Think Like an Editor: Turn Good Design Blogs, Articles, and Books Great by Robin Catalano

Think Like an EditorTurn Good Design Blogs, Articles & Books Great

With Robin CatalanoManaging Editor, Digital & Social Media, The Annie Selke Companies

Freelance writer, editor, blogging & social media consultant

3/7/2016 design-bloggers-conference.com 1

In this seminar, we’ll cover:What professional editors look for in a manuscriptThe best and worst times to self-editHow to identify your strengths and improve on

your weaknessesWhen to stop editingThe tricks of professional editors

design-bloggers-conference.com 2

robinwriter.com

3/7/2016

Who is Robin? Copywriter. Journalist. Blogger. Content marketer. Teacher. Eater of cookies. Wearer of several awesome hats.


robinwriter.com

Hat 1: Managing Editor of Digital & Social Media for The Annie Selke Companies—Dash & Albert Rug Company, Pine Cone Hill, Fresh American, Annie Selke Luxe—annieselke.com

Hat 2: Freelance writer & editor with more than 20 years’ experience in commercial and educational copywriting; design, arts, and food journalism; book writing; ghostwriting; developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading—robinwriter.com

Editor of dozens of magazines & more than 350 books. A sampling of clients:


• Santé magazine• Culture magazine• Berkshire Living magazine• Penguin Group• Random House• Simon & Schuster

• Workman Publishing• The Harvard Common Press• Chelsea Green Publishing• Scholastic• Storey Publishing

…and more

robinwriter.com

3/7/2016

What are the 8 major characteristics editors look for in a manuscript?1. Distinctive voice 2. Continuity3. Consistency4. Technical accuracy


robinwriter.com

8 major characteristics (cont.)

5. Unique angle or story told to a clear demographic

6. Smooth transitions between paragraphs and chapters

7. Authors who are open to criticism and suggestion

8. Marketability—know your competition!


robinwriter.com

What editors are not looking for in a manuscript: Sentences that are overly long

or run-on Convoluted or unnecessarily

complex writing

Lots of passive voice

Clichés


robinwriter.com

3/7/2016

What editors are not looking for: Repetition

Excess “fat”For books, lots of current slang or pop-culture

references


robinwriter.com

What editors are not looking for:Overuse of adverbs and adjectives

“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”

—Stephen King


robinwriter.com

What is voice?Though they seem similar, voice and style are two different animals.

Style is a unique way of stringing words together.

Voice is a distinctive sensibility and way of observing the world through your writing.It’s mostly subconscious, and often

comes naturally during the writing process.

3/7/2016 11design-bloggers-conference.com

robinwriter.com

How to develop a unique voice:

• Think about how you speak and what details you include when you tell a story verbally

• Read lots of other writers . . . but don’t try to emulate them

• Let your words flow naturally; try free writing


robinwriter.com

1Mandi GublerVintage Revivalsvintagerevivals.com

Voice Study: 3 design bloggers with distinctive voices


robinwriter.com

2Michelle RanardHello Lovely Studiohellolovelystudio.com

Voice Study (cont.)


robinwriter.com

Voice Study (cont.)

3Anne SageAnne Sageannesage.com


robinwriter.com

How to highlight your strengths and improve on your weaknessesWork backward—look for weaknesses first. Some common areas for improvement:

On-the-fly writingInconsistencies in historical info—always fact-

check yourself!Inconsistencies in attributes you assign to

styles/designers


robinwriter.com

Common weaknessesaka the pet peeves of professional editorsVerbal and storytelling clichésLack of conflictOptimization overload—for blogs, SEO comes

second!


robinwriter.com

Pet peeves of pro editors, part 2:Overuse of adverbs (see Stephen King). Be especially cautious if

you’re relating any dialogue or quotations. For example:

“This living room will never be finished,” she said angrily, an ugly frown marring her otherwise smooth features.

Instead, opt for active speech verbs, or action verbs with speech:“This living room will never be finished!” she sighed. “This living room will never be finished,” she said. Deep lines crossed her forehead, and she turned away from me.

Show, don’t tell!


robinwriter.com

Pet peeves of pro editors, part 3:Overdescription—example:

I looked up to the clear sky and the frenzied pulses sent out by my heart pounded so hard at my chest. It felt like a drill were slowly poking a hole across a sheet of delicate plywood. The adrenaline rush sent an electric impulse swirling down my spine, giving me the shivers which you get when you listen to good music. I was breathing in a haphazard manner and the mesmerizing view completely took over my body. Time froze, and only my eyes cooperated in taking a mental picture of this jet-black spot dangling on the great canvas of Nature.

—Name of offender withheld


robinwriter.com

How to highlight your strengths:

First determine what you’re good at . . .And do more of it.


robinwriter.com

Avoid self-editing:Immediately after you’ve finished writingWhen you’re working on another important deadline

or projectWhen you aren’t able to work alone and quietly, with

no distractions


robinwriter.com

The best times for self-editing:When you can give yourself some space from your work.

For shorter projects, like a blog post or magazine article, wait at least 3 days from completed first draft

For longer projects, like a book, wait at least 2 full weeks from completed first draft

A few more tips:It’s okay to jot down notes to use laterPlan to do your revisions around the same time every

day until you’re finished. Never try to finish every last revision in a single day.


robinwriter.com

How to correct patterns of repetition:Awareness is more than half the battle.

Print out your post or article, or up to 20 pages of your manuscript

Read it slowlyCircle or highlight repeated words, phrases,

sentence structure, and description or plot points


robinwriter.com

Repetition: word & phraseRepetiton that doesn’t work:

The sharp scent of roses filled my nose and mouth as I gasped, and my ears filled with the distant echo of a bell.

I took a few steps so I could see inside the sleeping area, and saw Quinten’s feet at the end of a cot.

Effective repetition that serves to emphasize a point: We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.

—Benjamin Franklin


robinwriter.com

Repetition: sentence structure Repetition that doesn’t work:

With a sigh, she stepped out into the cold, fog-filled air and headed with lead-heavy feet down the path. She could hardly see an arm’s length in front of her, to the wall she knew must be there. With a shiver of fear for what was on the on the other side, she thrust her fingers forward.

Effective repetition of sentence structure:

I write as ritual. I write because I am not employable. I write out of my inconsistencies. I write because then I do not have to speak. I write with the colors of memory. I write as a witness to what I have seen.

–Terry Tempest Williams, Red


robinwriter.com

What’s a style sheet?A tool professional editors use to ensure consistency of:Spelling—names, places, businesses/ organizations,

publications, book or movie titles, etc.PunctuationHistorical timelineStyle preferences

3/7/2016 26design-bloggers-conference.com

robinwriter.com

What a style sheet looks like


robinwriter.com

Crucible Zero by Devon Monk (Roc, 9/14; 336 pp.; 978-0-451- 46736-2)

Style Sheet

style: • Close punctuation• Serial comma• No commas around an internal and before a terminal too, either,

anyway, etc.• Use –sized• Use More importantly• Half: half smile (noun), half-joking (adj.), half joked (verb)• Follow CMS for general treatment of numbers• Spell out numbers less than 100 in running text, plus most

numbers in dialogue, except four-digit years, room numbers, 9/11, complex times (1:44), route numbers

• Lowercase following a colon for complete sentences• Apostrophe s for names ending in s: Paris’s• Initial cap Your Excellency and Your Eminence• Ital. for words as words, imagined speech or voices inside the

mind, direct thoughts, mantras, sounds, and brief notes• Rom for letters as letters, a “kill him” gesture• Small caps for words on signs, headlines, T-shirts, tattoos, etc.

What a style sheet looks like


robinwriter.com

Word List words:ambienceBergere chairchaise longuee-commerce sitefashion-forwardfeng shuiflat-weave rugfaux finish (n.)faux-finish (v.)hoodiekilim

people, business, organization, publication names:CB2Coco + KelleyCorrigan, TimothyDraper, DorothyGreat Lady Decorators, ThePottery BarnRay, Rachael

When should I stop editing?

• You’ve gone over the same sections repeatedly, without satisfactory result

• You’re making changes that no longer improve the work (change for the sake of change)

• You’re finding reasons not to be finishedor

• You’ve addressed everything from your style sheet, repetition check, and notes, and feel really comfortable with your manuscript


robinwriter.com

When is my manuscript ready for “prime time”?For books especially: Am I bringing

something new to the topic or genre?

Is my voice distinctive?Do my how-to’s follow a logical

through-line?Have I created a style sheet/word

list, and carried those stylistic elements and spellings throughout?

Have I run spell check?


robinwriter.com

“Prime time” readiness, part 2:Have I verified words/places/facts I’m not sure of?Has every one of my flags been addressed to the best

of my ability?For longer-form work, have I workshopped parts with

a mentor or trusted friend who can give me feedback, and have I followed up on this?

Do I have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Is any part of it keeping me up at night, or do I feel fairly well at peace?


robinwriter.com

Grammar & style resources:General grammar and some style:

Woe Is I by Patricia T. O’Conner

Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss

Lapsing into a Comma by Bill Walsh

The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon

For style wonks:

Chicago Manual of Style

Words into Type

Recipes into Type


robinwriter.com

Where to find me:robinwriter.com

[email protected]

Appearances:4/16–5/21—Arts Center of the Capital Region (Troy, NY): The Anatomy of the Modern Romance Novel8/17/16—Berkshire Chamber of Commerce (Pittsfield, MA): Blogging for Business


robinwriter.com

Think Like an Editor: Turn Good Design Blogs, Articles, and Books Great by Robin Catalano

Design

Transcript of Think Like an Editor: Turn Good Design Blogs, Articles, and Books Great by Robin Catalano