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I was given a file to proofread and noticed it was a .PDF file. These files are not meant to be changed, so I had to find a way to track changes and make comments so the author could tell where my edits could be found within the document. A positive with tracking changes on a PDF is no other program is needed, either paid or free.
Follow these easy instructions to show track changes on a PDF:
- Go to File>Open and select the file
- Select View>Comments>Drawing Markup
- Highlight the part of text where you wish to add a mark.
- Select the tool you wish to use from the right sidebar.
- Be sure to always save your work by going to File>Save
I recommend saving the original separately from a file used to track changes...
Read More »Lessons in Mechanics
Legitimate words, word usage, style points: what lessons will you put to use today?
- “Anyhoo, It’s in the Dictionary Now”: Even lexicographers can be surprised by what they find in the dictionary. Like anyhoo. (A Thing About Words)
- “Historic vs. Historical: A History”: The two terms more similar than you might think. (The Grammarphobia Blog)
- “Questions From Users of the Manual”: Tips on using myalgia, frequently occurring, and more. (AMA Style Insider)
Is wile away a preferred or at least perfectly acceptable variation of while away or is it an error? The answer isn’t exactly simple.
If wile away is an error, it’s one that has now been around long enough to be considered mainstream and, according to the OED, was committed by both Dickens and Scott. It was introduced as early as 1796 as a substitute for while away, which preceded it by about 100 years. The transitive verb form of wile [away the time] appears, with no usage notes or cautions, in the American Heritage Dictionary as “to pass (time) agreeably” and in the...
Read More »Featured Topic: Working Freelance
Freelance editing can be an isolated way to earn a living. Where do you get advice for running your business better? Today’s articles will help you out.
- “Six Often Overlooked Ways to Evolve as a Freelancer”: Keep an eye on the next big thing, try something different, and four more tips for freelancer editors. (Freelance Switch)
- “Six Rules for Maintaining Life Balance While Freelancing”: Flexibility is great, but it has to be managed to work well. (The Freelance Strategist)
- “Why Everyone Should Register a Domain Name”: Freelance and...
Snowboard Magazine is seeking an online editor to join its team in Boulder, Colorado. Snowboard Magazine and SnowboardMag.com are owned by Storm Mountain Publishing, a two-person startup in 1997 that now employees 25 people to produce Freeskier Magazine, Snowboard Magazine, and their respective websites. (They are also seeking a senior editor for Freeskier Magazine.) At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, 25 miles northwest of Denver, Boulder is a city of about 100,000 (with another 200,000 in the greater metropolitan area) that has received a number of...
Read More »Featured Topic: Use Your Tools
Whether it’s your markups, Word’s Track Changes, or your resumé, use your tools wisely.
- “What Does Your Markup Say About You?”: Authors and designers are intelligent but not mind readers. Strive to make your markups and queries clear. (The Editors’ Weekly)
- “How Does Track Changes in Microsoft Word Work?”: The finer points of Track Changes, including how to copy them into a new file. (Making the Most of Word in Your Business)
- “Six Myths About Resume-Writing You Can Forget”: Unless you’re a copyeditor. In which case, spelling definitely...
Copyediting Newsletter and the American Copy Editors Society (ACES) are hosting a freelancers happy hour on Wednesday, April 3, at 6:00 p.m.—also known as ACES Conference Eve (conference attendance is not required). If you’re a freelancing copyeditor, have been in the past, would like to be in the future, or if you’re someone who hires freelance copyeditors, join us for free appetizers and drinks for purchase at the Market Street Bar in the Ballpark Hilton (1 South Broadway).
In addition to fun and networking with editors and those who hire them, you’ll have a chance to pick up some great door prizes from our sponsors. Here’s a taste:
- free attendance for a ...
Feature Topic: Usage
Today’s articles include insight into why whom is dying out, the connection between good and linking verbs, and some lessons in agreement.
- “For Whom the Bell Tolls”: Why whom is dying out, and why that’s OK. (The Atlantic)
- “Good Versus Well”: Can you say “I’m good”? (Grammar Girl)
- “Bright Passages”: Subject-verb agreement becomes problematic when the verb is positioned far from its subject. (After Deadline)
When a thunderstorm dumps 14 inches of snow on you four days after the vernal equinox, you search for spring somewhere other than outside your window. Ah, primavera! In the culinary, visual, and musical arts, the hope of your manifestation is kept alive.
According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the noun primavera meaning “spring” was first found in English in 1824, picked up from the Italian, where it literally means “spring time” and came from the Latin prima vera, plural for “first spring.” The only use of primavera as an English noun today, however, seems...
Read More »In a previous Tip of the Week, I discussed the importance of file-naming conventions to maintain document version control, outlining the process we use for the Copyediting newsletter. I was reminded last week that version control goes beyond file names, however.
One of my clients publishes industry papers, and once we get to the layout stage, we use project-collaboration software to track the publishing process among the five team members. Because the software is designed for collaboration rather than publishing, it allows more than one person to own the document at a time. That is, all five of us...
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