Publishing

[NW Mailing List]

Having an editor WITH FRESH EYES is a real luxury . . . especially as 
you get older and your brain, eyes, and keyboard don't always stay in 
sync.  What gets interesting is when you are paraphrasing and the 
auto-editing program wants to change the author's original words to 
"modern" spellings.  I am afraid to re-read some of my stuff.  Love 
getting a note saying I am stand right were you describe it to be 
with my eyes on its ruins a half a mile over in the incorporated part 
of the town.


However, we need to stay focused on getting the fact correct as we 
can.  I had multiple locals swear they knew were x-was, or it was 
last used in 19XX, etc. and photo proves them "slightly off."


Thanks for taking your time to write down what you have found.  Many 
do the research but only a few take the grief and time to publish.


Al Kresse


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>Message: 1

>Date: Thu, 03 Jan 2013 20:50:41 -0600 (CST)

>From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>

>Subject: Re: RE: Publishing

>To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org

>

>Alex,

>

>This is true in acedemic writing and publishing.  For both my wife's 

>and my Masters papers, it depended on who was reading them and what 

>checker was used the corrections that were asked for.  Now that I am 

>puruing my Doctorate, the differences are even more varied, even 

>between the english teachers I have check the papers at the high 

>school I work at.  Technical papers are the worst because of the 

>particular nuances for each specialty.  What is proper grammer in 

>one discipline is wrong in another.  I default to APA but that does 

>not work for books, so I would rely on what an editor decides.  As 

>for any percived errors, unless there is absolute proof, the author is correct.

>

>Kurt s. Kramke

>

>

>On 01/03/13, NW Mailing List wrote:

>

>

>

>

>Kim,

>

>

>

>First, with both spelling and grammar, copy editors have different 

>approaches as to what is correct and I have had one professional 

>copy editor making changes to another professional copy editors work 

>with respect to grammar. Typos are generally easier to deal with but 

>sometimes it depends on the style guide being used. Word/publishing 

>programs will highlight questionable words or phrases, but you then 

>have to decide how to proceed. As an example I spell coalfield as 

>one word where many publications will spell it as two words. Another 

>example is state names. I used to use post offices abbreviations 

>such as WV for West Virginia and the copy editor agreed with it. 

>However the Associated Press Style Book says not to use them, but it 

>is ok to use W.Va., but in some circumstances you should use the 

>full state name. Rather than trying to remember all of the rules for 

>state?s names (there are eight you never abbreviate) I now simply 

>spell out the entire name.

>

>

>

>Another example is some copy editors use No. 1948 without a space, 

>or No.1948. I have done it both ways, but generally stick with the 

>space between No. and the numerals as recommended by the style 

>guide. You are supposed to spell out numbers one through nine and 

>start using numerals at 10, but it is ok to use numerals such as 1, 

>2,3 etc. under some circumstances. So there is some latitude in what you do.

>

>

>

>Hyphenation can be an issue and you have to deal with the issue of 

>dash, en dash and em dash and non-breaking space which takes you 

>back into grammar issues. Software programs will normally highlight 

>every hyphenated word/phrase as an issue, but doesn?t offer advice 

>on how to proceed. I have had one copy editor use a dash, en dash 

>and em dash in the same sentence. As an example MP I-19+3458 which 

>the N&W used on some documents and MP I-19.65 on others. In most of 

>the writing we attempt to be consistent with N&W nomenclature.

>

>

>

>Many graphic artists work in pica points whereas I work in decimal 

>points. That affects some perceived grammar issues such as paragraph 

>indentation. Some copy editors prefer to indent the first paragraph 

>of a new section, others don?t and start indentation at the second 

>paragraph. There is the question of how much space between a heading 

>and the first paragraph. Depending on the line space that can add 

>one or two pages to a chapter which can add any multiple of pages to 

>a book which then adds to the cost of a book. Sometimes you make 

>choices that are questionable, such as abbreviating Company as Co. 

>in a heading in order to save space.

>

>

>

>So the short answer is software programs will highlight words and 

>phrases that should be looked at, but the author/copy editor must 

>decide how to proceed. On the other hand sometimes you just miss 

>stuff even though you have been over a page multiple times. Errors 

>are easier to spot once a book or article is printed.

>

>

>

>Alex Schust