I’m always trying to find ways to be more efficient – not necessarily faster, but more adept at balancing speed and quality. Having recently discovered that I can use ChatGPT in the same way others use PerfectIt, I...
An affidavit is a written document the contents of which are sworn to under oath or affirmed by the person who deposes the document. It comprises five defining elements. In South Africa, an affidavit is a...
Our members often ask: ‘Why should I take the PEG Accreditation Test? And how will it benefit me?’ Well, there are a number of really positive reasons for doing so: First, it enables each of us to benchmark ourselves...
‘… most of the criticism is valid, and if we can edit the right way [my emphasis] and make it a really good read, I will be eternally grateful …’, said an author to me after putting a section of their carefully and...
After a year spent running frantically on the hamster wheel of life (and with our gardener on leave), it was wonderful to take some time off in December to spend a few hours mindlessly pulling weeds from our garden. As...
Are you part of an editorial team for an accredited academic journal, or do you want to become part of one? In this blog, I share how I used familiar guidelines to cope with the unfamiliar editorial demands of a...
Beginning in 1985, I was blessed with a grandchild every year for five years. How honoured I felt! Birthdays come around every year and there’s always a decision about what one can give as a memorable gift. When my...
The way things were For the first seventeen years of my editing career, my LinkedIn profile was as bare-bones as it could be. It included my name, the headline ‘Freelance editor’ and the most basic information about my...
I love editing poetry. One engages both the left and right sides of the brain, in that one has to discern sentences in the midst of the words, ensuring that the underlying structure is sound, while also paying...
Abbreviations are intended to make dense text more easily readable, but too many can be irritating. They are always dealt with separately in guidelines for text and for references; the instructions sometimes contradict...
Let’s be honest – getting involved can be messy at times. I’ve been an over-the-top volunteer, a background worker and all the in-between options as well – and of course some have been more successful than others. In...
At year-end, I gathered my supporting documents to hand over to my accountant. The purpose was to compile the first set of annual financial statements and tax returns for a company that I had established for my editing...
After living and working in a city for my entire life, I changed gear for a better quality lifestyle. My husband and I now live on our farm in the Eastern Cape, bordering the Baviaans Nature Reserve, part of the...
Have you ever found yourself unable to concentrate on a page proof because you have already worked on the text once too often? For some of my clients, I need to proofread the manuscript at the end of the production...
At first, I didn’t think I needed to join the Professional Editors’ Guild (PEG). However, it became clear to me that it was important to do so. I joined PEG in October 2019, although I had called myself an editor since...
Whether we admit it or not, editing comes with a certain measure of power. With a stroke of the proverbial red pen, we can dash writing dreams and topple empires full of plot holes. But with great power comes great...
Dealing with two pauses at once – the need for physical rest after a health setback and the financial worry of knowing the holiday drought is still ahead and the pot isn’t full enough. For many South African...
When I joined the Professional Editors’ Guild in 2022, I thought I had editing and proofreading down to a fine art. I have good English abilities and a natural eye for detail. I love the technical side of editing – the...
Every creative hits a block at least once in their career. It might be extreme to say that every passion has an expiry date, but it certainly has a maturing stage. It’s not you; it’s me I experienced my block roughly...
‘I just looove accounting!’ said no editor ever. Yet, if we consider that we as freelancers are all running businesses, then bringing home the bacon and accounting for it [insert eye-roll here] should be a top...
