Erin Brenner's Blog, page 4

Allow Me to Explain

An editor once asked me the following question: 

Is it still correct to use “allow” and “allow for” differently? In material I am editing, I often see “allow for” when I think adding the “for” is wrong (or at least unnecessary) for the meaning.

My dictionary indicates that, as I expected, “allow” means “admit (an event or activity) as legal or acceptable” or permit (in several senses, including to permit someone to have or do something). Definitions of “allow for” include “make provision for,” “ta...

AP Style and the Serial Comma

Fueling one of the more popular English language debates are the two most commonly used style guides: the The Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook. The guides have opposite rules for using the serial comma (that last comma before the conjunction), with Chicago supporting the inclusion of the serial comma and AP omitting it. 

Specifically, AP uses commas to separate elements in a series but does not include the serial comma in a simple series: I like cake, ice cream and pie.

That’s what mos...

Grammar Bite: To Have and to Had

As a freelance editor, I am often asked by clients, readers, and friends about my personal take on grammar rules or the common usage of words or phrases. Once, I was asked to share my thoughts on the use of the phrase “to have” and its past participle “had”:

Q. I should like to read your take on the following quizzical use of the verb “to have” and its past participle form “had:”

It seems common and proper for American English speakers to say, “I had my carpets cleaned, I had my car tuned, I had m...

Grammar Bite: Bored With or Bored Of?

I once received the following question from a reader: 

I have always taught that the correct preposition to use with “bored” is “bored with…” Recently, I’ve noticed more and more the usage of “bored of” something. Has the “of” become more acceptable in recent years, or have I been misleading students and clients all these years?

According to my research, bored of is becoming more common, but bored with is still the most common by far. With and by are the traditional prepositions, and so far are st...

Sales Funnels for Editors: Be Where Clients Can Find You

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”

John Wanamaker (1838–1922)

That quote from marketing pioneer John Wanamaker describes a truth every marketer deals with. Sometimes more frustrating is that credit for a sale is often given solely to the last touch point—that last contact the buyer has with the seller.

For example, you see an ad on Instagram for a pair of fancy running shoes because Instagram knows you are a hard-core runner. You n...

“The Design of Books”: An Insider’s Guide for Authors and Editors

If you want to learn how to design books, don’t read The Design of Books by veteran book designer Debbie Berne. This is not a how-to book.

If instead you want to learn more about book design, this is the book for you. As the subtitle declares, it’s “an explainer for authors, editors, agents, and other curious readers.” Perhaps unique in its topic, it’s a gem of a book for those of us who work adjacent to book designers.

When I worked with the University of Chicago Press on my book, it was ...

The Design of Books: An Insider’s Guide for Authors and Editors

If you want to learn how to design books, don’t read The Design of Books by veteran book designer Debbie Berne. This is not a how-to book.

If instead you want to learn more about book design, this is the book for you. As the subtitle declares, it’s “an explainer for authors, editors, agents, and other curious readers.” Perhaps unique in its topic, it’s a gem of a book for those of us who work adjacent to book designers.

When I worked with the University of Chicago Press on my book, it was ...

Modernize Your Writing: The Case for Refreshing Your Style Guide

Last week, I reviewed the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) and talked about how to absorb all the changes in this mammoth manual.

Many editors are now wondering when their clients or employers will make the shift to the 18th edition. Those clients and employers, though, may be asking a more basic question: Why should we update?

The Dilemma of Updating Style Guides

Editors and others passionate about the nuts and bolts of writing will update just because. But for the ...

CMOS 18: A Deep Dive into the Latest Edition’s Updates

The print version of The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition (CMOS 18), doesn’t come out until September 19, but the new edition soft-launched on the manual’s website last week. Editors are already digging in and sharing their reactions anywhere editors gather.

A new edition of a style guide is always an event. Although no one wants to read every word of the 1,000-plus page behemoth that is CMOS 18, we tend to geek out over changes to our most-used rules and guidance.

Overview of Changes...

Why Freelance Editors Should Write a Business Plan

Although I’ve been a freelance editor for two decades, 2018 was the first year I had thought about a business plan—never mind trying to write one. My plan was simple: Sell writing and editing services to businesses and collect the money. Track and report my business expenses, and pay my taxes. That’s it.

But in the previous couple of years, my marketing plan had gotten stale, and I had felt more than a little burned out of social media. I wanted to reinvigorate my marketing so that I could ke...