How to treat code words used in aviation and other fields that rely on radio communications, like the NATO phonetic alphabet? According to Chicago 18 (7.74), it’s not complicated: Initial caps, no italics. So that’s fairly Echo Alfa Sierra Yankee. #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Developmental Editing, with Melissa Stein. Want to help authors shape successful manuscripts? Dive into the nuts and bolts of developmental editing through hands-on practice. Starts Wed., Jan. 21, 12:30 p.m. editcetera.com/developmenta.... #FreelanceEditing #ProfessionalDevelopment

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Pesky Punctuation for Editors, with Liz Asborno. Explore the nuances of semicolons, apostrophes, em dashes, and more (spoiler alert: context is key). Bring examples to unpack. Starts Thurs., Jan. 15, 4 p.m. editcetera.com/pesky-punctu.... #FreelanceEditing #ProfessionalDevelopment

Were you taught that a comma splice should always be corrected? Chicago 18 (6.23) still considers it verboten in formal writing, but now not always so in informal or creative writing. So a comma splice is not strictly a no-no anymore, the sentence might work as is. #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Rates and Estimates, with Barbara Fuller. Gain confidence and skill in setting your rates and estimating the time a job will take. Wednesday, December 3, 5:00 to 6:15 p.m. PT. Sign up by Monday, December 1. editcetera.com/rates-and-es.... #FreelanceEditing #ProfessionalDevelopment

You probably know that a compound word containing an adverb ending in -ly is not hyphenated. But be careful; this no-hyphen rule doesn’t apply to adjectives (Chicago 18, 7.93). So, for example, you might see a smartly dressed person while taking an early-morning walk. #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

In the old days, a title used in apposition before a personal name was considered a descriptive phrase rather than a title: “former president Obama.” As of Chicago 18 (8.22), we are now told to capitalize these formal titles: “former President Obama.” #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

In "The Constantly Unfolding Horrors of Vasily Nikoleyevich," Jen Burke Anderson applies hallucinatory strangeness to modern anomie; it’s Dostoevsky fan fiction set in post-2008-crash San Francisco. Watch the teaser here: youtu.be/Uf_Ab6embrQ #SanFranciscoFiction #MissionDistrict #Dostoyevsky

We close with Gertrude Atherton’s haunting tale set at “the Strid” of Yorkshire’s River Wharfe. Beneath the picturesque surface lie deep caverns, down into which currents pull all who fall in. And a dear friend has gone missing. Watch our teaser! youtu.be/d7NFddbIOeg #HorrorStories #TheStrid

Catch our spooky reading of “The Man of Science” by Jerome K. Jerome, known for his writings of humor, not horror. Watch the full reading here: youtu.be/WI-S2aSivtQ PLEASE SUBSCRIBE! @EditceteraSolutions #JeromeKJerome #HorrorStories #HalloweenReads #ManofScience #LiteraryKaraoke

Webinar starting next week: Writing Concisely, with Melissa Stein. Get results with more powerful, persuasive communications. Two Wednesdays starting November 5 at 12:30 p.m. PT. Learn more here: editcetera.com/writing-conc.... #FreelanceEditing #ProfessionalDevelopment

Learn how all the horrors, all the treacheries of the letter “U” led to one man’s downfall. Teaser read by translator Lawrence Venuti. (IU Tarchetti, FANTASTIC TALES, Archipelago) Watch HERE: youtu.be/H2biKlXCkQU @EditceteraSolutions #SpookyStories #HalloweenReads #LiteraryKaraoke

Our karaoke series debuts today! Our first illustrated reading is “Sweet William’s Ghost.” WATCH HERE: youtu.be/b0A4YH-sGrA Watch this trailer with the sound unmuted ... PLEASE SUBSCRIBE! More readings to come all Halloween week and beyond. #Halloween2025 #GhostStories #LiteraryKaraoke

Which of these great writers didn’t write spooky stories? And which will we read at our Literary Karaoke Halloween debut? Find out starting Monday, 10/27. Unmute your speakers if you dare ... Please subscribe! YouTube.com/@EditceteraSolutions #GreatWriters #SpookyStories #LiteraryKaraoke

Our Literary Karaoke/Reading Series debuts soon, with illustrated video readings posting all Halloween week starting October 27, 2025. YouTube.com/@EditceteraSolutions Please subscribe! Play the teaser video with the sound unmuted if you dare ... #Halloween2025 #GhostStories #LiteraryKaraoke

The vampiric gaze ... is not to be ignored. Nor is our Halloween-themed literary karaoke series, debuting Monday, 10/27/25. View this teaser unmuted if you dare … YouTube.com/@EditceteraSolutions #HalloweenReads #HorrorStories #LiteraryKaraoke (Video made by KJN in Canva Pro)

Our Literary Karaoke YouTube channel debuts soon; we’ll be posting illustrated audio readings throughout Halloween week and beyond. Please subscribe! Play this video unmuted if you dare ... YouTube.com/@EditceteraSolutions #Halloween2025 #GhostStories #LiteraryKaraoke

Watch the video with your speakers unmuted if you dare ... YouTube.com/@EditceteraSolutions #HalloweenReads #GhostStories #LiteraryKaraoke

Announcing the Editcetera LITERARY KARAOKE/Reading Series YouTube channel, debuting this Halloween with tales of horror and haunting. Posting illustrated audio readings October 27–31, 2025, and beyond ... YouTube.com/@EditceteraSolutions #HalloweenReads #GhostStories #LiteraryKaraoke

Emojis, 2/2: If an emoji applies to a whole sentence, place it after the punctuation: “What should I read next? 🤔” If it applies to part of the sentence, place it in that part of the sentence: “Are you excited 🥳 about this book 📖?” (Chicago 18, 6.137) #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

Emojis, 1/2: Chicago 18 (6.137) is keeping up with modern writing, with new guidance on emojis. Basically, treat an emoji like a word, with a space before and after, except when followed by punctuation. However, there should be no spaces between consecutive emojis. 👍🙌 #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Writing Concisely, with editor Melissa Stein. Get results with more powerful, persuasive communications. Two Wednesdays starting November 5 at 12:30 p.m. PT. Sign up here: editcetera.com/writing-conc.... #FreelanceEditing #ProfessionalDevelopment

When it comes to the question of capitalization following a colon, Chicago 18 (6.67) has shifted gears. Put this in your memory bank: Initial cap even a single full sentence following that colon henceforth. #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

Editors, looking to up your game? Editcetera offers ongoing professional development webinars and self-paced training. Among our upcoming offerings: Writing Concisely, Pesky Punctuation, Grammar Guidelines, and Developmental Editing. For details, go to editcetera.com/workshops/. #FreelanceEditing

How to credit an AI image? According to Chicago 18 (3.38), you must both name the AI model and give the user’s prompt, for example: “Image generated by DALL-E 2, April 7, 2023, from the prompt ‘An ornate bookshelf with a portal into another dimension.’” #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

Even more on hyphenation. In another departure, Chicago 18 (7.96) now hyphenates terms modified by “then” when used in the sense of “former”; for example, “then-president.” If “then” appears before an open compound, use an en dash; for example, “then–vice president.” #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

Timekeeping and billing can be challenging parts of freelancing. Get help tracking your time and creating invoices with free and low-cost apps such as Clockify, MyHours, or TogglTrack. #FreelanceEditing clockify.me myhours.com toggl.com

More on hyphenation. Another reversal in Chicago 18 (7.96): “mid” is now treated as an adjective combining form instead of a prefix, needing hyphenation unless listed as closed in Merriam-Webster. So we have mid-thirties and mid-central (but midair and midafternoon). #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

Now that the “Big Beautiful Bill” (all 870 pages) is law, you may want to know how it affects freelancers. Here’s one resource: The Freelancers Union breaks down key takeaways regarding healthcare and taxes on its blog at freelancersunion.org/blog/. #FreelanceEditing

Compound modifiers, 2/2: But wait! The rule for adjective compounds containing “half” has changed in the reverse (Chicago 18, 7.96). These compounds should now be hyphenated before the noun but open after the noun: a “half-finished meal” but a “meal half finished.” #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

Compound modifiers, 1/2: Chicago 18 (7.92) has changed some of its hyphenation rules. Certain compound modifiers are now hyphenated both before and after the noun: a task that is all-consuming, a plan that is cost-effective, or a snack that is fat-free. #FreelanceEditing #GrammarSnack

These days, clients expect copyeditors to work quickly. But this doesn’t have to mean “read faster.” Tools like PerfectIt and/or expertise with Word macros can help with routine aspects of editing while leaving decisions and nuance to humans. www.perfectit.com

Comma minimalists rejoice! Two imperative clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction are now considered a single clause with a compound predicate: “Wait for me at the bottom of the hill on Buffalo Street or walk up to Eddy Street and meet me next to the Yield sign” (Chicago 18, 6.25).

The Freelancers Union is a nonprofit providing education and advocacy for freelancers of all kinds. Member benefits include tax prep guidelines; access to health, dental, life, and disability insurance; information about retirement planning; and networking, training, and events. freelancersunion.org

Jump-start your proofreading skills this summer with Editcetera’s self-paced course, The ABCs of Proofreading. Sign up anytime and work at your own pace with instructor feedback. editcetera.com/abcs-of-proo...

Do you use “peruse” to mean “scan” or “read quickly”? If so, Chicago 18 wants you to peruse its Glossary of problematic words and phrases (5.254). There you will find that “peruse” means “to read with great care” and that it shouldn’t be deployed as a fancy synonym for “read.”

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Conscious Language: A Conversation with Karen Yin. Join the author of The Conscious Style Guide and inventor of the term “conscious language” for a Q&A about cultivating mindful, compassionate language. Tues, June 10, 4 pm PT. Sign up here: editcetera.com/conscious-la...

E-vocabulary remains e-mergent. Chicago 18 (7.96) has declared that we can read ebooks and watch esports, but we will still be riding e-bikes and engaging in e-commerce … for now!

UPCOMING WEBINAR: Fiction Editing: Issues Unique to Story. Editor Nina Bodway will delve into issues specific to editing fiction, for four Saturdays starting May 31 at 10:00 a.m. Sign up here: editcetera.com/fiction-edit...

NEW WEBINAR COMING SOON: The Untold Story of Books: From Gutenburg to Amazon. Presenter Michael Castleman is the author of The Untold Story of Books: A Writer’s History of Book Publishing. Join him Thursday, May 22, at 4:00 p.m. PT. Sign up here: editcetera.com/the-untold-s...

According to Chicago, some cultural movements and styles are capitalized and some aren’t: You can engage in Cynicism or idealism, Stoicism or transcendentalism, Dadaism or realism. Be sure to check out the helpful list in Chicago 18 (8.80).

Tips for raising your rates, 2/2: 4. Be confident and matter-of-fact: “I will be raising my rate to xx beginning [when].” 5. Highlight the value you provide given your experience. 6. Leave wiggle room: “If this is a problem, let’s discuss alternatives.”

Tips for raising your rates, 1/2: 1. Do your research: Know what going rates are for your niche. 2. Don’t wait too long. Raise your rates in small increments. 3. Give advance notice. Clients need time to budget.

Chicago was once adamant in its advice to avoid using “overly” and instead use “unduly” or “over-” as a prefix. Well, no more. Chicago 18 (5.254) has given its seal of approval to “overly”: “Once frowned on by sticklers, this term is now unexceptionable (as in the phrase overly tired).”

Join Editcetera for some great upcoming webinars: * The Untold Story of Books, with Michael Castleman * Fiction Editing: Issues Unique to Story, with Nina Bodway * Conscious Language: A Conversation with Karen Yin * Tricky Grammar for Editors, with Liz Asborno editcetera.com/workshops/

What “soft skills” do clients want in a freelance editor? Here’s one: dependability. If you respond to clients promptly and hit your deadlines, clients will know they can count on you. And if you can’t hit a deadline, say so as soon as possible. Reliable communication goes a long way.

The figurative meaning of both “flounder” and “founder” is “to go wrong,” but their literal meanings differ (Chicago, 5.250). To flounder is to struggle awkwardly or clumsily (“They floundered for a policy”), and to founder is to sink, collapse, or fail entirely (“The administration foundered”).

What “soft skills” do clients want in a freelance editor? Here’s one: flexibility. The days of narrow niches are over. Twenty years ago, copyeditors did copyediting. Today, traditional rules of the business don’t always apply. Some clients want a freelancer who can do things outside the box.

In government, what’s the difference between the capitol and the capital? “Capitol” is synonymous with “statehouse,” whereas a capital is a city that is a seat of government. So the capitol is the building located in the capital city. And the Capitol is the building where the U.S. Congress convenes.

What “soft skills” do clients want in a freelance editor? Here’s one: the ability to communicate in a positive and helpful manner. Harsh queries and impatience with novice authors won’t get you repeat business. Be diplomatic, professional, and gentle to earn loyalty from your clients.