Editing
Editors’ Association of Canada (EAC)
Somebody has done a lot of work organizing this site, and it is easier to navigate than it used to be. Check it out for good information about the profession of editing.
The unexpected benefits of
hiring a professional editor
Even if you don’t need to be convinced to pay for a pro, Judith Broadhurst offers good guidelines regarding editors’ fees.
So, You Want to Be an Editor
From the EAC website, this is not only the “gentle introduction to the profession of editing” that it claims to be, but a thorough one as well.
The Slot
Interesting stuff from Bill Walsh, the Copy Chief of The Washington Post, perhaps better known for his books, Lapsing into a Comma and The Elephants of Style.
Sesquiotica
When it comes to language, there isn’t much that James Harbeck doesn’t know, and he has the wit to match his intellect.
Copyediting
“Because language matters” is the tagline for Wendalyn Nichols’ website for professional editors.
References
OneLook Dictionary Search
General and specialty dictionaries galore – my first stop when I need a quick look-up. The wildcard and phrase searches can be especially useful.
Thesaurus.com
Thesaurus.com allows you to work your way through chains of words by clicking instead of flipping pages. It’s also really quick and easy to flit to and from Dictionary.com to ensure you’ve got the exact meaning of a word.
Wordnik
Not your traditional dictionary… Check it out and let me know what you think of it.
Guide to Grammar and Writing
Clear, accurate information lovingly put together by the late Charles Darling. This website is fun – honest!
Common Errors in English Usage
By Paul Brians, this is one of the clearest and most comprehensive word use (or should that be misuse?) sites I’ve seen.
The Maven’s Word of the Day
It’s Word of the Bygone Day at this point, but the archives have oodles of interesting responses to readers’ questions. I found the site when I was trying to figure out whether to use “wrack” or “rack.”
Long Island University
Citation Style for Research Papers
A quickie guide to APA, Turabian, MLA, Chicago, and AMA styles.
Chicago Manual of Style Q & A
If you think issues of style could only be boring, you must check this out.
American Psychological Association
Publication Manual
More on APA style.
Fun With Words
Richard Lederer’s Verbivore
An all-you-can-eat language buffet catering to “wordaholics, logolepts, and verbivores.”
Quotes page – Health Writer Hints
Writing + medicine = humour.
Worthless Word for the Day
If you’re feeling dapocaginous, you might want to check out this website for a bit of a lift.
Words in English
from Amerindian Languages
From abalone to yucca, including such words as barbecue, hickory, and tobacco, here is a fascinating colour-coded list of everyday words that came from aboriginal languages.
List of Words of Hindi or Urdu Origin
Bungalow, jungle, shampoo – lots of words here that I probably shouldn’t admit I just thought of as “English.”
xkcd
Billed as “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language,” there’s not a whole lot of language material here, but this clever comic is sure to amuse anybody who appreciates dry wit and irony.
Resource People
Bryonna Denning, graphic artist
The Embellished Page
If you need editing, contact me. If you need graphics, contact Bryonna. For both editing and graphics, we make a great team.
Betty Keller, writer and editor
I am indebted to Betty for generously sharing time and expertise with me. Her support has been instrumental in my becoming a confident and competent editor.