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Information
for Writers
My
Editing Philosophy
All I want to do is help you say what you want to say and make you look good. I won't change your writing style to make it say something the way I would say it. (If I think you might prefer the way I would say it, I'll suggest it to you and let you decide.) Speaking of writing style, a common misconception is that there is only one correct way to write something. The more you learn about writing and editing, the more you see the opposite is true. We should all know and follow basic English grammar, but many have learned false rules along the way. Some think it's wrong to end a sentence with a preposition, for example, but that is often the best way to express something. I'll apply a consistent style of capitalizing, punctuating, and listing publications, but I won't force a specific style on you. I was trained to use The Associated Press Stylebook as a journalism student and became familiar with The Chicago Manual of Style as an academic journal production editor. I've also used The Gregg Reference Manual, the U.S. Government Printing Office Manual of Style and (my favorite) The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage. I've written a couple of style guides myself for specialized work. I don't mind adapting to any style because I know there is no one right style. The editor's lament: No matter what style you use, someone will think it's wrong. Links to
Reference Books I Use and
Recommend
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary The Chicago Manual of Style (for academic work) The Associated Press Stylebook (for newspapers, ads, and the Web) The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage (my favorite but unfortunately out of print) The U.S. Government Printing Office Manual of Style Environmental
and Mining Word List
(being updated)
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