Gabrielle Ulubay

See this issue's Editors' Picks selections by Kenji Kabashima, Deputy Editor https://lnkd.in/em4jBJxX #JIDJournal #derm #derma #dermatology #dermatologia #dermatologie #dermatologist #dermatologists #dermatologista #dermresearch #dermscience #dermatologyresearch #skinresearch

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It’s not just #English majors who are drawn to the #editing profession. Read about the experiences of those in other disciplines, like Tamira K. Butler-Likely, PhD, and how they transitioned to a career as a #copyeditor. Outside-the-Book.com #AmEditing #Publishing

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I'm working on a presentation for fiction writers about making friends with Microsoft Word, particularly during editing (whether self-editing or processing editorial feedback). Tell me your top tips or questions/frustrations! #WritingAdvice #WritingCraft #FictionWriting #Editing

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There's misinformation, there's disinformation and there's fluffination The editors and proofreaders among us have been talking a lot lately about de-fluffing manuscripts – or defluffinating (I think it was Will Slater who coined this term recently? 👏). We have been using it to describe the process of copy-editing (as in, removing the fluff – wordiness – from writing, among other, more mechanical, processes). Highly technical, right? 🤭 But did you know fluffination is a thing? We know that <misinformation> is fake news created by mistake, without meaning to cause harm, and <disinformation> is fake news created deliberately, with the intention of causing harm. But who knew that a <fluffinator> is someone who gossips or speaks without purposeful intent, according to the Urban Dictionary? For example, Maria is the office fluffinator. [Btw, Maria, you need to go and find some nice hobbies and stop being such a fluffinator. No one likes a fluffinator.] So can we stretch that definition to embrace the process of removing <fluff> in writing? Why not? We can do anything we want in the World of Made-up Words. So, if you're defluffinating a manuscript today, good luck! But, a word of warning, be careful about throwing fluffinators around too freely. Apparently, the word has another (entirely different) meaning 🙊 Go on, Google it... Proofreading, defluffinating, copywriting https://lnkd.in/dfWCkSTp Photo of some fluffy ducklings by Francesco Ungaro, Unsplash

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Proofreading’s pointless! Well, it is in certain situations. Take the example sentence in the screenshot. I could correct the spelling, but it still wouldn’t be fit for purpose. In this case it needs to be rewritten to match the definition. That’s the author’s role, but developmental editing can help guide them. (For the record, this was a screenshot I took in 2014. There was probably some automation involved, but I don’t think antagonistic imitation – AI for short – existed in its current form.) #proofreader #editor #writer

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Writing Tips: When To Reveal A Secret via K.M. Allan #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/e8WQ7XZe

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Something I'm constantly doing as a copyeditor is looking things up, and perhaps compound words are what I look up most. Should a compound word be open (like "rib cage")? Should a compound word be closed (like "windowsill")? Should a compound word be hyphenated (like the noun "run-in")? It can be easy to know how to write many compound words we encounter regularly, but while editing manuscripts it's very common to stumble upon those that require a look-up. That's why I always, always have Merriam-Webster open in one of my browser tabs. (And, yes, M-W actually lists both "look-up" and "lookup" as acceptable spellings of the noun, so in a case like that, it's my job to ensure each instance of such words is written consistently throughout a manuscript.) Let me tell you about "motor home." I recently did a sample edit for a potential new client. His story features a motor home. He had written it as "motorhome" throughout his first chapter. As this is a compound I don't come across every day, I needed to look it up and, lo and behold, M-W lists it as "motor home." Apparently, many sites that sell motor homes write this as a closed compound, so it's completely understandable that this author went with that spelling; he clearly did his research. I decided to leave a query in the sample edit, explaining what I found in M-W. There's more leeway in fiction writing as compared to formal writing, so it would have been completely acceptable for this author to have gone with "motorhome" as a closed compound if that's what he thought looked better or if he wanted to stick with how many retailers write the noun. What's most important is maintaining consistency throughout a manuscript. It should either be always written as a closed compound or always written as an open compound. In this case, the author ended up choosing to go with the M-W entry, and he was so impressed with my desire to be meticulous that he's chosen to hire me to proofread his manuscript. I couldn't be happier. Copyediting is slow work. Nobody can memorize every compound in the English language, and that's only one sliver of the job. But it's worth doing it slowly and correctly. Having this mindset can help you be a better editor, and even land you projects that might've otherwise passed you by. (And, yes, M-W also lists "mind-set" as an acceptable, though less common, spelling.) Need an editor who'll check all those compounds for you? I'm Timothy, a fiction editor. My schedule is full for the remainder of 2024, but I'd love to start chatting about working together in 2025. Feel free to reach out if you're interested. Timothy #amediting #writingcommunity #editing #copyediting #proofreading #books #fiction 

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Yep. Most people think we proofreaders and copyeditors are flesh dictionaries. Although we have vast knowledge about how language works and how to apply grammar rules, it's impossible to know everything about something so malleable and spontaneous as language. Most words and phrases change quickly according to several variables like dialectical variations, sociological impacts on human experience, or even contextual jargon. Have you noticed how different we speak and think since most of us are constantly online? Did you know what a 'meme' was back in daily life before owning a personal computer or a smartphone? I bet you don't. Proofreaders and copyeditors should adapt to everyday speech changes and keep up-to-date with the latest grammar rules according to our time and academic research. Speakers shape their language. They use it left and right according to their needs to express themselves. That's why proofreaders and copyeditors use multiple resources like dictionaries and editing manuals. We can't know everything, but we learn something new each time we sit at our desktop. Our curiosity and passion for language make us go beyond our brains.

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**Add an A to your DEI Initiatives!** Last week I was awarded scholarships to attend two virtual conferences: Investigative Reporters and Editors' AccessFest and the American Society of Journalists and Authors annual conference. As a disabled journalist, these are the *only* type of conferences I can attend. But they are increasingly rare. (Shout out to The Institute for Independent Journalists, which ONLY offers online conferences!) The reality is that accessibility is so often overlooked in DEI initiatives. Yet it's not just disabled people who benefit from -- and are included by -- remote professional offerings. For whom are in-person conferences inaccessible? Freelancers/independents who don't have an employer footing the cost. Parents. People caring for elderly loved ones. Neurodiverse folks. (Pre-pandemic, every conference I attended was excruciating because of sensory overload.) Early-career BIPOC journalists saddled with lower-than-average salaries, student loans, and generations of financial disadvantage. So many of the inclusion and accessibility gains early in the pandemic have been completely cast aside. Remember when absolutely everything was online in 2020? Think of all the disabled (and aforementioned other categories of people) poets, scientists, dancers, scholars, and other humans who are excluded now that there are no cultural or professional events or opportunities to which they have access. To people with planning power: invest time in learning about true accessibility. And implement what you learn. Or, hire an accessibility consultation to teach you about #DisabilityJustice. Your organization and the world will be better for it. (Special thanks to the ASJA's Olga Lucia Torres, JD, MS!))

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A quick reminder - if you want your writing to be more accessible, left-align the text! #LITranslators

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We work with organizations that foster opportunities for inclusive #storytelling. As evaluators of Film Independent's “Global Media Makers” project, we’re documenting how cultural exchange programs can help filmmakers from across the world tell their stories to domestic and international audiences. https://lnkd.in/ggi5UKqR

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#LWAITips - Avoiding Burnout: Taking Time Off as an Arts Professional The art world never stops, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. With the holidays approaching, here’s why stepping back can make you a stronger, more creative professional: #artsjobs #artsrecruitment #arts

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There is no difference between a writer and an author. Just check Merriam-Webster. It’s not uncommon in the literary and editorial worlds to see a distinction drawn between being a writer—someone who writes things—and being an author—someone who publishes what they write. But nowhere in the definition of “author” does it mention publishing as a requirement. An author and a writer are the same. HOWEVER! There is a difference between a writer/author who publishes and one who does not. If you write, you are already an author. If you want to be a *published* author, then you’re going to need to go the extra mile and learn to edit. I have a course that’s designed to teach you just that. Join me in beta testing my Everyone Should Edit course in January/February 2025, and we can get you on your way to being a published author, not just an author. === DM me or email ([email protected]) for more details on the course! === I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor and self-editing instructor. Follow my profile or #Jeanettediting to see more of me in your feed! #writer #writing #editor #editing #writingcommunity #creativity

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The Search for Literary Allies As most publishing houses don’t read books that aren’t recommended to them by literary agents, you need to get taken on by an agent if you’re serious about getting published. Literary agents aren’t hard to find, many of whom used to work in publishing and know other editors and agents. You can fairly easily get hold of a list of agents, but knowing which to approach can be difficult. Most agents now have websites, so look them up and see which authors they have on their lists and what kind of writing they take on. Approaching an agent who publishes a writer you like or admire or who publishes the kind of books that you like to read is a helpful approach. Remember, choosing a book is highly subjective, so picking an agent whose taste is obviously very different to your own is pointless. As a tip, most writers have websites and list their agent under their contact information and all agencies have websites listing their authors. Fuel Your Growth: Follow Us for Curated Tips & Educational Nuggets! Momentos Vivos #creativity #entrepreneurship #motivation

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