Patrick F. McKay’s Post

More tips from Patrick F. McKay on responding to reviewers. Content worth reading! #academicwriting

On small mistakes and fixing them. Early in my career, often, I re-read my paper under review, and would ask myself: why did I phrase it that way? I clearly was not careful. Always take time to re-read your work, especially the response to the reviewers, one more time before submitting the paper. Small details matter. So, how do attend to small details in writing well? 1. Finish the paper before the deadline. My best teams finish papers a week before the deadline. That gives people time to think and reflect on the paper before submission. 2. Have it copyedited. A copyeditor helps with prose. It does not provide quality assurance. BUT. A good copyeditor will flag sentences that do not make sense. Make sure you take those flagged sentences seriously. 3. Use Grammarly. Often, Grammarly is flat-out wrong. Its suggestions are not great. However, it is an expert at flagging difficult-to-understand sentences. Seriously consider whether the sentences it flags as lacking clarity can use a rewrite. 4. Curb your dramatic impulses. Often, the sentences that I think add character to a paper, also make the paper more opaque. Dramatic sentences do not translate well across cultural contexts. Write for a global, international audience, so keep it simple, clear and on point. 5. Do one last read and spell check. Read the paper the day you submit. Read it from beginning to finish. Make sure all of the parts align. Do a final spell check - I am constantly surprised by how often I or a colleague- insert a misspelling into our papers - in our rush to submit. If you do these things, you are more likely to submit a cleaner, easier to understand paper. Which. Usually translate to more positive feedback! Best of luck! #academiclife #academicwriting

Editing is a process of vulnerability for all parties but the end goal is unanimous: the success of your story is what they want. Make sure you are always clear about your vision with your editor and remember that they are your partner here to elevate your words! We read Kayleigh’s blog post and we highly recommend it! #publishing #amwriting #authors #childrensbooks

One of the best-kept secrets among editors–and I am one– is that the magic is truly not in the template. All those blood-red track changes and editorial notes can make it feel for some like there is no room for "just writing". We post a lot of advice on platforms like these, and you know we actually know our stuff because all we ever do is sit down and break stories down into their smallest components to see what made them work. Like a mechanic breaking an engine apart—or how I imagine they do it, haha. But you get my point. Take a story: Do you see where they placed their dialogue? Do you see how they are handling that dialogue? What made us connect with this person in the book? (Also see why I avoided calling them a character; I wanted something a little realer than that.) What drives word choice? Etc. We study it until our instincts can identify a good story from ten miles away. But did you hear it though? What this means is that you can develop your own instincts too. Just break as many engines apart as you can. The good thing for most people interested in writing is that they also tend to find reading fun. You don't even need to overthink it or consciously try to pick anything apart while reading—not initially anyway. Just be without distractions and read! Your body—your mind—will do all the remembering for you. With enough reading, there will be a quality to your writing that seems to come "naturally." Remember what I said? Instinct! Feed your instinct so that your mind gives you ideas, sentence structures, etc., that are most likely to work. TL; DR: One of the best-kept secrets among editors is that the magic cannot truly be cast in stone. Whatever we know about good writing, we know by observing what has worked. But for any of this to work for the ever-growing writer, we also have to be on the lookout and able to identify unconventional approaches that also work. So, whatever advice I or anyone else will ever give you, if you are well-read enough in your genre to break it, go right ahead! Look around; we are all looking for a dash of bravery(we hope it shows😜). In a sea of AI, how refreshing would a business book or memoir executed with a deep care for "story craft" be? (Yes, there is a book by that name, and I might read it soon.) _________________________________________ My name is Millicent Yedwa. I am a development editor and ghostwriter for thought leaders and memoir writers. I am obsessed with reading and good writing. I would love to connect with people who love stories as much as I do, or people with a good story or big message who don't quite know how to make it land.

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open "Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open" is a profound piece of advice often attributed to the renowned author Stephen King. This saying encapsulates the essence of the writing process, highlighting the importance of allowing creativity to flow uninhibited during the initial stages of writing, followed by a more critical and open approach during the revision phase. When a writer "writes with the door closed," they are encouraged to immerse themselves in their thoughts, ideas, and imagination without external influences or distractions. This stage is about giving free rein to creativity, letting ideas take shape, and allowing the story to unfold naturally. However, the true magic of writing happens during the rewriting process when the door is opened. This is when writers invite feedback, criticism, and new perspectives to refine and polish their work. It is a time for introspection, revision, and improvement. By embracing this two-step approach, writers can strike a balance between uninhibited creativity and critical evaluation, resulting in a piece of writing that is not only authentic and engaging but also refined and polished to perfection #SEO #contentwriting #guestposting

I edited an article recently. It did not go well. The author has a distinct style of expression, but is not a careful writer. Beyond myriad errors in punctuation, sentence construction, and other grammatical concerns were weird parenthetical asides and redundancies. In addition, the article was too long for the allotted page space. I deleted the parenthetical commentary, tightened the flabby writing, and eliminated the redundancies. My editing shortened the article to a more manageable length better suited for the page space assigned to it. The author was displeased, feeling that I'd overwritten his voice, although I'd not rewritten so much as a single sentence. This is a risk every editor takes. In refining an author's work, the author may not appreciate the editor's action. This is also why editors prefer to work with Microsoft Word's "Track Changes" or Google's "suggesting mode." In using either utility, the author can 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫. When I receive a manuscript back from my editor, I carefully review each change and determine whether her suggestion improves my work, if she's missed the mark entirely (it happens), or if what I wrote needs improvement and what she suggested isn't really suitable either. In the last case, I rewrite as necessary. There are no hard feelings. She does her job; I do mine. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫. That's to be expected. When I edit for a client, I never expect blind acceptance of all suggested changes. I do expect the client to 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. When you're the author, you're in charge. #henhousepublishing #editingservices #proofreadingservices

📖Spotlight on Editors: 5 Things You Need to Know📖 If I had a dollar for every time someone wanted me to “take a look” at their manuscript, I wouldn’t be writing this post. I’d be on a beach in Puerto Rico, finally finishing my own manuscript. These writers often want me to provide feedback and suggestions for FREE. Some are shocked when I tell them I'm a professional who charges for my services. Some say they’ll just use Grammarly or Autocrit for editing. Or even worse, that they don’t need an editor. ⭐I hate to break it to you, but you aren’t that great of a writer.⭐ I know it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Even professional writers who have sold millions of books will tell you that editing is essential to the writing process. Editors help shape your story and give you advice on how to become a better writer. Learn more about what a professional editor can do for you and your manuscript by clicking the link below👇👇🏿👇🏽 https://lnkd.in/e8i3vRgm

Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open "Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open" is a profound piece of advice often attributed to the renowned author Stephen King. This saying encapsulates the essence of the writing process, highlighting the importance of allowing creativity to flow uninhibited during the initial stages of writing, followed by a more critical and open approach during the revision phase. When a writer "writes with the door closed," they are encouraged to immerse themselves in their thoughts, ideas, and imagination without external influences or distractions. This stage is about giving free rein to creativity, letting ideas take shape, and allowing the story to unfold naturally. However, the true magic of writing happens during the rewriting process when the door is opened. This is when writers invite feedback, criticism, and new perspectives to refine and polish their work. It is a time for introspection, revision, and improvement. By embracing this two-step approach, writers can strike a balance between uninhibited creativity and critical evaluation, resulting in a piece of writing that is not only authentic and engaging but also refined and polished to perfection #SEO #contentwriting #guestposting

There’s a distinction between writing that is functional, transactional, boilerplate—writing info sheets, generic emails, instructions, annual reports (and I’m not convinced of that one being merely functional though many are)—and writing that is purposeful, authentic, articulate—writing that tells a story, presents a call to action, subtly draws the reader’s attention, provides clear compelling arguments supported with evidence. Predictive LLM text can do the first but it takes practice and skill to do the second well. LLMs have raised the bar for good writers to shine. Excellent writing can be by turns precise, factual, creative, eloquent; it takes the reader on a journey, communicating complex ideas with nuance and a deep awareness of bias,audience, tone, perspective. Words are art!

New Post: SET IN STONE? - https://lnkd.in/dFbd8s8a TRUTHS ABOUT POST-PUBLICATION FOIBLES AND ABERRATIONS All writers want their work to be perfect. Nobody wants to learn about errors in their manuscript after they have published it. Too many grammar, spelling, syntax, or punctuation errors in a published book are embarrassing, time-consuming, and expensive.  Unfortunate Truth: We are often defined by our mistakes […] FIVE TRUTHS ABOUT POST-PUBLICATION FOIBLES AND ABERRATIONS All writers want their work to be perfect. Nobody wants to learn about errors in their manuscript after they have published it. Too many grammar, spelling, syntax, or punctuation errors in a published book are embarrassing, time-consuming, and expensive.  Unfortunate Truth: We are often defined by our mistakes as much as by our successes. Whether you love it, hate it, or love to hate it, editing is a critical investment before publishing. An editor’s value is how close we come to perfecting your manuscript in every way. My brand identity is “A writer’s best resource. A reader’s best advocate.” I take my mission seriously because I appreciate my work's lasting effects on authors due to their books’ impact on readers.  One Uncomfortable Truth: No matter how rigorous or meticulous writers and editors are, all published books contain errors.  Obviously, you want to avoid hearing this from your editor. I recognize this is a narrow, brittle limb I rest upon, but I cling to it. Writers make mistakes, and editors miss mistakes. We are human and humanize everything we touch. The trick is to humanize things for the better. Three Comfortable Truths:  A trained editor will catch most mechanical errors in your manuscript before you publish. Editors focus on different things depending on the type of editing they are doing. If your editor serves as your developmental, line, and copy editor, they must effectively wear each of these hats at different stages of the editing process. Developmental editors are the first set of eyes on your manuscript. They focus on the big picture and ways to illuminate your story but will address common and egregious mechanical errors. Copyeditors focus on clarity and readability and will address most of the mechanical errors in your manuscript. Proofreaders will meticulously scour your manuscript for mechanical errors. This is why they are the last set of editing eyes. This type of editor lives to seek and destroy any remaining mechanical errors. 3. If your editor has done their job, most readers will never find errors, though they exist. Readers who stumble upon errant errors in well-edited books will find it easy to overlook them.  The latter of these three truths is the rubber on the tire. If your book is published and a reader messaged you last night to point out you have misspelled “bizarre,” “apparently,” and “canceled,