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Connecting Editors, Creating
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iEdit
Issue 1, July 2019
I N T HIS I SSUE
◼ A Journey Back in Time by Vivek Kumar
◼ Making the Re(write) Choice by Kushalrani Gulab
◼ Interview with ICF Founder Vivek Kumar by Priya
Talwar
◼ Does Copyediting Matter? Why Do We Do It? by
Abha Thapalyal Gandhi
◼ Extensive Reading: The Only Way to Automate
Error Detection by Yateendra Joshi
◼ Events: Chapter Meetings, Conference,
Workshops
◼ Venkataraman Anantharaman’s The Art of
Copyediting Courses
◼ Editorial Freelancers Association Membership
Benefits
◼ iEdit Crossword #1 by Geethanjali Tanikella
A JOURNEY BACK IN TIME
Vivek Kumar
Vivek Kumar
Founder, Indian Copyeditors Forum
1
MAKING THE (RE)WRITE CHOICE
Kushalrani Gulab
T
here’s a certain irony in how editors of English public), got the flak? In other words, what right did I
language newspapers recruit reporters who may have to rewrite a piece I had not reported myself?
not be able to speak or write English well.
That’s because to do their news-breaking and C ONFIDENCE G AME
information-gathering jobs well, reporters need to
communicate with the people they speak to in the Going through the rewritten version of the story with
languages those people are comfortable with. In India, me, the senior subeditor in my department explained
English is seldom one of those languages. Reporters why I should not worry about these issues.
therefore are not recruited for their writing skills. The “Don’t worry about the writer’s style,” she said. “The
fact that their reports are to be published in English writer does not have a style. The syntax in this piece, as
does not matter—that part of the job is handled by you can see, is Bengali. He has directly translated from
subeditors. the Bengali he was thinking into English on his
typewriter. This is Bonglish, not English. So, rewrites,
in cases like this, have to be in your own words.”
N EW ( S ) TO M E If I worried that I had it wrong, she said, I could simply
ask the writer to go through it and point out errors.
I learned this the hard way in 1992, when I was a 22-
year-old trainee subeditor at The Telegraph in then “What if he hates me for it?” I asked, quivering. “He’s
Calcutta. Barely a month into my training—which so so very senior in the organization, and I am a brand-
far had consisted of editing wire copy that may have new trainee.”
been dull but was grammatically correct—I found
myself gazing at a typed article written in such poor She looked at me and sighed.
English as to be nearly incomprehensible. Then she asked: “Why do you think you’re here?”
“What … what’s this,” I asked my I didn’t know what to reply.
department’s senior subeditor.
“What am I supposed to do with If you’re sure of your basic She tried again: “Didn’t you do a
this? I don’t understand it at all!” copy test before you were given
skills—honestly, diffidence your appointment letter?”
“That’s the point,” she said. gets you absolutely
“You’re supposed to make it I had done the test, I replied, still
nowhere—you can handle puzzled.
understandable. And readable. any kind of edit.
Suitable for the magazine on “Then our bosses have already
Sunday.” agreed that you’re already good
Me? I was to do that? After just a bit more than three with comprehension, précis writing, grammar, and
weeks on the job? How on EARTH? syntax. You’ve used all your skills in this rewrite. The
reporter knows his subject better than you do, true. But
She just laughed and said: “Try. I’ll take a look at it you’re the editor. You communicate better than he
when you’re done.” does.”
So, I tried. I mentally closed my ears to the newsroom
noise, pulled my thoughts away from lunch and other
distractions, and read the piece through slowly,
M IGHTIER T HAN THE P EN
scribbling notes in my journal about what I understood Not all rewrites in journalism are as drastic as the one
from it. I’ve described above. Some reporters may write
perfectly grammatical English, but need to have their
It took the whole day, but eventually I had a stories restructured in the pyramid style necessary for
comprehensible version of the original piece. Two news pieces—most important point in the first para,
problems remained, however. First, to make this piece followed by other information in descending order of
both understandable and readable, I had to redo it in importance so that if a story has to be cut after it’s
my own words, not the writer’s. That seemed placed on the page, it can be cut from the bottom in
peculiar—wouldn’t the writer hate me? Second, what if the certainty that the crucial parts of it will not be lost.
I had misunderstood the story? What if my version of
it was wrong and the writer, since his byline would Then there are reporters—usually trainees—who need
accompany the piece (subeditors being invisible to the help focusing on the main news point of the story they
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
are reporting. In this case, if there is time before going even while changing the words. This sounds undoable,
to press, the subeditor will speak to the writer about the but if you put your mind and a fair amount of time to
information missing in the story, and what else needs it, it can be done.
to be done to it. If there is no time, the subeditor will
simply hand over the piece to a more senior reporter,
trust that all the holes will be noted and filled, and all E DITOR ’ S M ANTRA
that will be left to do at the last minute will be a simple If you’re sure of your basic skills—honestly, diffidence
copyedit. gets you absolutely nowhere—you can handle any kind
Then there are self-indulgent writers whose stories of edit. Because there is just one purpose: to make sure
need to be redone because they are overstyled or too what is presented to the public is correct in content and
lavishly written for a newspaper that needs direct syntax, comfortable to read, and engaging. You may
communication. Often, the subeditor has to rewrite not get a byline for it, but you know neither the reporter
paras for the sake of instant clarity even if the original nor the newspaper can do without you. ◼
paras are grammatically sound.
And there are also reporters who have absolutely no Freelance editor and writer Kushalrani Gulab has worked in the
command over the language, but, despite that disability, newspaper industry for 27 years.
have such a unique style of expression that the
subeditor wants more than anything to retain the style
3
INTERVIEW WITH ICF FOUNDER
VIVEK KUMAR
Priya Talwar
4
iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
and we have had more than 50 meetings in 18+ cities courses offered by theartofcopyediting.com are part of
till now. Our group’s tagline is “Connecting Editors, a WhatsApp Learners’ Group and an email-based
Creating Opportunities” and we have been very Google group. They share and discuss their problem
successful in achieving this objective. We have started sentences first among themselves and then with
offering workshops on different topics (see Venkataraman Ananthraman (Dr. Venkat) in weekly
“Workshops” later in the newsletter for more details), online mentorship sessions. For more details, check out
and we are happy that we have received some support my article “Awesome Sauce.”
from the industry in the form of venue partners.
P: Does ICF intend to cover marketing under its
Abhishek Goel, cofounder of Cactus Communications,
courses? Apart from the copyediting courses, what
Mumbai, offered ICF the use of its conference room
other courses is ICF planning to have?
(even on a Sunday) for conducting workshops-cum-
meetings. We hope that more companies from all over V: Well, our members who are good at marketing are
India come forward and support ICF. welcome to come forward with their proposal, and we
will offer workshops on these topics as well. We are
P: You started the Indian Copyeditors Forum in
also looking at offering workshops on indexing and
June 2015, soon after attending Editing Goes
Alt-Text writing.
Global, the first international conference for
editors held in Toronto, Canada. Would you say P: You say that the aim for ICF is to (a) create
that was a trigger? If so, how? awareness and (b) provide resources. Tell us about
the lack of both—awareness about editing as a
V: Yes, that was definitely a trigger because I met the
skill and editors, the workers who perform the task.
representatives of so many editing societies there and
felt bad that we in India had nothing of that sort. I felt V: There is certainly a lack of awareness about editing
that a freelancer’s biggest enemies are isolation, not as a financially viable career and more so, as many
staying on top of what is editing courses (e.g., those
happening in the industry, lack of conducted by the University of
guidance, and failure to recognize Certification is something Delhi and the Institute of Book
the importance of continuous Publishing) have been discontin-
professional development. I think
that takes time to evolve,
ued (because of a missing aca-
ICF would address all these needs and for the time being we demia–industry link) when there is
as belonging to a group makes offer free vetting, wherein a crying need in the publishing in-
freelancers feel that they have a members can send in their dustry for trained professionals
community to go back to in case who can handle the work that is
samples and get feedback
of any problem. being outsourced to India. India
on what they are doing right, does not have enough skilled free-
P: According to a 2018 survey what they are doing wrong, lance editors, and a solution could
you conducted among ICF
and what they are not doing be for companies to invest some
members on Facebook, most
at all. money in getting not only their in-
freelance editors in India don’t
house freshers but also new
have training and are also not
freelancers trained and then offer
willing to invest in the same.
them freelance projects and work-from-home projects.
Tell us about your views on this.
Even though the rates that companies get from their
V: The absence of a feedback mechanism makes clients have come down, it does not mean they should
freelancers confident that they are doing a good job stop training. They seem to have stopped looking
when the reality might actually be otherwise. I would beyond what they are currently doing. If they continue
also say that it is a question of priorities. Most editors to train, they will be able to create resources that can be
might be happy doing high-volume–low-pay jobs that marketed for getting different types of work. A blog
involve more of styling/mark-up/formatting than real post by Dr. Venkat summarizes the opportunities that
language editing. They do not want to move up the the industry has lost over the past decades—
value chain because that would involve getting out of opportunities that can be pursued even now, with
the comfort zone (change is always painful), getting formal training in the basics.
trained (remember that even trained editors need
P: What kind of resources have you benefited from
refresher training), and looking for global clients (which
as an editor?
would involve marketing, which most editors are bad
at). V: Usage books, dictionaries, newsletters (Editorial Eye
[now discontinued] and Copyediting [now taken over
P: But who will give freelance editors any
by ACES]), association membership, EFA booklets,
feedback? How do you think ICF can fill this gap?
style manuals, blog articles, meeting fellow editors in
V: They can form small groups, post queries on the ICF’s online and offline meetings, online training,
Facebook group and/or on WhatsApp groups, and interacting with foreign editors online and at
meet other editors online or offline and ask for conferences, and finally having a mentor.
feedback. A few ICF members who took some of the
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
P: I so agree! EFA booklets are priceless. (as of 27 May 2019) did something individually and
Mentoring is a huge necessity, and I found several, collectively.
offline and primarily online! Which brings me to
P: You have mentioned that by 2020 you would
the training or certification ICF plans to offer.
want ICF to be registered and also be invited to
V: Regular meetings are being held all over India, and officially represent India at the second
online training in copyediting is available. People keep international conference for editors in Canada.
on asking for a minimum recommended rate chart, Please tell us more about the same.
what to charge, and how to charge, but forget that all
V: Some members have been requesting that the
these questions come into the picture only after they
informal ICF Facebook group should change into a
can ensure a basic quality. The drive for quality should
formal, legal entity so as to be able to represent its
actually come from companies, which in turn is
members in a better way. I still feel that we have a long
possible only with formal training. Also, many
way to go because there is so much more we can do
companies arbitrarily define a page as 300 words
even as an informal group just as the ELT Freelancers
whereas the international standard is a firm 250 words.
community has done. But it would be good if we can
Certification is something that takes time to evolve, and
get registered and are invited to officially represent
for the time being we offer free vetting, wherein
India at the second international conference for editors,
members can send in their samples and get feedback on
which will be held in Canada in 2020.
what they are doing right, what they are doing wrong,
and what they are not doing at all. P: Is ICF thinking of holding its own conference?
P: What kind of samples do you accept? Who vets V: We are certainly looking at possibilities of having
them? ICF’s own conference in India in
late 2019. I’ll be the happiest if I
V: Nilima Vyas and Dr. Venkat
can manage to bring the
had offered to do free vetting but
People keep on asking for a international conference for
we are sorry to say that not
minimum recommended rate editors to India in my lifetime.
enough editors have come for-
ward for this initiative, which is chart, what to charge, and P: Last two questions. Have
sad because I also see quite a few how to charge, but forget you had trouble explaining
freelancers saying that they do not your role to those completely
that all these questions
receive feedback on the samples outside the industry?
that they do for different compa- come into the picture only
nies. A company using freelance after they can ensure a basic V: Yes, I have had trouble all my
editors will be short of staff to life explaining what I do! People
quality. The drive for quality seem to assume that I work either
provide detailed feedback to those should actually come from
who do not fit the bill, which is in a newspaper or in a TV channel
where the vetting can help them companies, which in turn is because these are the places where
know their skill gaps and they can possible only with formal they see editors. To make matters
then address those areas of worse, a lot of people seem to
training.
concern. confuse proofreading with
copyediting.
P: In your opinion, why is it that an editor does not
even get any formal recognition? Writers get P: What are the biggest myths about editing and
awards and grants (they have their struggles I editors?
know) but editors (print) don’t have any awards in V: The biggest myth is that anyone can do this job
India. Comments? sitting at home! ◼
V: There is no national body representing copyeditors,
so who will give/get an award! The Publishing Next
conference is doing its bit by starting some awards for Priya Talwar loves to edit books because she
the publishing industry, but we need something finds it easy to edit than write her own! You
exclusively for editors. On 25 February 2018, can reach her at @priyatalwar24 or
Visalakshy, Founder and CEO of Onpaper Publishing priyatalwar.24@gmail.com.
Solutions Pvt. Ltd., held India’s first conference for
editors in Chennai and the speakers were facilitated. I
also got the first award, Editors’ Champion, of my life.
So, basically, we need more ICF members to get
actively involved in bringing about a positive change.
Imagine what would happen if all 1443 ICF members
6
DOES COPYEDITING MATTER?
WHY DO WE DO IT?
Abha Thapalyal Gandhi
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
These limits have been clearly identified by Judith leaflet or complex, wordy brochure and one which is
Butcher. Early in the current edition of her famous lively and appealing.”6
book, Butcher’s Copy-editing, is possibly the most
straightforward explanation of the essence of editorial Consistency: Avoiding
work:
Confusion and Sloppiness
Copy-editing is invisible: it aims to present the book the
author would have written if he or she had had more Consistency comes at the top of the list of style issues.
time or experience ─ not as some new copyeditors think, The end product, a book, printed or electronic, a
their own improved version.5 formal statement, a report, a proposal, an ad copy, any
piece of formal writing, should have consistency in
What Copyediting Is Not! matters such as the spelling of proper names and other
words, abbreviations, dates, and references.
◼ It’s not rewriting or “ghost writing”; Consistency is not a minor issue essentially because
◼ It’s not about making the original writing more when it is not adhered to, the text is confusing and
elegant; annoying for readers.
◼ It’s not about changing it just because the
changed version sounds better. For example, if the names of individuals are spelled
differently on different pages, or other words are
At this point, it will be useful to clarify that spelled at times with an “s” and other times with a “z,”
“developmental editing,” also known as “substantive if dates are written in many different ways, if
editing” or “content editing,” is completely different abbreviations are not explained, capitalization occurs in
from copyediting. The developmental editor takes a a haphazard manner, if references are incomplete or
good hard look at the content itself and also the way it done in different ways, confusion and sloppiness are
has been communicated. He or she may well advise the result.
rewriting or a number of other changes, such as
clarification or development of parts or even reworking The Importance of Style
of the entire script, the addition of more information,
or providing more context and background. A sensitive Manuals
copyeditor may of course raise queries about such Publishers of books, magazines, and journals, research
issues, and quite a few do. This kind of alertness can institutions, and other bodies generally develop or
help young editors to raise their skill level. adopt editorial styles. Editors do all concerned a favor
when they study the relevant style manual and follow it
S TYLE —T HE T RUSTY A SSISTANT scrupulously.
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
9
EXTENSIVE READING: THE ONLY
WAY TO AUTOMATE ERROR
DETECTION
Yateendra Joshi
C
opyediting must be the least athletic of
occupations and yet, a line in the book The
Athletic Brain caught my attention because it
said something about how the brain notices
grammatical errors even when the listener or the reader
is not looking out for them. Detecting such errors is an
exercise in pattern matching, something that the human
brain is good at. Tests have confirmed our pattern-
matching abilities even at the subconscious level: in
other words, tests have shown that subjects behave as
though they are aware of a pattern even when they are
unable to articulate it. Every language has its
characteristic patterns, and mastering a language
involves using them correctly.
What has all this to do with copyediting? I argue that if
we are to be good copyeditors, we must be able to spot Reading good books is all the more important to us
grammatical errors and then fix them almost on the because what we read during nearly all our working
fly—and merely studying grammar, whether through hours is English that needs to be copyedited, typically
books or through at- written by L2 writers with expertise in domains other
tending lectures and than English—this places us in a situation similar to
We must read a workshops and so on, that of the Red Queen, who tells Alice that “here we
great deal. More will not give us that must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if
ability. To develop that you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as
specifically, we must ability, to develop a that.” And reading is a time-consuming activity.
read books written sensitive ear, we must Assuming that we can read about 250 words per minute
by good writers read a great deal. More and taking an average nonfiction book to be 60,000
whose first language specifically, we must words long, it will take 4 hours to read it. However, to
read books written by get to the point where we spot grammatical errors
is English: books, good writers whose almost automatically, we need to log in many hundreds
because as products first language is En- of hours (think of the 10,000 hours of practice to be an
they are usually glish: books, because as expert, the number popularized by Malcolm Gladwell
more refined than products they are usu- in his book Outliers).
newspapers and ally more refined than
newspapers and maga- The Extensive Reading Foundation (ERF) offers some
magazines; good zines; good writers be- useful numbers: to attain near-native proficiency,
writers because we cause we would rather according to the ERF website, it takes 370 books and
emulate more compe- 280 hours of systematic reading of progressively
would rather
tent practitioners of the difficult texts. Consider reading as an investment to be
emulate more made over time: in years to come, you will reap the
craft of writing; and L1
competent (which is jargon for dividends. ◼
practitioners of the first language) because
craft of writing. such writing will be Yateendra Joshi has been copyediting
largely error-free with technical and scientific documents for more
respect to two most than 30 years; for more than 15 years, he
common categories of errors made by L2 users, has also been teaching academics and
namely, errors related to prepositions and errors related researchers how to write, publish, and
to articles. present.
10
EVENTS
C HAPTER M EETINGS
Goa, 5 January 2019 preeditors. The copyeditors chimed in with
experiences of editing raw versus preedited texts.
Suggestions were made on how preeditors can
train the copyeditors and/or strive to work
together in teams.
◼ Vivek pointed out existing consistency checkers
and the changes they need in order to maximize
benefit to the copyeditor, and the need to
minimize manual preediting as much as possible.
Typesetting
◼ Typesetters described in detail their process, their
tools, and their challenges while working with
existing tools as well as scope for improvement.
◼ This was followed by a discussion about how
typesetters can take advantage of the new kinds
of services publishers are looking for, and how
We had a casual “nice-to-meet-you” meet. Michelle and typesetters and copyeditors can work together.
I were the only ones who met up (there are only 4 ◼ Challenges faced by typesetters were detailed by
members from Goa in ICF). We both started off with Saleem, with respect to bringing in work and
different careers and have recently entered the managing low rates.
copyediting field.
Freelance Copyediting
We discussed how one of us had too much work and
the other not enough. And how the dependence on one ◼ Gaurav then proceeded to detail his experiences
employer is disadvantageous in both cases. of having worked as an in-house editor with a
team of editors as well as a freelancer, listing the
We lamented the lack of guidance and support for advantages and disadvantages of both.
freelancers from mentors. Guidance and support from ◼ Also compared were experiences working with
mentors would go a long way in improving our editing domestic and international clients, with respect to
skills. rates, working practices, etc.
We discussed Dr. Venkat’s theartofcopyediting.com ◼ Vivek talked about why it is ideal that copyeditors
courses and Michelle spoke about her experience with start out in the field by working for a company so
the free vetting process. as to become familiar with the entire process of
editing content, instead of just one aspect of the
Both of us mentioned how editing doesn’t pay enough process.
and how other interests have become side hustles that ◼ This was followed by listing out ways in which
keep us positive and afloat financially. freelancers can bag a variety of projects, primarily,
by becoming a member of editing associations
We hope we have a greater number in the next meet.
Preediting
◼ Subrata began by describing what the process of
preediting entails, the ways in which it makes the
copyeditors’ job easy, and the tools used by
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
Points Discussed
◼ The process of writing;
◼ Editing—a part of the entire process of content
creation;
◼ How writers and editors are different from each
other;
◼ Tips to follow while writing and editing;
◼ Can you edit your own work?
This was followed by a discussion on the approaches
adopted by each one of us while writing.
We were introduced to Adobe Experience Manager
(AEM), a web content management system—a topic
that has been set aside for our next meeting.
Speed Networking: Facilitated by Anita
Nagarajan Q&A with Yateendra Joshi on the Proposed
Training Sessions
The idea was to quickly exchange information
regarding developments in our professional lives. We We did a run-through of Yateendra’s topics. The
were short of time, and hence this discussion had to be training session could be covered as:
earmarked for the next meeting.
◼ a 3-day program for all 12 topics;
Happy to have Anita’s colleague Shanti join us! ◼ a 1-day program for 4 topics.
12
iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
To-Do List
◼ Michelle Pereira will create the checklist for new
editors (mentioned above) by circulating a draft
and asking for inputs from other members on
ICF.
◼ All Mumbai members should regularly spread the
word on ICF, for those interested to select their
My Experience with the Vetting Process preferences for Yateendra Joshi’s workshops and
send them to Vivek Kumar as soon as possible.
Michelle Pereira shared her experience with the vetting
process in terms of the process itself, the mathematical
rating used for evaluation, and the advantages,
particularly for new editors and freelancers, of getting
yourself vetted. She ended by asking all present to
spread the word and encourage editors to get
themselves vetted. (As an aside, Vivek Kumar has
recommended a blog on this.)
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
Key Points
◼ Venkatesh discussed his plans about moving onto
L3 editing, which he felt would be more engaging
for him than line editing. He also shared his
experiences about freelancing for various
companies.
◼ Vihang, who has recently cleared the BELS
examination, shared his experiences on the same
and how he plans to leverage this to rope in new
clients. He also shared his experiences as a
freelancer: what volume of work he does, the level
of editing involved, how he gets paid, etc.
◼ Chitraleka threw light on these areas: working
directly as an editor for journals; new markets
opening up for conversion of technical text into opportunity! We sought his guidance on several topics
layman’s language. such as the importance of style editing. He emphasized
◼ Lavanya discussed about challenges in setting up the need for references’ style for better acceptance in
international journals. On a discussion on plagiarism,
he gave tips on how to rephrase to overcome the issue.
We also touched upon payment issues from individual
authors and how an MS can be locked for sharing. We
spoke about time management and were collectively
amazed at Vivek Kumar’s response time on FB. This is
just an excited recounting of this evening. Will share
more later.
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
◼ Some solutions mentioned to the issues We were meeting after a fair bit of time (almost 2 years),
mentioned above were a co-branded workshop and I was apprehensive about the number of people
and regular online interventions through trainings who will turn up. I was late (as I was stuck in a traffic
and presentations. jam in Haridwar) by 15 minutes, but the main speaker
(Yateendra Joshi) was delayed by around 45 minutes as
Building Your Brand: A Presentation by he too got caught up in traffic at two places along the
Michelle Pereira way from Roorkee.
When I entered the hall, I was happy to see a full hall
(16 editors). They were all (except a couple) in-house
editors from Aptara, MPS, and Sage. There were a fair
bit of females too this time. One had in fact even
brought her young daughter who had passed out from
school a few months back.
I told them about ICF as most of them were in fact not
ICF members. We discussed a lot of other things, and
then we had the workshop “Common Errors in
English” by Yateendra Joshi. A lot of questions were
asked during and after the workshop. After everyone
had tea and snacks, we again sat down to have an
This session focused on how understanding and
informal discussion in which Yateendra Joshi
developing your personal brand could add value to your
work. It began with a discussion on the five factors that
go into creating a personal brand. It then progressed to
how you could apply those five factors to yourself and
come up with your own vision for your personal brand.
Finally, it covered the steps to be taken to build your
brand over time with a practical to-do list.
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
The online event held the next day by members from all over India, and we are sure that this
theartofcopyediting.com was attended by younger initiative will bring about a much-needed qualitative
members. The session was facilitated by Venkataraman change in how training is perceived by editors. This will
Anantharaman (Dr. Venkat). This was held in response certainly make a big difference.
to a post by Dr. Venkat in which he had asked younger
members whether they would be interested in learning Minutes by Vivek Kumar. ◼
academic editing. The online session was attended by
We are looking for more venue partners in other cities in general and
for Delhi NCR in particular. Please mail us at hivivek72@yahoo.co.in for
taking this forward.
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
C ONFERENCE
25 February 2018, Chennai something that always made me remember that only
Pondicherry is known for that craft and somehow, I
ICF member Visalakshy Loganathan successfully connected it to Auroville and the exotic Pondicherry. It
organized India’s first conference for editors at was so nice. It stayed on top of the refrigerator in my
Chennai on 25 February 2018. The following blog post home for long. But when I again met her in Pondy
(originally posted by K. Venkatesh on his website and perhaps a couple of years ago in the ICF meet, she had
reproduced here unedited) brings back nostalgic forgotten all about it. In fact, I had referred her to a
memories, as it seems to have captured the spirit of the customer with whom she had struck a great
2018 Editors’ Conclave at Chennai. relationship. I am really happy about it.
Editors’ Conclave in Chennai, India: Let’s Visa spoke passionately about everything concerned
Have More of Them with copyediting—training editors, bringing them
together, seeking new opportunities, challenges in
I was one of the skeptics of the Indian Copyeditors scaling the business. I used to be amazed at her
Forum (ICF) when it began on June 28, 2015. Vivek business skills and thinking of copyediting as a
Kumar, with whom I have had a brief conversation business. For me, copyediting is a passion and
eons ago and had conveniently forgotten all about it, humanities books are enough for a lifetime. Now I
had conceived an idea of bringing together Indian want to go into unexplored territories thanks to the
copyeditors under a Facebook group to converse, Editors’ Conclave.
discuss, have debates, and
learn from peers.
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
When I stepped into the conference on Sunday go for certification was succinctly explained by him step
morning, I was really awestruck. Visa has gone a step by step. It was one of the best presentations of the day.
further than Vivek. She had physically brought editors
from all over the country together under one roof in a I have only heard about Dr. Venkat. He gave an in-
charged atmosphere. She always reminds me of the depth presentation on how to sift a manuscript into
cricket umpire Steve Bucknor. He was called the silent components to look for where the slip happens. He
killer. Stephen Brenkley wrote on Bucknor: gave an insight into the stages of an editor’s life. He
harbors ambitions of training an army of copyeditors
To be given out by Steve Bucknor is death by torture. and wants to improve the copyediting quality of the
First the appeal, loud, prolonged, imploring. And then country as a whole. For that, he has started an elaborate
nothing. Only a tense stillness. Time is suspended. website (The Art of Copyediting), which has 22 courses
Packed stadiums freeze. The bowler grimaces in hope, [now 25] offered online.
the batsman tries not to look.
Bucknor’s brain computes. Where did the ball pitch, I was always looking forward to meeting Surit Das. If
how much did it move? Or could it have taken the edge? someone really represented the Bengali intellect to me,
Was there a noise? Or a deviation? You can hear the cogs it is Surit. He was funny and held the audience in splits
turn. He betrays no emotion. And then the slow nod. when he showed a slide simply named “Pubic Woks
Usually, it is just one movement. Slowly comes the final Deportment.” I am sure a Bengali wrote it. When he
blow, the raising, almost reluctantly, of the index finger got into copyediting, his first copy almost drove him
as if to say: “This is hurting me far more than it’s hurting out of the profession. He explained how an editor’s life
you. But sadly I have no choice.”
goes, with a great sense of humor. There were many
If you have ever seen Visa, she is quiet, talks almost in useful tips. But Surit didn’t let out the secrets of saving
whispers, and gives the impression of easily getting money. He went on saying how much investment was
scared. But she is a storm if you would have known her needed.
a bit more. She silently accomplishes and executes. She
is not the silent killer variety, but a methodical go-getter Arpana Shandilya, after a lunch that is sure to drive us
and very decisive like Steve Bucknor. to drowsiness, gave a presentation on social media for
copyeditors. I missed a part of it, but she gave some
Manish had already rolled out an infectiously useful information when I joined the talk a few minutes
enthusiastic video preconference. The cofounder of later.
PaperTrue revealed in his keynote how he accidentally
stumbled upon a business opportunity in editing and Then came Bushra Rashid, a very polished and hep
proofreading. His keynote pushed editors to aim for copyeditor. Bushra and I were colleagues in two
the sky. He was funny, encouraging, and very delightful organizations. She is as nice and as warm as she has
in conveying his message. always been. She gave a forceful presentation on why
you should become a member of various editor
Then came Yateendra Joshi, whom I was seeing for the associations [see “Editorial Freelancers Association
first time. He reminded me of a headmaster about Membership Benefits” toward the end of the
whom I had read in a book. When that headmaster newsletter] and the benefits you get out of it. It was the
wanted to retire, none of the students were willing to most useful presentation of the day for me.
let him go. A very methodical editor that Yateendra is,
Nilima Vyas would have made a great teacher if she
it came through in his presentation. How should you
took up that profession. In the Alt-Text presentation
she gave, I almost went back to
a classroom in my university.
She was clear and succinct, and
illustrated the concept very well.
I really enjoyed her presentation,
which was without a hiccup and
very free flowing. If you ever get
a chance, watch that video and
you’ll know what I am talking
about.
My colleague at a previous
organization, Selvin, came up to
give a keynote after Nilima. I
didn’t recognize him as he is
now sporting spectacles. Selvin’s
hair has grayed a bit, but his
manner has not dimmed in the
last nine years we haven’t met. I
didn’t know he knew so much
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
philosophy. He gave a clarion call to all the editors to services market to come together and raise our stocks.
unite against the practice of undercutting prices. Many We need to continue this journey.
editors fondly remember his training at Integra where
he was the chief. One final thought about a discussion that happened.
Will automation eliminate copyeditors, or will artificial
The sweet Chitralekha, whom I have always admired intelligence change the way we work? I think the future
for her approach to copyediting, told the stunned is getting invented now. I learned on-screen
audience how she gradually built a business out of copyediting 20 years ago. And it has bettered editing in
copyediting. Many were gaping at her presentation, many ways. I am sure artificial intelligence will disrupt
wondering how they missed doing what she was doing. to the extent whatever is mechanical will go to the
Many best wishes to her to go further. She was machines. But till the Chinese and Japanese learn to
perceptible enough not to fall into the trap of fast write good English and as long as the nonnative world
editing and competitive pricing (competitive is a keeps writing more English, we are in demand. Let me
euphemism here). She went for niche work and she is say more power to the East European authors as well.
now building her business gradually. This is not to demean them, but because they are not
native speakers lacking knowledge about the intricacies
Then I, Eashwar, Ujwala, and Lakshmi had a panel
discussion on in-house and freelance copyeditors. and nuances of English, we are there to help them.
Eashwar and I had met almost a decade ago when I had They will hopefully keep us in business.
started out as a freelancer. He told the story of his
My take is that the demographics are shifting. We are
starting up, Ujwala was interested in knowing how the
likely to have more nonnative speakers writing
freelancers “manage” their work, and Lakshmi gave an
academic content. There will not be enough native
overview of how she chooses freelance editors for
speakers to handle the volume of content, although
work. After Ujwala revealed how things go awry when
they are now preferred. We need to equip ourselves to
editors miss deadlines, I feel we have to turn a lot
take this opportunity and make the most out of it. We
professional in our ways. One common concern was
need to become better editors and better professionals.
lack of talent although enough work is available. I think
We need to think global. And the demand for
that is another issue we need to address.
copyediting will exist. The Western population is
There are capable Indian copyeditors, but as Bushra getting older and our population is getting younger.
The demographics favor us as of now. As Nandan
lamented, we are not visible outside. We need to get out
Nilekani said, we need to tap into this advantage by
there and tell the world. I think after the publishing
bringing more editors into the business. Those who
markets in the West, we have made a beginning as a
don’t read Chetan Bhagat. ◼
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
WORKSHOPS
Would you like to attend face-to-face workshops conducted by Yateendra Joshi on one or more of the
following topics? You can choose any four topics for a 1-day program. Send Vivek an e-mail at
hivivek72@yahoo.co.in and he will get back to you.
Choose from the following topics:
◼ How long should I wait after submission to
1. Searching the Internet More enquire about the paper’s fate?
Efficiently
The Internet has brought to our doorstep oceans of 3. Reporting Numbers and
information that only a decade ago was not available Quantities in Text
even in well-stocked libraries. But, as consumers, we
need to know how to navigate these waters and tap the Counting and measuring set science apart from other
treasures hidden in deeper recesses of the Internet. pursuits. Yet, techniques of communicating
quantitative information are often ignored in programs
The session on searching offers tips on getting the best on writing skills. Although 2017 marks 60 years of
out of both the Internet and printed information metrication in India, the precise conventions of the SI
sources by answering these and similar questions. system (Système International d’Unités) are often
violated by writers of research papers.
◼ How do I make my Internet searches more
efficient? The session on numbers offers answers to these and
◼ Is there life beyond Google? similar questions.
◼ What should we look for in judging a website’s
◼ How should multidigit numbers be printed
authenticity?
(123,000 or 123 000 or 1,23,000)?
◼ Which is the recommended symbol for the liter,
L or l?
◼ When should data be rounded off drastically and
when not at all?
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INDIAN COPYEDITORS FORUM
8. Designing User-Friendly
Technical Documents
Although word-processing software and laser printers
offer ample opportunities to play with document
design, getting the design right calls for informed
choices. Well-designed documents get their readers to
start reading and keep reading: poorly designed ones
can deter potential readers from even attempting to
read. Effective design brings out the underlying
6. Handling Citations and structure of a document, highlights the more important
parts, and helps readers to find information quickly.
References
The session on document design seeks to turn writers
Most researchers detest the chore of formatting
into designers by addressing these and similar
references: the task is tedious and seems such a waste
questions.
of a researcher’s time. Besides, many researchers see no
difference in their version and the model seen in a ◼ What info should headers and footers provide?
recent issue of their target journal. ◼ What are the pros and cons of using italic and
The session on citations and references will show you bold fonts?
how to manage this task more efficiently and answers ◼ Is there a limit to the levels in numbered headings
these and similar questions. (1, 1.1, 1.1.1, and so on)?
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
10. Becoming a More Over the years, many useful features have been added
to the package. Yet, most researchers are simply
Competent Writer unaware of those features that can save a great deal of
Scientists are required to write not only research papers time and are easy to use.
but also project proposals and reports, and even articles
for magazines. Good writing is not merely error-free The session answers these and similar questions.
writing but effective writing—writing that gets you the ◼ How can I quickly generate a list of all
results that you want. Yet, writing is not often taught as abbreviations used in a document?
a skill that can be acquired with practice. ◼ How can I add some commonly used technical
The session presents a systematic approach to words to the spell-checker?
becoming a more effective writer and answers these ◼ How do I change the default paper size to A4
and similar questions. from US Letter?
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VENKATARAMAN
ANANTHARAMAN’S THE ART OF
COPYEDITING COURSES
Imagine the following:
◼ Access to course videos for self-paced study from
the convenience of your homes;
◼ Replay videos any number of times;
◼ A facility to nevertheless interact with course
participants and the course instructor via course
comments on every course module;
◼ World-class training at affordable prices, which
can also be paid as part-payments (imagine a 27%
reduction from current pricing and also part-
payments for that reduced pricing);
◼ The courses can be taken up by anyone—
students, freelancers, and full-time employees.
Does it sound too good to be true?
I’m happy that God has helped me to serve you better
In January 2018 I founded The Art of Copyediting with by making this a reality! At the bottom of this piece is
the sole aim of providing editorial training for the a link that will give you all the details you may want and
publishing industry. The only things I knew well were also help you to choose your options for the first course
the subject itself and the art of teaching/training. that I’m offering in this format.
Being new to social media, I felt it might be safest to You guessed it right: I’m offering the most popular
start off with live webinars, as I simply had to use a course, Basic Course on Writing/Editing (rechristened
platform such as Zoom to see, connect, and talk with Essentials of Written English) as the first course in this
my audience. new format.
My interactions with people over the months gave me The second course is on Article Use in the English
indications of some clear patterns: language. And slowly, over months, all the 25 courses
offered by The Art of
◼ People want to grow in their careers and are
Copyediting will be put
willing to put in effort, but time is always an issue,
up one by one. Assessments,
more so because of the unpredictable demands of
modern life. Assessments, assign- assignments, and
◼ And when we have a webinar, the timing is fixed; ments, and certifica- certifications will all
what suits one doesn’t suit another; and even tions will all come in
when people opt in, some are not able to attend come in gradually,
gradually, over time.
on some days because of some urgency and want The simple truth is that over time. The
to know if they can access these sessions as a all these won’t mean simple truth is that
recording. anything if a person all these won’t
◼ And even if all these complexities are somehow has not had formal mean anything if a
factored in, a live webinar is still a pricey affair training and developed
because it implies the presence of the a certain skill set. I’ll
person has not had
instructor/expert all through the sessions. write more of this later. formal training and
◼ And the more detailed the training—I’m a firm developed a certain
believer of this—the longer the sessions, and the To sum up, all limiting
factors have been
skill set. I’ll write
costlier the course becomes for an average Indian
writer/editor. I’ve been thinking of all these removed, and every- more of this later.
repeatedly and have finally found a way to address one—students, free-
ALL your concerns—yes, I repeat: I have taken lancers, and full-time
an approach that will address ALL YOUR employees—can get
NEEDS. trained, perform well, and grow in their careers!
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iEdit Issue 1, July 2019
CERTIFICATIONS
Online Zoom Session on Editing Certifications, Training, and Editing
Association Memberships
Here is the link for the recording of the online Zoom session on
editing certifications, training, and editing association memberships.
Listen to the views of Bushra Rashid, Yateendra Joshi, and
Venkataraman Anantharaman on these topics.
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EDITORIAL FREELANCERS
ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP
BENEFITS
I f you want to become a professional editor, then you 10. EFA Logo: You can use it in your email signature
need to be serious about continuous professional line.
development and consider taking on the 11. EFA Facebook group: Join and get connected
membership of an editing association. with other EFA members.
12. EFA LinkedIn group: Join and find out who the
Whether you are just starting out, are coming back to other EFA members are.
editing after a long break, or are transitioning from 13. EFA Twitter chats: Another way to get advice.
another career, membership of an editing association 14. EFA webinars: Still another way to learn.
(the Editorial Freelancers Association [USA], the 15. EFA booths: Be a volunteer at EFA booths at
Society for Editors and Proofreaders [UK], Editors other associations’ conferences.
Canada [Canada], the Institute of Professional Editors 16. Group benefits: EFA offers group medical
[Australia], the Council for Science Editors [USA], the insurance, car rental benefit, and so forth in the
Board of Editors in Life Sciences [USA], the American United States to its members.
Copy Editors Society [ACES], etc.) will provide you all 17. EFA publications: EFA brings out a lot of
the support and resources you need. informative booklets on issues of importance to a
If five or more members from a particular city start a freelancer. EFA members of a chapter get access
chapter of an association, for example, Editorial Free- to these booklets.
lancers Association, then the 18. Trainer for EFA courses: EFA is always looking
benefits multiply. India for good trainers for its
(NCR Delhi) was the first courses.
country to have a chapter of 19. Networking hub:
Editorial Freelancers Asso- Provides a great networking
ciation outside the United community.
States. Perhaps, it is time to 20. EFA booklets
revive the chapter. Any tak- writer: EFA offers you a
ers considering all the bene- chance to write small
fits listed below? booklets on topics of interest to freelancers. You
are free to suggest a topic of your choice.
1. Job Board (clients’ requirements straight in your 21. Annual conferences: EFA annual conferences are
inbox). a great way to mingle with like-minded folks and
2. Members Directory (helps people from your area get some hands-on practical training as well. The
contact you directly). third annual conference was held in 2016 in New
3. Newsletter (great articles): Guest members get York.
access to the newsletter. 22. EFA Website: The EFA website is a great
4. Discounts on EFA courses. resource in itself.
5. Discounts on attending conferences of other 23. Rates: You get information about rates from the
associations. EFA website and from the rates mentioned by
6. Opportunity to write articles for EFA newsletter clients on the EFA Job Board.
The Freelancer. You retain the copyright and can 24. Skill sets: The EFA Job board provides an insight
print your article elsewhere also by providing a into what skills are in demand in the market so
credit line mentioning that the article was first that you can upgrade your skill set.
published in EFA newsletter. 25. Points when applying for SfEP membership: You
7. Access to EFA newsletter archives. get points toward fulfilling SfEP membership
8. Opportunity to volunteer for various tasks (you requirements if you are a member of an editing
can volunteer to bring out the newsletter, etc.). association.
9. EFA Email group (post your doubts, queries, 26. Possibilities of putting up the EFA booth at book
suggestions, and so on): You might even get a fairs, literature festivals, writers’ events, and
client through the email list if an EFA member colleges/schools/universities to bring writers
decides to use another freelancer in case of more (clients) and editors face to face. ◼
work than he or she can handle or in case there is
a medical emergency.
26
iEDIT CROSSWORD #1
Geethanjali Tanikella
1 2 3 4
7 8 9
10
11
12 13
14
Down
1. Clipped from elsewhere, not part of running text, usually with a left indent
3. __-ed, is that from a newspaper?
4. Commonly found in Spanish or Portuguese, more or less
6. Simple declarative sentence with one verb
8. Is that the second footnote?
9. Make them lean
10. Position, w.r.t. margins
13 down, 14 across The stroke that separates the equals
Across
2. I missed the point above, in code
5. Points to part of the document
6. The boss ordered to remove it
7. The version boundary, colored
11. I slogged like a slave for the first proof
12. Killer comma debate
Geethanjali Tanikella is the VP Corporate Communication at Mapmygenome, where her core domains of focus include
media relations, content development, and publishing. She has 15+ years of experience in various domains such as
STM publishing, journalism, technical communication, and corporate communication. She has worked as a technical
writer, content developer, and copyeditor. She has a master’s degree in Chemical Sciences from Pondicherry University,
Diploma in Web Content Development from ContentEd New Zealand, and Diploma in Media & Advertising
Management from WE School.
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