"On our recent blog post about the
different types of editing, WriteByNighter Glynis J. commented, in part, 'I definitely am going to beg, borrow, and steal to get the professional copy editor. I paid attention in all of my English classes but … you know what I mean.'
"I wish I’d paid attention in my English classes, because then I wouldn’t have to ask Justine 'What’s a subordinate clause?' and
'Just what in the hell is pluperfect?' In a couple of weeks we’ll discuss whether one needs a strong grasp of grammar in order to be a writer. It’s a question we’re asked often.
"But today we want to address the 'beg, borrow, and steal' aspect. While we strongly encourage you to hire a professional copyeditor when your manuscript is ready (of course we do —
copyediting is one of our offerings!), we understand that it’s not always feasible. So if you’re in a situation similar to Glynis’, we want to suggest a great strategy to help you edit your own copy.
"So are you ready? Because for some of you, this could get ugly."
