The Expert Editor’s editorial blog covers writing, editing, language, and the human side of communication — the same subjects our editors work with every day. Every article is reviewed by the editors on our masthead before publication.
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Featured articles
How grammar and punctuation became subtle social signals
Send a text that ends with a period, and something shifts. It reads a little colder, a little more final, than the same sentence with no punctuation at…
100 editing and proofreading tips for writers
Editing and proofreading are vital for producing great writing. But where should you look? What should you change? As the most comprehensive proofreading list on the web, this…
9 books every writer should read at least once
Ask ten editors for the books that actually changed how they work and you will hear the same handful of titles over and over. Not because editors are…
The ultimate flowchart for finding your next book
Ah, summertime (in the northern hemisphere at least!). That blissfully balmy time of year where school's out, vacations are scheduled, and the beach beckons. Sunshine and family make…
George Orwell’s 6 rules for writing were too absolute. Here’s a more flexible version
George Orwell's essay Politics and the English Language, published in 1946, is a battle cry in the fight against bad English. In Orwell's eyes, written English has become…
16 easy ways to unleash your creativity (Infographic)
Only 25% of people believe they're living up to their creative potential. You may think there isn't a lot you can do about this. You're either born with…
Writing & Editing
How to write clearly and precisely: grammar, editing craft, proofreading, and thesis, essay, and academic writing guides.
What a manuscript assessment actually checks — and how to read one
When a writer sends a finished manuscript for assessment, they usually expect one of two verdicts: it's ready, or it isn't. What they get…
Copyedit vs proofread vs structural edit: which your draft actually needs
Most people who ask us for "a proofread" don't want a proofread. They want their writing to be good, and proofreading is the word…
How grammar and punctuation became subtle social signals
Send a text that ends with a period, and something shifts. It reads a little colder, a little more final, than the same sentence…
How to earn money as a writer (infographic)
Writers are in demand across more platforms than ever. Every business with a website, blog, or social media presence needs skilled writers — and…
Language & Reading
Vocabulary, words, books, and reading culture: what we read and how language shapes the way we think.
Reading like an editor: what changes on the second pass
My wife can finish a novel in an afternoon and tell you exactly how it made her feel. I have never been able to…
Australian vs American vs British English: a writer’s style guide
An Australian writer sits down to write for an international audience and immediately hits a decision most people never consciously make: which English? The…
9 books every writer should read at least once
Ask ten editors for the books that actually changed how they work and you will hear the same handful of titles over and over.…
12 words worth knowing — and what they teach you about precision
Editors develop a particular relationship with vocabulary. Not the spelling-bee kind — the working kind. When you spend your days fixing other people's sentences,…
The Writer’s Mind
The working experience of writing: perfectionism, procrastination, imposter syndrome, and creative blocks — and how writers work through them.
Procrastination isn’t a discipline problem: what editors see in the drafts of chronic deadline-missers
The manuscript arrives three weeks late, and the covering email always says the same thing: "Sorry — I’ve been so busy." But editors see…
What forty years of marking maths papers taught me about giving feedback on writing
I marked mathematics papers for the better part of four decades — first as a teacher, later as an assistant principal who still couldn’t…
Perfectionism is an editing problem: Why “one more pass” is where manuscripts go to die
Every editor knows the manuscript. It arrives with an apology attached: the author has been working on it for four years, has rewritten the…
Imposter syndrome and the first-time thesis writer
The email that accompanies a first thesis draft is a genre of its own. It apologises for the draft’s existence before describing it. It…