When we found Katharine, many of our editorial needs were fulfilled in one fell swoop in terms of initial editing/coaching for books in development, general copyediting, and substantive editing.
—Mark Long, Publisher, TSTC Publishing
copyeditor can make a good book or a good journal article great. She gets rid of inconsistencies, points out errors of fact, eliminates wordiness, smooths transitions between topics, and corrects grammar and misspellings. She’s the author’s passionate advocate. Before you publish, have KOK Edit handle the copyediting or substantive editing to polish your manuscript.Audio Conference on
Handling Difficult Authors
On Thursday, August 12, 2010, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern time, Katharine O'Moore-Klopf, ELS, will spill her secrets in an audio conference, sponsored by Copyediting newsletter, on how copyeditors can work with authors who actively resist being edited, don't see the problems that the editor does, or are downright hostile. What are your options, as a copyeditor, when an author digs in his or her heels, and what can you do to avoid an impasse in the first place? You can get more details and register by going here.
The main topics will be
- How to set authors at ease at the start of editing
- How to write effective author queries
- How to set boundaries with authors who hover
- How to navigate relationships with prickly authors
- How to communicate effectively with ESL authors
- How to turn authors into repeat clients
- How to deal with authors when a breakup is inevitable
Katharine has been in publishing for 26 years, the first 11 as a production editor for various publishers, and since then as a full-time freelance copyeditor. She is a medical editor with a specialty in editing manuscripts written by non-native speakers of English. Her editing has helped researchers in 20-plus nations get published. She is also creator and curator of the Copyeditors' Knowledge Base. On Twitter, she is @KOKEdit.
If you can't change your schedule to participate in the audio conference, you can go here to order a CD of the conference. If you can't afford the cost of the conference yourself, you and one or more colleagues can register under one name and make arrangements among yourselves to share the cost. International callers are welcome; consider using VoIP to decrease the cost of your time on the phone. And remember, if you're already self-employed as a freelance editor in the United States, the cost of the audio conference (and the audio CD, if you purchase it) is a business expense that you can write off on your income tax forms.
Get ready to pick up your phone and learn from the comfort of your employer's office, your home office, or your home. If you've wanted to improve your relationships with authors, this is the conference for you.
Why does your manuscript need a copyeditor?
- To ensure clarity
- To ensure a smooth, logical flow
- To double-check plausibility of events in plots
- To verify facts
- To fix grammar, syntax, and spelling errors
- To ensure consistency of point of view and tone
- To increase the likelihood that your research articles will be published by U.S. medical journals, if you are a physician or other health-care professional whose first language is not English
When Random House/Ballantine needed a great copyeditor for my book, Colic Solved, they sought Katharine. —Bryan Vartabedian, MD
Why is Katharine O’Moore-Klopf, ELS, your favorite copyeditor?
- Because she has 26 years of experience in publishing
- Because she polishes text yet maintains the author’s voice
- Because she is extremely thorough
- Because she holds authors in high esteem
- Because she works not only with publishers and organizations but also directly with authors
- Because she is a medical copyeditor—a board-certified editor in the life sciences—who edits articles for medical journals and medical textbooks
- Because she offers skillful ESL (English as a second language, or translation) editing, having helped ESL speakers in 20-plus nations get their articles published in 27 different medical journals
- Because she edits fiction, nonfiction, and business texts
- Because she mentors other copyeditors
- Because she has the knowledge, connections, and research skills to have created and to maintain the Copyeditors' Knowledge Base, which is packed with information on tools of the trade and is used by copyeditors around the world
- Because as a leader in her profession, she shares her extensive knowledge of the industry with other copyeditors in her booklet Getting Started as a Freelance Copyeditor
