the Little Things: Software Redux 80
22 Editors and “Professional” Resources:A Questionable Reliance 88
23 Working Effectively Online I—The Books 91
24 Working Effectively Online II—The Macros 94
25 Working Effectively Online III—Mastering Word 98
26 Working Effectively Online IV—Mastering Macros 101
27 Working Effectively Online V—Stylesheets 105
Contents ix
28 Working Effectively Online VI—The Books 108
29 Working Effectively Online VII—Macros Again 111
30 Are Editors to LinkedIn as Oil Is to Water? 114
31 What Happens When the Cloud Isn’t Available? 118
32 Removable Drives and Windows 8 121
33 Author Queries 125
34 Domains and E-mail 129
35 Editing Tools: MultiFile F&R and Search, Count, Replace 133
36 Preparing for Disaster 137
37 Liability Insurance—Nyet 141
38 The Editor’s Interest: Copyright or Not 144
39 Editors and Contracts: Editor Beware! 148
40 Contracts—A Slippery Slope 152
41 Nondisclosure Agreements 156
III Process 161
42 The 3 Stages of Copyediting: I—The Processing Stage 165
43 The 3 Stages of Copyediting: II—The Copyediting Stage 168
44 The 3 Stages of Copyediting: III—The Proofing Stage 173
45 Citing Sources in the Age of the Internet and eBooks 176
46 Symbiosis: The Authorial and Editorial Process 178
x Contents
47 Artificial or Arbitrary Schedules 181
48 Schedules and Client Expectations 185
49 Consistency 188
50 What an Author Should Give an Editor 192
51 Losing Money the Paper Way 195
52 The Logistics of Large Projects 198
IV Profits 203
53 Great Expectations: A Recipe for Disappointment 207
54 Getting Paid: Things for a Freelancer to Think About 210
55 Thinking About Money:What Freelancers Need to Understand 213
56 Living in a Dream World: The Professional Editor’s Fee 216
57 The Publisher’s Search for Savings 219
58 The Rule of Three 223
59 Reducing Fees 226
60 Killing Me Softly 229
61 Best-Price “Bids” 232
62 Wildcard Macros and Money 235
63 One Price Doesn’t Fit All 240
64 New Year, New Books 243
Contents xi
65 Thinking About Invoices 246
66 The Ethics of Billing 249
67 Raising Prices 253
68 Lower Your Rate? 257
69 The Demand for Perfection 260
70 What to Charge—Part I 264
71 What to Charge—Part II 267
72 What to Charge—Part III 271
73 What to Charge—Part IV 276
74 What to Charge—Part V 280
V The Career of Editing 285
75 Editing Tests 289
76 Pricing Yourself out of the Market When Applying for Work 292
77 How NOT to Get Work 295
78 The Making of a Professional Editor 297
79 To Post or Not to Post Your Fee Schedule? 301
80 Do You Want to be Acknowledged? 304
81 Burning Bridges 307
82 Difficult Clients 310
83 Veterinarian or Editor? 314
xii Contents
84 What Do Editors Forget Most Often? 317
85 How Do You Know You Are a Good Editor? 321
86 What Makes an Editor a Professional? 324
87 The Ethics of Editing 327
88 Implied Promises and the Professional Editor 330
89 Personal or Emotional Satisfaction and the Job of Editing 333
90 Taking on Too Much 337
91 Losing the Chance 340
92 Why a Company? 344
93 Solopreneur or “Company”—Part I 348
94 Solopreneur or “Company”—Part II 351
95 Solopreneur or “Company”—Part III 355
96 “I Can Get It Cheaper!” 358
97 The Disappearing Client 361
98 Workdays and Schedules 364
VI The Future 369
99 Viewing the Future of Publishing 373
100 eBooks and the Future of Freelance Editors 376
101 The Times are Changing! Will Editors Change With Them? 379
102 The Decline and Fall of the American Editor 382
Contents xiii
103 Is Editing a Future Safe Harbor? 386
104 Group Sourcing? 389
105 Missing the Editorial Boat 391
106 Missing the Editorial Boat Redux 394
107 The Editorial World—Will it Pass Editors By? 396
108 Competition Gets Keener: Agents, Authors, and Perseus 400
109 Does the Future of Editing Lie in Tiers? 402
110 The Crystal Ball Says . . . 405
111 Who Speaks for the Freelance Editor? 409
112 One Is the Loneliest Number 412
113 Working Alone—or Not? 415
114 Is the Editorial Freelancer’s Future a Solo Future? 418
Want to Know More? 423
About the Author and the Editors 424
Index 426
FOREWORD
Welcome to a definitive perspective on the nature of editing as a callingand as a business. The essays in this book originally appeared as postson Richard H. Adin’s An American Editor blog. They have been groupedand resequenced by topic rather than original date of publication, soyou may notice a few inconsistencies in references to the author’s yearsin the field. (Those who are interested in the original publication dateswill find them on the blog.) The essays have been edited primarily forconsistency and to make the new sequence smooth and logical for thereader, whether a blog subscriber or a new reader of this important voicein the profession of editing and the notion of editing as a business.
To continue the conversation by following An American Editor, go to:
http://americaneditor.wordpress.com/
This compilation will prove valuable to new and established editorswho are committed to both editorial quality and business success.
–Ruth E. Thaler-Carter and Jack M. Lyon
xv
PREFACE
At one time, editing was a respected profession. It attracted some ofthe brightest minds, even some who are still celebrated today, suchas the famed Maxwell Perkins and Bennett Cerf. But today, editing isviewed differently.
With the rise of self-publishing, the need for professional editors isever greater, but it is those who most need the services of a professionaleditor who are least likely to obtain those services. Instead, many authorsbelieve that they can do as good a job as a professional editor themselves,or that crowd-editing is just as good, or that no editing is really needed.The excuses and reasons for not hiring a professional editor are asmyriad as the authors.
When families ran the publishing houses, there was great pride inquality production. With the demise of the family-run publishing houses,the idea of editorial quality being the number-one task has declined.Even in the traditional spheres in which editors have worked, the valueof editing is being undermined. As the accountants take over the decision-making process, editing, because it provides a hidden value, is amongthe first services to be cut. This worries me greatly, as it does manyof my colleagues.
This sea change in the profession of editing is one of the topics ad-dressed in this book, which is a compilation of essays from my blog,An American Editor (www.americaneditor.wordpress.com). The essaysdiscuss the business aspects of freelancing, which, traditionally, is aweakness of freelancers. The essays cover a broad gamut of topics, buteach topic is important to succeeding as a freelancer. The idea is to helpyou become both business-savvy and editing-savvy so you can succeedin this ever-changing world of editing.
xvii
xviii Preface
What you have before you is the fruit of work done by Ruth E. Thaler-Carter and Jack Lyon. My belief was that the essays were already avail-able on the blog, so there was no need for the book. Ruth and Jackthought otherwise and hounded me until I finally said, “If you want todo a book, go to it. It’s your baby, you birth it.” And so they did. Perhapsthey are right and such a book is needed. Certainly, it is easier to findan appropriate essay. Both Jack and Ruth did a wonderful job sortingand editing my blog essays.
Of course, a book like this is of little value if you cannot find the mate-rial you are looking for easily. Consequently, the indexing job—a master-piece of indexing—done by Sue Nedrow (www.nedrowindexing.com)is greatly appreciated and a wonderful resource. Finding high-qualityindexers is difficult, but Sue is an example of such an indexer.
I hope you find this book valuable. If you have any suggestions forfuture topics that you would like to see in a book or on the An AmericanEditor blog, be sure to drop a note to me in care of Waking Lion Press([email protected]).
—Richard H. Adin, An American Editor
FIVE KEY RESOURCES
Many essays in The Business of Editing mention three software programsthat increase a freelancer’s productivity and efficiency. For more infor-mation about these programs, see:
• EditTools (www.wordsnSync.com)
• Editor’s Toolkit Plus (www.editorium.com)
• PerfectIt (www.intelligentediting.com)
Each of these programs is available for individual purchase at the listedwebsites. They are also available as a single package, called Editor’sToolkit Ultimate, at a significant discount. For information and orderingas a combined package, visit:
wordsnsync.com/editors-toolkit.php
A fourth, very valuable, resource is the Communication Central confer-ence for freelancers, which is held every year in the fall. Informationabout upcoming conferences is available at:
www.communication-central.com
Another key resource is the consulting services that are available fromRichard H. Adin, Jack M. Lyon, and Ruth E. Thaler-Carter. If you or yourcompany are interested in private consultations with one or more of us,please e-mail [email protected].
xix
Part I
ROLES
“If you don’t believe you are the greatest, who will?”
—Richard H. Adin, An American Editor
One of the many challenging aspects of being a freelance—or even in-house—editor is establishing your role in the profession, the industry,and the interaction with authors or clients. The essays in this sectionexplore this important element of the business of editing, starting witha look at what it means to be an editor and progressing to how editorsrelate to both clients and projects.
1
WHAT IS EDITING?
Have you ever wondered what editing really is? Or about what courseof study is best for preparing for an editing career?
The practical answer to the latter is that it doesn’t matter what youstudy because education is valuable and broadening; experience mattersmore. But when backed to the wall, my answer, unlike that of many ofmy colleagues, is that the best courses of study are philosophy and law.
The reason is because of what editing is. Editing is the art of languagecompromise, not the art of strict structure application. I suppose a littlecontext would be helpful.
The matter arose in a discussion on LinkedIn in which I suggestedphilosophy as the best course of study and another member suggestedlinguistics. Linguistics is a wonderful field and certainly of great interestto editors, but it is a structural field. True, it wonders about word originsas well as how words are used, but its focus is the structure and lineageof language.
Philosophy and law, on the other hand, focus not on structure but onhow to think. Both are “argumentative” fields—Does a god exist? If Idon’t see you, do you really exist? What is my place in society? Whatrole should/does X play in social affairs?—that require thinking aboutall sides of a question. The difference, I think, between the philosophy-trained thinker and the linguistics-trained thinker is the difference be-tween the average chess player and the chess champion. We all can learnto play chess and even to play it well; few of us, however, can masterthe advanced thinking techniques required to be a grandmaster.
5
6 Roles
(Before I stray too far afield, let me reiterate that all education is goodand all education can prepare a person for the intellectual challengesof editing. What we are discussing is the hierarchy.)
Much of editing is structure-oriented, such as checking or correctinggrammar and spelling, and coding manuscript. Structure is mechanicaland can be self-taught or picked up in a couple of courses on, for example,grammar. I grant that it is the rare person who develops that same depthand breadth of knowledge about the structural issues via self-learningor a couple of entry-level courses as would be obtained from the rigorsof a university major in linguistics, but how much is really needed forediting, especially as editing is the art of language compromise, not theart of strict structure application?
Over my 30 years as an editor, what I have most realized about some ofmy editor colleagues is that they are very capable of applying the “rules”of language. Where they are weak, and what I think often distinguishesthe good, competent editor from the great editor, is that they are unableto “think” about what they are editing. They are unable to grasp abroader picture by, for example, putting themselves in the shoes of avariety of readers or by analyzing a text from multiple angles. To useanother metaphor, most editors are like professional baseball playersin that they are the better, more professional, more able players fromthe pool of would-be professional players, but are not the superstarswho are an even more finite group. Baseball fans recall Willie Mays, forexample, but how many of his teammates on the 1954 World Seriesteam do we remember?
It is this “thinking” ability that I believe philosophy and law teach butthat linguistics and other study disciplines do not. Linguistics will teachus how to ascertain the origins of all the variations of “god,” but notto think about what “god” means in the context of the manuscript andas being conveyed to the variety of hoped-for readers of the publishedmanuscript. Linguistics doesn’t really teach the art of communicationas much as it teaches the science of communication, but editing is (orshould be, I think) more concerned with the art than the science.
I am not suggesting that the science of editing is unimportant. Knowingwhat punctuation to use where and when is very important in makingsure that the author’s meaning is correctly understood (using LynneTruss’s famous example, is it “eats shoots and leaves” or “eats, shoots,
What is Editing? 7
and leaves”?). Knowing whether the right word is being used to conveythe intended meaning is equally important, as is choosing among thehomophones (does the author mean to, too, or two?). And good editorsdo these tasks well and correctly. For the most part, I suspect, this isthe job for which most editors are hired. And this is the job for whichmost education prepares us.
Yet there can be more to editing than just those tasks. And, for many ofus, when we suggest rewriting a sentence or a paragraph or reorderingparagraphs or chapters, we are embarking on that additional path. Aswe gain experience, we begin to think differently about language andits use. I know that the editing I did 30 years ago is not as good as theediting I do today; those intervening years have taught me many thingsand exposed me to many new ways of looking at language. The moreI read and learn, the better editor I become.
But even 30 years ago, I had the advantage of having been trained tothink analytically. That is the legacy of a philosophy and law education:It is not what to think, but how to think. What I think about is oflittle importance to philosophy; the methodology of thinking about itis important.
Editing is a combination of structure and philosophy; it is not onewithout the other. The more accomplished one is as an editor, the moreskilled one is at both prongs. Most of us begin our editing careers strongin one prong but not the other, and we build strength in both prongs aswe gain experience. But if asked what is the best course of study for awannabe editor, my answer is philosophy or law because it is learninghow to think that is hardest to master.
Once we have mastered how to think about language, we learn thatediting is more the art of language compromise and less the scienceof applying rules.
2
FINDING A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR:THE NEEDLE IN THE HAYSTACK PROBLEM
On one of the ebook lists of which I am a member, an author asked: Howdoes one find a professional editor? On the surface, this doesn’t seemlike too big a problem, but dig deeper and one realizes that this can bea gargantuan task, like finding a needle in a haystack. After all, thereare hundreds of thousands of people calling themselves professionaleditors, but there is no governing body that issues editorial licenses afterproof of minimal competency.
The issue really comes down to how one defines professional whenspeaking of editors—and how we present ourselves in that sense.
In other essays, I have suggested some of the things that separate theprofessional from the amateur editor. The problem is at least twofold:(a) An author can’t easily verify that the editor really owns and knowl-edgeably uses these resources, and (b) Owning the right tools doesn’tturn a person into a professional.
The definition of professional also turns on what the editor is expectedto do. A professional copyeditor is not necessarily a professional develop-mental editor nor vice-versa. Different skills and resources are needed.
As you can see, the problem of defining professional and then findinga professional editor is just that—a problem! I am not sure there is aneasy or sure way to solve it.
One suggestion that many editors make is to ask about books (orarticles or journals or whatever is appropriate) that the person hasworked on in the past. The idea is that someone who has already edited200 fantasy novels would be a professional editor of fantasy novels. I’m
8
Finding a Professional Editor 9
not sure that is sufficient. My own experience—I’ve been editing medicalbooks for 26 years—tells me that all that it proves is that I have editedbooks, not how well I have edited them, and how well I have editedthem is the true crux of the matter. I think past work is one criterion,but what do you do with the brilliant young editor who is just startingout? We all had to start at zero at some point in our careers.
There is something else to note about the past projects list. If a personcopyedits only short journal articles, it is possible that their list wouldbe thousands of titles long and, thus, impressive by sheer weight ofnumbers, especially compared to the person who edits primarily longtomes and, thus, can do fewer projects over the same timeframe. I knowthis because most of my work is on books that are 5,000 manuscriptpages or longer, and it isn’t possible to complete such long projects inthe same length of time as a 150-manuscript-page project.
Another suggestion was years of experience doing the particular typeof work. I admit that I like this criterion better than the past projectcriterion for a lot of reasons, but the primary one is that it would bedifficult to sustain a livelihood as an editor over the course of manyyears if you didn’t have at least minimal competency. This is even moreimpressive if the person has a couple of long-term clients. But, alas, this,too, is insufficient to separate the professional from the professional-wannabe.
A third suggestion that is often heard is to ask for references. But howtelling are they? You have to trust the person giving the reference andhave to assume that the person knows the difference between qualityand nonquality work. A glowing reference may be because the workwent smoothly and was finished on time and on budget, rather thanbecause the work was of exceptional quality—even if the person givingthe reference believes it was for superior quality work. There can bea chasm between belief and fact.
A fourth suggestion has been to ask for samples. This raises a hostof problems and also doesn’t really answer the question. Among theproblems it raises are whether the editor has the right to share the workwith you. I treat all of my clients’ work as confidential and would notshare it with anyone without written permission; after all, isn’t thathow you would want me to treat your work? But a more importantproblem is determining whose work you are really seeing. If you are
10 Roles
being shown or referred to the final version, you do not know whatimprovements to the manuscript were made by whom, even if you cancompare the originally submitted manuscript with the final version. Andviewing a copy of the manuscript that shows tracked changes doesn’treally indicate a lot, either. If it is the first go-round, the editing will berougher than the final go-round; if it is the final go-round, you will havemissed the important intermediate steps that brought the manuscriptto this point and not know whether it reached this plateau through theeditor’s efforts or despite the editor’s efforts.
Of course, there is one final problem with this last suggestion: Youreally can’t evaluate an editor’s work without knowing what limitationswere placed on the editor by the client or the client’s approach to havingsomeone edit their work. I can’t tell you how many times in my 26 yearsI have had authors tell me my job is only to code the manuscript fortypesetting, not to make corrections or suggestions.
I could go on for many more paragraphs and I would still be nocloser to solving the original puzzle: How does one find a professionaleditor, that needle in the haystack? Perhaps together we can find a viableanswer by addressing these questions:
1. How would you find a professional editor?
2. How would you define professional?
3. How would you evaluate an editor’s work?
INDEX
accuracy as concern. See quality considera-tions
acknowledgments, value of, 304–6acronyms
consistency and editing process, 189–91copyediting stage, 170macros overviews, 78, 79, 134–36
Adin, Richard. See also EditToolsbackground of book, xvii–xviiikey resources, xixfor more information, 423
agencies, future of editing, 374, 400–401AMA style dataset, 102–3Amazon cloud computing, 118–19An American Editor blog
background of book, xvii–xviiifor more information, 423
The American Heritage Dictionary of the En-glish Language, 66, 69, 105
The American Heritage Guide to Contempo-rary Usage and Style, 57, 66, 70
American judicial system, business rule re-garding, 157
The American Language, 57, 70annual bookkeeping, 243–45annual price increases, 254–55Antec case, 138antimalware software, 122, 139–40antivirus software, 109, 119, 122, 139–40APA Dictionary of Psychology, 66APA’s Publication Manual, 70
Apple computers, 79, 121, 137–38, 140. Seealso Mac computers
applying for work. See hiring considerationsarbitration clauses, 210–11arbitration of claims, 153Argo Navis Author Services, 400–401artificial or arbitrary schedules, 181–84. See
also schedule considerationsartisans, editors as, 335–36, 418associations for editors. See professional or-
ganizationsattorney-in-fact clauses, 153audience for book as consideration, 58author alteration (AA) charges, 195, 196author commandments
creation of, 35thou shalt treat editors as partners,
44–46, 50thou shalt use a professional editor,
40–43author-created stylesheets, 106author-editor relationship. See also expecta-
tions; specific aspectsartificial schedules, 183author as final arbiter, 13authorial and editorial processes, 178–80burning bridges, 307–9copyright interest and payment, 145editors as partners, 44–46“professional” resources and, 88–90unwritten rules and, 47–50what editors need from authors, 192–94
This index was professionally prepared by Sue Nedrow (www.nedrowindexing.com), whois available for all your indexing needs.
426
Index 427
author queries, 12, 49, 125–28
Backup4All, 139backup considerations, 119, 121–24,
138–39The BBI Dictionary of English Word Combi-
nations, 57, 70bell curve phenomenon, 364best price bids, 232–34bibliographic references. See references
(bibliographic)bids. See estimatesbilling. See collection of payments; rates
headingsBing, reference books vs., 110BitDefender Internet Security, 139bookkeeping, yearly, 243–45bookmarks, Macro Express overview, 77book prices, 374bookshelves of editors. See reference booksbuyouts and mergers, 362
callouts, 77, 166–67, 247Carbonite, 138–39career of editing. See also professionalism
considerations; specific aspectsacknowledgments, value of, 304–6burning bridges, 307–9company vs. solopreneur question,
344–47, 348–50, 351–54, 355–57difficult clients, 310–13disappearing clients, 361–63editing tests overview, 289–91ethics of editing, 327–29fee schedule, posting of, 240–42, 301–3good editors, defining, 321–23how not to get work, 295–96“I can get it cheaper,” 358–60implied promises of editors, 330–32in-house work, freelancers moving to,
413new clients, losing chance for, 340–43other careers vs. editing, 314–16pricing self out of market, 292–94professional editors, identifying, 324–26reference books overview, 297–300satisfaction from editing, 333–36taking on too much, 337–39what editors forget most often, 317–20workdays and schedules, 364–67
cell phones, 122–23
certificate of insurance, 143certification program, need for, 410certified mail, copyright interest notice, 145Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, 66characters per page formula, 269charges for services. See profit considera-
tions; rates headingsThe Chicago Manual of Style
client requirements, 297lack of familiarity with, 55opinion and style choices, 318–19prevalence of use, 298in professional editor’s library, 70versions compared, 299
child clauses, 157churn rate, expectations and compensation,
36–37citations. See references (bibliographic)client cost considerations. See rates headingsclient-editor relationship. See also expecta-
tions; specific aspectsburning bridges, 307–9difficult clients, 310–13disappearing clients, 361–63implied promises of editors, 330–32interacting with prospective clients, 240liability insurance requirements, 141–43Rule of Three, 223–25, 242, 243–44satisfaction from editing, 333–34types of “employers,” 292–93what editors forget most often, 317–20
client expectations. See expectationscloud computing, 118–20code of ethics. See ethical considerationscoding in macros. See macroscold calls to prospects, 342–43cold reading, 24–26collection of payments. See also rates head-
ingscopyright interest and payment, 144–47,
212, 308, 312difficult clients and, 311domains and e-mail, 129, 131, 344ethics of billing, 249–52, 327–29invoicing methods, 246–48late payment as concern, 246–47, 307–8,
311–12lawsuit remedy, 153nonpayment as concern, 210–12, 293,
307–8, 311–12
428 Index
yearly bookkeeping, 245college costs and career choices, 314–16commandments for authors
creation of, 35thou shalt treat editors as partners,
44–46, 50thou shalt use a professional editor,
40–43Communication Central as resource, xix,
381, 416, 423company name
company vs. solopreneur question, 349domains and e-mail, 129–32, 248, 344implied promises and, 330, 332
company slogans, implied promises and,330, 332
company vs. solopreneur question, 344–47,348–50, 351–54, 355–57. See alsogroup practices vs. solo freelancing
compensation for services. See profit consid-erations; rates headings
competition considerations. See also specificaspects
agencies and, 400–401best price bids, 233–34changing face of editing, 19disappearing clients, 361–63editing roles and downward pressure on
price, 21–22editing tests and, 291education costs and career choices,
315–16“I can get it cheaper,” 358–60low rates and competition, 229–31pricing self out of market, 292–94raising prices, 253, 255reducing prices, 227–28, 257–58solo freelancing vs. group practices,
419–21tier pricing, 402–3
Composition of Scientific Words, 57, 66, 70composition/typesetting, editing roles and
outsourcing, 25–26computer hardware. See hardwarecomputer software. See softwareconfidentiality considerations, 9, 149,
156–59. See also privacy considerationsconsistency
copyediting stage, 168–69ensuring, 188–91
paper-based vs. online editing, 197“professional” resources and, 89
contracts. See also specific aspectscopyright interest and payment, 144, 146difficult clients and, 311–12editor beware, 148–51handshake agreements vs., 47, 146, 152,
210implied promises of editors, 331liability insurance requirements, 141–43long-term, accepting, 240–42nondisclosure agreements, 156–59nonpayment as concern, 210–12relationships and unwritten rules, 47sign-or-no-work agreements, 346as slippery slope, 152–55
copyediting. See also process of editing; spe-cific aspects
changing face of editing, 18–20copyediting by any other name, 24–27copyediting stage, 165, 167, 168–72expectations and compensation, 36–37,
39light, medium, or heavy as terms, 28–31processing stage, 165, 166–67proofing stage, 165, 173–75relationships and unwritten rules, 48, 50role comparison, 11–13tests, 24–25, 216–17, 289–91, 340–42
Copy Editing List, 114, 115, 116copyright interest and payment, 144–47,
212, 308, 312craft guilds, 418crowd-source editing, xvii, 389–90CSE’s Scientific Style and Format, 70, 299custom-built computers, 82, 121–24,
137–38. See also hardwarecustom “keyboards,” 74, 77custom word lists, 174
deadline considerations. See schedule con-siderations
decision-tree process, 111–13defamation as concern, 141–43definition of editing
copyediting by any other name, 24–27editing roles and downward pressure on
price, 22education of editors, 5–7good editors, defining, 321–23light, medium, or heavy as terms, 29
Index 429
professional editors, identifying, 324–26degree costs and career choices, 314–16developmental editing. See also specific as-
pectschanging face of editing, 18–20editing tests and, 290expectations and compensation, 36–37,
39group sourcing and, 389light, medium, or heavy as terms, 29, 30relationships and unwritten rules, 48, 50role comparison, 11–13
dictionariesediting tests and, 290–91grammar skills and, 51–52macros overview, 79online editing resources, 108–10professional editors and, 57, 65–66,
69–71, 299, 324–26Dictionary of Americanisms, 57, 66Dictionary of Theories, 70Dictionary Pro package, 110digest mode, 117digital books. See ebooksdirectory structure, 133–34disability insurance, 353disappearing clients, 361–63disaster preparedness, 123–24, 137–40. See
also backup considerationsdiscounting prices, 226–28, 232, 255,
257–59dispute resolution clauses, 210–11distrust, contracts and, 153, 154–55domains and e-mail, 129–32, 248, 344Dorchester Publishing, 379–81Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary, 66,
69, 109
ebooksacknowledgments, value of, 306agencies and, 400–401authorial and editorial processes, 179blessings vs. curses, 383–84citing as sources, 176–77Dorchester changes as harbinger, 379–81expectations as recipe for disappointment,
209future of freelance editors, 376–78future of publishing, 373–75open-access model and, 406schedules and client expectations, 186
self-editing and, 388WYSIWYG conundrum, 14
economies of scale concept, 259editing tests
living in a dream world, 216–17new clients, losing chance for, 340–42overview of, 289–91roles and outsourcing, 24–25
editor alteration (EA) charges, 195, 196editor-author relationship. See author-editor
relationshipeditorial boat, missing, 391–93, 394–95Editorial Commandments
creation of, 35thou shalt treat editors as partners,
44–46, 50thou shalt use a professional editor,
40–43Editorial Freelancers Association, 114,
195–96, 264, 335, 409Editorium macros. See also specific macros
key resources, xixmacros overview, 76, 77–78mastering macros, 94processing stage, 166–67query macro, 125–28wildcard macros and money, 236
Editor’s Toolkit Plus, as key resource, xixEditor’s Toolkit Ultimate, as key resource,
xixEditTools. See also specific macros
consistency and editing process, 189–91copyediting stage, 167, 168–72creation of, 255intellectual property concerns, 158key resources, xixlarge project logistics, 198, 199–200macros overviews, 76, 78–79, 133–36mastering macros, 94–96planning macros, 111processing stage, 166–67publisher agreement regarding callouts,
247publisher search for savings, 221wildcard macros and money, 236–39
education of editorscareer choices and, 314–16decline and fall of the American editor,
382, 384grammar skills and, 52–53
430 Index
in philosophy and law, 5–7professional organizations and, 410–11
EFA. See Editorial Freelancers Associationeffective hourly rates. See rates, effective
hourlyEffective Onscreen Editing (Hart), 92–93, 94efficiency and profits. See profit considera-
tionselectronic editing. See online editingelectronic stylesheets. See stylesheetse-mail
contacting prospective clients via, 343,363
copyright interest notice, 145discussion lists, 114–17domains and, 129–32, 248, 344password security, 140work hours and, 364
emotional satisfaction from editing, 333–36Employer Identification Number, 131, 248English language, quest to standardize, 55Enhanced Search, Count, and Replace, 133,
135–36equipment, computer. See hardwareerror read, copyediting read vs., 220errors and omissions insurance, 141–43errors as concern. See quality considerationsESCR. See Enhanced Search, Count, and Re-
placeestimates. See also profit considerations;
rates headingsbest price bids, 232–34changing face of editing, 17–20co-bid requests, 323“I can get it cheaper,” 358–60implied promises of editors, 332joint bids, 346levels of editing, 30minimum acceptable pay, 217–18number of pages, calculating, 268–69packagers and, 392publisher search for savings, 222Rule of Three, 223–25workdays and schedules, 365–66
ethical considerationsbilling methods, 249–52, 327–29Higgs boson of editing, 33–34large projects, 198taking on too much, 338–39
etymological books, 66, 71
Excel, Microsoft, 245, 248, 271exhibits attached to contracts, 154expectations. See also author-editor relation-
ship; specific concernsburning bridges, 308–9changing face of editing, 17–20compensation and, 36–39demand for perfection, 260–63difficult clients, 310–13implied promises of editors, 330–32liability insurance requirements, 141–43light, medium, or heavy as terms, 28–31as recipe for disappointment, 207–9schedules and, 185–87work samples and, 10WYSIWYG conundrum, 14–16
expensescalculating EHR, 265–66, 276–77tracking of, 243
expert opinion, “professional” resourcesand, 89–90
eyewitness identification, 15
fees. See profit considerations; rates head-ings
fiction projects. See also specific aspects andconcerns
acknowledgments, value of, 304–5consistency as concern, 188, 191cost considerations, 41, 229demand for perfection, 262schedules and client expectations, 186Toggle and, 168–69what editors need from authors, 192–94WYSIWYG conundrum, 15–16
FileCleaner, 78, 166file directory structure, 133–34Find and Replace (Word)
caution in using, 134copyediting stage, 170macro-writing example, 80–87processing stage, 167
finding a professional editor, 8–10finding clients, 115, 117, 340–43, 361–63.
See also hiring considerations; market-ing of services
firewall software, 139–40firing clients. See client-editor relationshipFitzgerald, F. Scott, 179foreign laws and courts, requirements re-
garding, 150, 156–57
Index 431
40-hour work week, as basis for EHR, 265,267, 276
Fowler’s Modern English Usage, 70, 299F&R. See Find and Replace (Word)The Free Dictionary, 299, 324freelance status, proving, 143, 148, 246,
345free resources, being wary of, 109, 122,
325–26. See also online resourcesfuture of editing. See also specific aspects
agencies and, 400–401decline and fall of the American editor,
382–85Dorchester changes as harbinger, 379–81ebook Age and, 376–78editing as potential safe harbor, 386–88editorial world as passing editors by,
396–97group sourcing, 389–90missing the editorial boat, 391–93,
394–95open-access model, 405–8price tiers, 402–4professional organizations, 409–11publishing world changes, xvii, 373–75solo freelancing vs. group practices,
392–93, 412–14, 415–17, 418–21solopreneur vs. company question,
355–57future of publishing, xvii, 373–75. See also
specific aspects
Garner’s Modern American Usage, 57, 66, 70,110, 299
Gateway computers, 121global accounting thinking, 398–99global market. See also outsourcing
agencies and, 401editing roles and, 21–22editing tests and, 291low rates and competition, 230missing the editorial boat, 391–93, 395raising prices, 255solo freelancing vs. group practices,
419–21tier pricing and, 402–4
gmail, 129God particle of editing, 32–35going rate as concept, 264–65. See also rates
headingsGoogle, reference books vs., 110
grammar guides, professional editors and,57, 67, 70, 299
grammar skills, as missing ingredient,51–53
The Gregg Reference Manual, 67, 70gross income, target, 263, 267group practices vs. solo freelancing, 392–93,
413–14, 415–17, 418–21group sourcing, 389–90guilds. See also professional organizations
guild thinking, 418–20need for, 151
Haley, Carolyn, 304, 333handshake agreements vs. contracts, 47,
146, 152, 210hard drives, 119, 121–24, 138–39hardware
custom-built computers, 82, 121–24,137–38
monitors, 72–73, 74, 107mouse, programmable, 75removable drives, 119, 121–24, 138–39XKeys, 73–74
Hart, Geoff, 92–93, 94health insurance costs, 353heavy edit, use of term, 28–31. See also lev-
els of editingHemingway, Ernest, 179Higgs boson of editing, 32–35higher education costs and career choices,
314–16hiring considerations
company vs. solopreneur question, 345editing test overview, 289–91how not to get work, 295–96minimum acceptable pay, 216–18new clients, losing chance for, 340–43pricing self out of market, 292–94resource material familiarity, 68–69,
325–26holidays, working on, 365, 366hot-swappable drives, 119, 121–24, 138–39hourly rates. See rates, hourlyhours of business, setting, 364–67
If . . . Then . . . process, 111–12income, tracking of, 243. See also profit con-
siderations; rates headingsInCopy, 100
432 Index
independent status, proving, 143, 148, 246,345
InDesign, 100, 166Indian judicial system, requirement regard-
ing, 150, 156, 346in-house production editors, role changes
for, 394–95in-house work, freelancers moving to, 413Insert Query macro, 125–28insurance, 141–43, 353Integrated Taxonomic Information System,
108intellectual property concerns, 144–47, 158,
212interim schedules, 181–84. See also sched-
ule considerationsInternal Revenue Service, 143, 148, 246.
See also tax considerationsThe International, 307Internet resources. See online resourcesinterpretation clauses in contracts, 154invoices. See also collection of payments;
rates headingscopyright interest notice and payment,
145–46domains and e-mail, 129, 131, 344ethics of billing, 249–52, 327–29evaluating clients, 307–8methods overview, 246–48yearly bookkeeping, 245
journal publishing, cost considerations for,405–7
Journals (macro)copyediting stage, 170–71large project logistics, 200macros overview, 79mastering macros, 96, 101–3mastering Word, 99
Joyce, James, 305joy derived from editing, 333–36
“keyboards,” custom, 74, 77key combinations, XKeys and, 74. See also
macros
Lakme, 178, 180language usage guides. See usage guideslarge projects. See also specific aspects
artificial schedules, 181–84best price bids, 232–34
company vs. solopreneur question,344–47, 351–52
logistics of, 198–201mastering macros, 101online editing vs. paper-based editing, 91taking on too much, 337–39yearly bookkeeping, 244–45
late payment as concern. See collection ofpayments
law, education in, 5–7LCD monitors, 72–73legal concerns. See also contracts
American judicial system, rule regarding,157
copyright interest and payment, 144–47Indian judicial system, requirement re-
garding, 150, 156, 346lawsuit remedy, availability of, 153lawsuits and difficult clients, 312liability insurance requirements, 141–43nonpayment and contracts, 210–12
legal professioneditorial career vs. legal career, 314–16outsourcing and, 396–97solopreneurs in, 355–57
levels of editingediting role comparison, 11–13editing roles and downward pressure on
price, 21–23ethics of billing, 249–52handshake agreements vs. contracts, 146light, medium, or heavy as terms, 28–31rate schedule and, 264relationships and unwritten rules, 48schedules and client expectations, 186schedules and workdays, 365
Levenger, paper from, 111liability, limitation of, 153liability insurance requirements, 141–43libraries of editors. See reference bookslicensing considerations, cloud computing
and, 119–20light edit, use of term, 28–31, 48. See also
levels of editinglimitation of liability clause, 153linguistics, education in, 5–7LinkedIn, 114–17, 229, 363Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 91, 118ListFixer, 78, 166literacy, decline in, 382–85
Index 433
Logitech programmable mouse, 75loneliness, solo freelancing and, 412–13,
416losing clients, 361–63lowering prices, 226–28, 232, 255, 257–59Lyon, Jack. See also Editorium macros
background of book, xviiikey resources, xixMacro Cookbook for Microsoft Word, 87,
94, 96, 104, 113macros overview, 76, 77–78Microsoft Word for Publishing Profession-
als, 87, 94for more information, 423wildcard macros and money, 236
Mac computers, 76, 79, 99, 138, 139. Seealso Apple computers
Macro Cookbook for Microsoft Word (Lyon),87, 94, 96, 104, 113
Macro Expressconsistency and editing process, 189macros overview, 76–77use with XKeys, 74
macros. See also specific packagesartificial schedules, 183–84consistency and editing process, 189–91copyediting stage, 167, 168–72Editorium macros overview, 76, 77–78EditTools overview, 76, 78–79key resources, xixlarge project logistics, 199–200Macro Express overview, 76–77macros overview, 76–79, 133–36macro-writing example, 80–87mastering macros, 94–97, 101–4mastering Word, 98–100online stylesheets overview, 106–7PerfectIt overview, 76, 78planning macros, 111–13processing stage, 166–67publisher agreement regarding callouts,
247publisher search for savings, 221query macros, 124–28wildcard macros and money, 235–39XKeys and, 74
market, competition in. See competition con-siderations
marketing of servicescalling vs. e-mailing, 342–43
disappearing clients, 361–63networking and, 417professional organizations and, 410
Max stylesheet, 158ME. See Macro Expressmedical abbreviation software, 118medical dictionaries
editing tests and, 291online editing resources, 109professional editors and, 66, 69, 326
medical professionoutsourcing and, 396–97solopreneurs in, 355, 357
medical spellcheck software, 68, 291, 326medium edit, use of term, 28–31. See also
levels of editingMEDLINE, 108MegaReplacer, 78The Merck Index, 66, 299mergers and buyouts, 362Merriam-Webster online, 105Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 66,
67, 69Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of English
Usage, 57, 66, 70MFR. See MultiFile Find and ReplaceMicrosoft antivirus software, 140Microsoft cloud computing, 118–19Microsoft Excel, 245, 248, 271Microsoft PowerPoint, 112Microsoft Visual Basic Applications
applications based on, 76custom-built computers and, 138macros overview, 77macro-writing example, 80–87mastering VBA, 100, 167
Microsoft WindowsApple vs., 138macros overview, 76, 79Windows 7, 122–23Windows 8, 122–23
Microsoft Word. See also macroschanging face of editing, 19future of editing and, 388invoicing methods, 248large project logistics, 200macros overview, 77, 79Mac versions, 99mastering macros, 94–97mastering Word, 98–100, 419
434 Index
online editing background, 91paper-based vs. online editing and, 195,
197processing stage, 166–67query macro, 125–28reference books for, 87, 91–93, 94, 96,
104, 113use of as prerequisite, 68–69Windows 7 and, 123Word 2003, 99, 119Word 2007, 99Word 2010, 99, 119XKeys and, 74
Microsoft Word for Publishing Professionals(Lyon), 87, 94
monitors, computer, 72–73, 74, 107mother clauses, 157mouse, programmable, 75mugwump, definition of, 58MultiFile Find and Replace, 133–34, 136,
169–70
National Library of Medicine, 101, 108network-attached storage box, 138–39networking (interpersonal), 114–17,
362–63, 416–17Never Spell Word
consistency and editing process, 189–91copyediting stage, 170large project logistics, 199–200mastering Word, 99for prospective changes, 134
The New Fowler’s Modern English Usage, 57newspaper readership, decline in, 382–83nondisclosure agreements, 156–59nonpayment as concern. See collection of
paymentsNoteStripper, 78, 166nuance, future of editing and, 387number of pages, calculating, 268–69
offshoring. See also global marketediting roles and, 24–27editorial world as passing editors by,
396–99schedules and client expectations,
185–86O’Moore-Klopf, Katharine, 3011and1 (registrar), 130, 140online communication. See e-mailonline editing. See also specific aspects
background of, 91–92editing roles and outsourcing, 26mastering macros, 94–97, 101–4mastering Word, 98–100online resources, considerations for,
108–10paper-based editing vs., 91–92, 121,
195–97, 356–57, 380planning macros, 111–13query macro, 125–28reference books for, 87, 91–93, 94, 96,
104, 113stylesheets overview, 105–7
online networking (interpersonal), 114–17,362–63
online resourcesciting ebooks and Internet, 176–77cloud computing, 118–20discussion groups, 114–17, 412–13as online editing tool, 108–10reference books vs., 54, 67, 69, 70,
108–10, 324–26online stylesheets. See stylesheetsopen-access publishing model, 405–7opinion
defining good editors, 321–23editing as governed by, 260–63, 310–12“professional” resources and, 89–90what editors forget most often, 318–20
organizations, professional. See professionalorganizations
outsourcing. See also global market; pack-agers; third-party vendors
editing roles and, 24–27editorial world as passing editors by,
396–99missing the editorial boat, 392schedules and client expectations,
185–86solo freelancing vs. group practices,
419–21The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories, 66Oxford English Dictionary, 66, 108Oxford University Press, 110
packagers. See also third-party vendorslong-term contracts, 242missing the editorial boat, 392–93,
394–95one price doesn’t fit all, 242reducing prices, 227
Index 435
types of “employers,” 292–93page count
calculating, 268–69, 332tracking, 244–45
Page Number Format, 166–67, 201page rates. See rates, per-pagepages, calculating number of, 268–69, 332paper-based editing, online editing vs.,
91–92, 121, 195–97, 356–57, 380paper-based macro planning, 111–12partnering with colleagues, 415–17. See also
group practices vs. solo freelancingpartners, authors and editors as, 44–46password security, 140patterns in macros. See macrospayment for services. See collection of pay-
ments; profit considerations; rates head-ings
PC Tools, 139PDF files, 25, 248perfection as expectation. See expectations;
quality considerationsPerfectIt, 76, 78, 173–75Perkins, Maxwell, 179per-page rates. See rates, per-pagePerseus Books Group, 400–401personal satisfaction from editing, 333–36philosophy
education of editors, 5–7Higgs boson of editing, 32–35
phones, 122–23, 248, 342–43PowerPoint, Microsoft, 112pricing of services. See profit considerations;
rates headingsprinted reference books. See reference
booksprint on demand model, Dorchester changes
as harbinger, 379–81privacy considerations, 345. See also confi-
dentiality considerationsprocessing stage of copyediting, 165,
166–67process of editing. See also roles of editors;
specific aspectsauthorial and editorial processes, 178–80best price bids and, 233–34changing face of editing, 17–20citing ebooks and Internet, 176–77consistency considerations, 188–91copyediting read vs. error read, 220
copyediting stage, 165, 167, 168–72difficult clients and, 310–13“I can get it cheaper,” 359–60large project logistics, 198–201paper-based vs. online editing, 91–92,
121, 195–97, 356–57, 380processing stage, 165, 166–67production line of editors, 281–82proofing stage, 165, 173–75schedule considerations and, 181–84,
185–87what editors need from authors, 192–94
process serving, setting up, 211–12production line of editors, 281–82productivity and profits. See profit consider-
ationsproductivity studies, 72professionalism considerations. See also ca-
reer of editing; specific aspectsartificial schedules and, 183authorial and editorial processes, 179–80domains and e-mail, 129–32, 248, 344editors as partners, 40–43finding a professional editor, 8–10Higgs boson of editing, 34“I can get it cheaper,” 358identifying professional editors, 324–26implied promises of editors, 330–32invoicing methods overview, 247–48low rates and competition, 229–31minimum acceptable pay, 216–18online discussion groups, 114–17“professional” resources, 88–90reducing prices, 227reference books, use of, 54–56, 57–59,
65–67, 68–71, 297–300, 324–26professional organizations
author organizations and publishingtrends, 380
future of editing and, 376, 397, 409–11need for, 151, 255, 409–11online forums and, 114, 116solo freelancing vs. group practices, 416tier pricing and, 403–4
profit considerations. See also rates headingsbest price bids, 232–34calculating EHR, 213–15, 265–66,
267–70, 276–79company vs. solopreneur question, 344,
348–50, 351–54, 356–57
436 Index
demand for perfection, 260–63determining actual hourly rate, 276–79editorial world as passing editors by,
397–98ethics of billing, 249–52, 327–29expectations as recipe for disappointment,
207–9going rate as concept, 264–65invoicing methods overview, 246–48low rates and competition, 229–31mastering macros, 96, 101–3minimum acceptable pay, 216–18nonpayment and, 210–12one price doesn’t fit all, 240–42paper-based vs. online editing, 195–97publisher search for savings, 219–22raising prices, 253–56reducing prices, 226–28, 232, 255,
257–59Rule of Three, 223–25, 242, 243–44satisfaction from editing, 334–36schedules and client expectations,
185–87solo freelancing vs. group practices,
419–20tracking EHR, 271–75, 280–83utility of EHR, 280–83what to charge, 264–66, 267–70, 271–75,
276–79, 280–83wildcard macros and money, 235–39yearly bookkeeping, 243–45
programmable mouse, 75programmers, hiring to write macros,
103–4, 113project lists, 8–9project rates. See rates, projectproofing stage of copyediting, 165, 173–75proofreading
editing roles and downward pressure onprice, 21–22
editing roles and outsourcing, 24–26low rates and competition, 230relationships and unwritten rules, 49–50stylesheets and, 25, 105, 199
Publication Manual (APA), 70publishing, future of, xvii, 373–75. See also
future of editing; specific aspectsPubMed, 102, 108, 119, 200purchase orders, 146
quality considerations. See also profession-alism considerations
acknowledgments, value of, 304–6compensation and expectations, 36contract considerations, 150–51copyediting read vs. error read, 220demand for perfection, 260–63ebooks and future of editing, 377–78editors as partners, 44–46expectations as recipe for disappointment,
207–9future of publishing, xvii, 375good editors, defining, 321–23implied promises of editors, 330–32low rates and competition, 229–31paper-based vs. online editing, 197PerfectIt overview, 78, 165, 173–75posting prices and, 301–2professional editors, identifying, 325publisher search for savings, 220–22reducing prices and, 258–59relationships and unwritten rules, 48–50taking on too much, 337–39
queries, author, 12, 49, 125–28QuickBooks Pro, 245
raising prices, 253–56rates (generally). See also profit considera-
tions; specific rate typeschanging face of editing, 17–19downbeating of pricing, 383–84ebooks and future of editing, 376–78editing roles and downward pressure on
price, 21–23editing roles and outsourcing, 24–27editing roles and unwritten rules, 50editors as partners, 41–43education costs and career choices,
315–16expectations and compensation, 36–39going rate as concept, 264–65group practices vs. solo freelancing,
420–21group sourcing and, 390how not to get work, 295“I can get it cheaper,” 358–60levels of editing overview, 28–31liability insurance requirements, 143low rates and competition, 229–31minimum acceptable pay, 216–18minimum universal price, lack of, 228
Index 437
missing the editorial boat, 391–93,394–95
new clients, losing chance for, 340–41one price doesn’t fit all, 240–42open-access model and, 405–8posting prices on website, 240–42, 301–3price tiers, 402–4pricing self out of market, 292–94raising prices, 253–56reducing prices, 226–28, 232, 255,
257–59rush charges, 247, 309, 365, 366schedules and expectations, 185–87schedules and workdays, 365tier pricing, 402–4what to charge, 264–66, 267–70, 271–75,
276–79, 280–83rates, EFA schedule of, 264rates, effective hourly
calculating, 265–66, 267–70, 276–79EditTools creation and, 255macros overview, 133mastering macros, 96query macro, 128reducing prices, 258tracking, 214–15, 243–44, 271–75,
280–83utility of, 280–83
rates, hourlycompany vs. solopreneur question, 352demand for perfection, 262determining actual hourly rate, 276–79ethics of billing, 249–52, 327–29expectations and compensation, 37–38how not to get work, 295“I can get it cheaper,” 360mastering macros, 101mastering Word, 100minimum acceptable pay, 216–18one price doesn’t fit all, 240–42posting prices on website, 301–2pricing self out of market, 292publisher search for savings, 220–22raising prices, 253reducing prices, 258
rates, per-pagecalculating EHR, 213–14, 268–69ethics of billing, 249, 251expectations and compensation, 38“I can get it cheaper,” 360
low rates and competition, 229–31macros overview, 133mastering macros, 96, 101–3mastering Word, 100meeting EHR, 278minimum acceptable pay, 217one price doesn’t fit all, 241–42posting prices on website, 302pricing self out of market, 292publisher search for savings, 220–22reducing prices, 227–28tier pricing, 402–3tracking EHR, 272–73yearly bookkeeping, 244
rates, projectcalculating EHR, 268ethics of billing, 249, 251, 328expectations and compensation, 38“I can get it cheaper,” 360mastering macros, 101meeting EHR, 278one price doesn’t fit all, 241–42yearly bookkeeping, 244
reducing prices, 226–28, 232, 255, 257–59reference books
grammar skills and, 51–52for Microsoft Word, 87, 91–93, 94, 96,
104, 113online resources vs., 54, 67, 69, 70,
108–10, 324–26professional editors and, 54–56, 57–59,
65–67, 68–71, 297–300, 324–26“professional” resources, 88–90what editors forget most often, 317–20
references (bibliographic)artificial schedules, 182copyediting stage, 170–71ebooks and Internet as sources, 176–77editor’s discretion in styling, 318–19large project logistics, 200–201macros overview, 79macro-writing example, 80–87mastering macros, 95–96, 101–3mastering Word, 98processing stage, 166–67wildcard macros and money, 235–39
references (for job applicants), 9Registry Mechanic, 139
438 Index
relationship considerations. See author-editor relationship; client-editor rela-tionship
removable drives, 119, 121–24, 138–39resource libraries of editors. See reference
booksRoboForm, 140roles of editors. See also process of editing;
specific roles and concernsblurring of roles and pricing down, 21–23changing face of editing, 17–20copyediting by any other name, 24–27developmental editor vs. copyeditor,
11–13, 29difficult clients and, 310–13editorial commandments, 35, 40–43,
44–46, 50education and, 5–7expectations and compensation, 36–39finding an editor, 8–10grammar skills, 51–53Higgs boson of editing, 32–35in-house production editors, 394–95, 420light, medium, or heavy as terms, 28–31production line of editors, 281–82professionalism considerations overview,
54–56, 57–59relationships and unwritten rules, 47–50WYSIWYG conundrum, 14–16
Rule of Three, 223–25, 242, 243–44rush charges, 247, 309, 365, 366
safe deposit boxes, 123, 138samples of work, 9–10Samsung monitors, 73satisfaction from editing, 333–36“satisfactory” contract wording, 153schedule considerations
artificial or arbitrary schedules, 181–84ebooks and future of editing, 377ethics of billing, 249–52, 327–29expectations and compensation, 36–39expectations and schedules, 185–87levels of edit and, 30online discussion groups and, 114–15,
117paper-based vs. online editing and,
196–97relationships and unwritten rules, 48taking on too much, 338–39tier pricing and, 402–3
workdays and schedules, 364–67yearly bookkeeping, 243–44
schedule of rates (EFA), 264Scientific Style and Format (CSE), 70, 299Search, Count, and Replace
macros overview, 78, 79mastering macros, 95overview of, 133, 135–36
self-editing trends, xvii, 388, 405–8self-publishing
agencies and, 400–1future of publishing, xvii, 374open-access model and, 406
service of process, setting up, 211–12signature for e-mails, 130–31, 248sign-or-no-work agreements, 346Simenon, Georges, 186since/because, 32–33, 52smart phones, 122–23social media, 114–17, 229Social Security contributions, 353Social Security number, 131, 248software. See also macros; specific packages
and types of softwareantivirus, 109, 119, 122, 139–40cloud computing and, 119disaster preparedness and, 138–40editing as future safe harbor, 386–88editing tests and, 291Editorium macros overview, 77–78EditTools overview, 78–79free resources, 109, 122, 325–26grammar skills and, 51–52key resources, xixMacro Express overview, 76–77online editing background, 91–93PerfectIt overview, 78taking on too much, 338–39use of as hiring consideration, 68–69
solo worksolo freelancing vs. group practices,
392–93, 412–14, 415–17, 418–21solopreneur vs. company question,
344–47, 348–50, 351–54, 355–57specialty reference books. See also reference
booksediting tests and, 291online editing resources, 109professional editors and, 66, 69–70, 299,
326
Index 439
spellcheck softwareediting as future safe harbor, 386–88editing tests and, 291large project logistics, 200medical, 68, 291, 326as not used by some, 68, 339reliance on, 51–52
spelling skills, as missing ingredient, 51–53stages of editing. See process of editingstate laws, as governing contracts, 211Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, 66, 69, 109Stedman’s Medical Spellchecker, 291Storyboard paper, 111–12structure-oriented nature of editing, 5–7, 29style manuals
editing tests and, 290Higgs boson of editing, 34online discussion regarding, 115–16professional editors and, 54–56, 57, 65,
70–71, 297–300“professional” resources, 88–90usage guides vs., 88what editors forget most often, 317–20
stylesheetsbackup considerations, 140editing process and, 188–91editing tests and, 290–91group sourcing and, 389–90large project logistics, 199Max Stylesheet, 158monitor setup and, 73, 107online stylesheets overview, 105–7proofreading and, 25, 105, 109taking on too much, 337–39
subject-matter expertise, changing face ofediting, 17–19
Superscript Me, 166–67swappable drives, 119, 121–24, 138–39
tax considerationscompany vs. solopreneur question, 345contract purpose, 148insurance coverage, 143invoicing methods, 246taxpayer-funded research, access to, 405
team concept, 198. See also group practicesvs. solo freelancing; large projects
technological advances and future of edit-ing, 386–88. See also specific aspects
telephone number, on invoices, 131telephones, 122–23, 248, 342–43
templateschanging face of editing, 18mastering macros, 96mastering Word, 98online editing background, 91
10 Editorial Commandmentscreation of, 35thou shalt treat editors as partners,
44–46, 50thou shalt use a professional editor,
40–43tests
editing roles and outsourcing, 24–25living in a dream world, 216–17new clients, losing chance for, 340–42overview of, 289–91
Thaler-Carter, Ruth E.background of book, xviiicontracts, 150job satisfaction, 333key resources, xixLinkedIn and editors, 114–17for more information, 423solo freelancing vs. group practices,
415–17, 418solopreneur vs. company question,
348–50, 351that/which, 52there/their, 52thesauruses, 70third-party vendors, 149–52. See also out-
sourcing; packagerstier pricing, 402–4time considerations. See estimates; schedule
considerationsTimeless Time and Expense, 271time tracking methods, 271–75Toggle
consistency and editing process, 189–91copyediting stage, 168–69frequency of use, 134macros overview, 78mastering macros, 95
tools for editors. See also specific toolscloud computing, 118–20contract considerations, 148–51, 152–55copyright interest and payment, 144–47disaster preparedness, 137–40domains and e-mail, 129–32editing tests and, 290–91
440 Index
hardware overviews, 72–75, 121–24key resources, xixliability insurance requirements, 141–43LinkedIn, 114–17macros overviews, 76–79, 133–36macro-writing example, 80–87mastering macros, 94–97, 101–4mastering Word, 98–100Microsoft Word reference books, 87,
91–93, 94, 96, 104, 113missing the editorial boat, 392nondisclosure agreements, 156–59online editing resources, 108–10online stylesheets overview, 105–7planning macros, 111–13professional editor’s bookshelf, 54–56,
57–59, 65–67, 68–71“professional” resources, 88–90query macro, 124–28removable drives and Windows 8, 119,
121–24software overview, 76–79taking on too much, 338–39
Track Changeschanging face of editing, 19consistency and editing process, 190copyediting stage, 169mastering Word, 99–100paper-based vs. online editing, 195, 197
trade secrets, 156–59translated books, editing, 227trust, contracts and, 153, 154–55typesetting/composition, editing roles and
outsourcing, 25–26
Ulysses (Joyce), 305URLs, citing, 176–77usage guides
editing tests and, 290grammar skills and, 51–52online editing resources, 110professional editors and, 57–59, 66,
69–70, 299“professional” resources, 88style manuals vs., 88
venue clauses, 210–11veterinarian vs. editor as career choice,
314–16Visual Basic Applications, Microsoft. See
Microsoft Visual Basic Applications
waiver of rights (in contracts), 153warranties for computers, 123warranty, implied promise as, 330–32web design pricing example, 253–54web resources. See online resourceswebsites for editors
checking out before applying for work,295
company vs. solopreneur question, 345domains and e-mail overview, 129–32online stylesheets and, 73, 106, 140password security, 140posting prices on, 240–42, 301–3work hours and, 364
weekends, working on, 247, 365, 366Whose Grammar Book Is This Anyway?, 70Wikipedia, 54, 67, 177, 299, 325, 383Wildcard Find and Replace, 201, 236–39wildcard macros
basics of VBA, 76copyediting stage, 167large project logistics, 201macro-writing example, 80–87profit considerations, 235–39
Windows, Microsoft. See Microsoft WindowsWord, Microsoft. See Microsoft Wordword books, 66, 70word lists, custom, 174wordnSync programs. See EditTools; specific
programsWord Parts Dictionary, 57, 66, 70WordPerfect, 91, 195words per page formula, 269Worker’s Compensation, 143, 353“work for hire” contract wording, 153work hours, setting, 364–67working alone. See solo workwork samples, 9–10work week (40-hour), as basis for EHR, 265,
267, 276written contracts. See contractsWYSIWYG conundrum, 14–16
XKeys, 73–74, 76–79XyWrite, 91
yearly bookkeeping, 243–45yearly price increases, 254–55
