Spot-on Subbing

Editing Example - President Obama's Healthcare Speech

2010-03-30T16:05:00.002+02:00

Often when copy-editing or sub-editing for clients, part of the process is optimising word use and order so that the message is effectively communicated.

This photograph, uploaded to Flickr by the Whitehouse earlier this month, shows President Barack Obama and the head speechwriter, Jon Favreau, editing a speech on healthcare in the Oval Office on 9 September 2009.

The aim of the speech is to win solidarity and support for American healthcare reform. We can see that instead of using the word ‘compassion’ they’ve opted to explain what ‘compassion’ means, changing it to ‘concern and regard for the plight of others’.

It is then explained that ‘compassion’ isn’t a political party issue – and personal anecdotes, such as the ‘compassion’ Obama felt in his mother’s last days, have been crossed out – but ‘part of the American character’.

This image is an excellent illustration of how a careful choice of words can bring about the unification rather than the fragmentation of the audience receiving its message. Thanks to photographer Pete Souza for such an insightful photograph.

(Source: Flickr)

The Wonders of WordReference.com

2009-11-19T14:48:00.000+01:00

As I’m sub-editor for a national English-language paper in France – a job that I absolutely love – it’s important to have good sources for checking French translations. And not that I’m doubting the writers or anything, but I do like to check French translations for sense and spelling!

One of the most reliable web resources for checking translations is WordReference.com. Why? It gives you free, comprehensive information very quickly. When you enter a French word into the search box, you are taken to a page that lists, amongst other things, the English translation, associated words, related WordReference forum discussions and – this is very handy if the word is wrong in the copy – similarly-spelled words.

If you type an English word in to get a French translation you get all of the above, but also a ‘principal translations’ section that uses the word in context, which is very useful if it's unfamiliar. You can also click the ‘Écouter’ link to hear how it sounds, just for your own appreciation! Marvellous!

Sub-editors Care About Style: Style Guides

2009-09-24T16:02:00.000+02:00

Usually when I take on work for a client there is a style guide to work with. I say usually because occasionally there isn’t, which is horrifying because I don’t understand how a publication can be produced without one!

In my experience the size of style guide often depends on how big the commissioning company is. Big corporations and publishing houses seem to create large, comprehensive style guides, while smaller publishers and companies have smaller guides or use pre-existing versions such as the online guide by the Economist. Online style guides from leading publications are presented in different ways. For example, at the Economist you’re presented with a table of contents whereas the guide for the Guardian offers an A to Z menu as does the Times.

Generally, if a publication is using an established style guide there will be decisions to be made on certain words. For example, if a British publication is italicising foreign words does it want the word ‘rosé’ italicised or not as it's so widely used in the UK?

Sometimes, despite using an established style guide, editors change style details according to their preference. For example, a client using the style guide from the the Economist could prefer to use ‘percent’ rather than ‘%’ and ‘million’ rather than a single ‘m’. As a sub it’s important to create your own word list and style guide for each publication and add to it as word styles are created. That way you don’t go wrong and it saves time.

At the beginning of the post I expressed dismay about subbing for publications that don’t have a style guide. Recently I undertook last-minute subbing work for a magazine that didn’t have one. It doubled the amount of time I had to spend on the job because I was looking back through previous issues to try and ascertain word styles. Did it capitalise job titles or not? Did it italicise book titles or not (the Economist does and the Times doesn’t)? When I sent back queries to the editor, on certain words I couldn’t find examples of, he told me there wasn’t time to deal with ‘that sort of thing’. If that’s the case then why doesn’t the magazine have a style guide?

While I didn’t charge more for the extra work (because it is a small, new title that needs encouragement) I did try to impress upon the client that having a style guide is of the utmost importance.

Subs care that the style is right and so should the editor or client! If it seems daunting for a publication to create one, it can always choose to follow an established online style guide and adjust according to preference – at least then there are rules to work by!

The satisfaction and pride of seeing words styled uniformly on a page is a huge part of what the sub’s job is about! If the copy isn’t perfect, it hurts – really!

Fact Checking – Google and Blackle

2009-09-07T18:32:00.000+02:00

As I spend most of my days subbing and writing, I gradually realised that I was Googling, on average, a hundred times each day. Google has always been my first port of call for general enquiries and I’ve found it to be the best place for basic fact checking when I sub.

As I try to be an environmentally friendly person – and sub – when I discovered Blackle I was very excited! It is powered by Google, but saves energy because the screen is predominantly black.

Inspired by a blog post from Boston-based green computing consultant Mark Ontkush in January 2007 entitled ‘Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year’, Blackle was created by Heap Media. According to Ontkush, an all-white page uses about 74 watts whereas a black page uses just 59 watts – good for the user and the planet!

Blackle is now set as my home page. To find out how to do this on your browser click on the site’s ‘Set Home Page’ link.

About Frances

2009-08-31T17:30:00.000+02:00

Frances Penwill-Cook has been sub-editing and writing for over ten years. She graduated with a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree in English in 1997 and continued her education by taking a postgraduate business diploma.

After university Frances went on to work for her local paper, the Nottingham Evening Post. She then moved to London and worked as a staff sub-editor on various magazines and websites until going freelance. Now she's usually found weaving words in her home office with her mostly-rescued animals.

Frances can guarantee that you'll be delighted with her work. To read client feedback confirming excellent subbing, click here!

Clients include: King's College London, National Health Service, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), theFrenchPaper, The Wealth Collection magazine, $uccess magazine, SPG Media, Steadfast Television, World Expro magazine and Fisher Scientific.

How it Works and Rates

2009-08-31T15:30:00.000+02:00

Getting your copy edited quickly and accurately is easy with Spot-on Subbing because Frances will magic your copy better in no time!

Nine times out of ten Word is used and although clean (perfect!) copy is delivered, a marked-up electronic document is created too (using 'track changes'), so that all alterations are obvious. A separate file - flagging up anything requiring discussion - is always supplied. Nothing gets changed without the client's approval; this girl works 100% transparently!

Frances has had lots of experience subbing the following: reports (including medical), newspapers, magazines, websites, poetry, brochures, catalogues, study guides and manuscripts.

Whether your copy just needs proofreading or a vast amount of editing, fact checking and rewriting, Spot-on Subbing will remove all the niggles and create a perfect finish.

Frances loves subbing, in fact she can't get enough of it, so get in touch to find out her competitive rates.

How to Get in Touch

2009-08-28T17:32:00.001+02:00

You can contact Frances Penwill-Cook in the following ways:

Telephone: 00 44 207 1937 411

Mobile: 00 44 79200 03101

Email: frances@spotonsubbing.co.uk

Twitter: @franpenwillcook

Skype: franpenwillcook

Client Feedback

2009-08-27T22:33:00.002+02:00

theFrenchPaper - Rachel Loos, Associate Editor

Job: Sub-editor on national newspaper (ongoing)

"Each month Spot-on Subbing checks over all copy for a national English-language newspaper in France. The company is fast and accurate and catches any mistakes that have been made. As a newspaper we have constant deadlines and Spot-on Subbing ensures that it works with us to meet these deadlines, even if that means working during the evening and at the weekend." (June 2009 to present.)

King's College - Dr Angus Forbes

Job: Proofreading and copy editing 100-page final grant report for the NHS

"Many many thanks Frances for very high quality work. The level of correction and the quality of the proofreading was perfect. I will certainly call upon your services again." (February 2010.)