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Gendered language and why it matters

Gendered language and why it matters

Last year I proofread a children’s illustrated dictionary for a client. There was a double-page spread with pictures of boys and girls dressed for different professions. There were camera operators, ministers, nurses (girls), doctors (mainly boys), firemen (boys), and policewomen (girls). And this is why gendered language matters.

Sometimes when I’m working, my Spidey senses tingle before I’ve checked something. This was one of those times. Through training and reading Ciep’s guide to gendered language, I recognised the need to raise a query.

The State of Gendered Language

Sue Grey (developmental editor at O’Reilly Media) wrote an excellent article for the Ciep entitled The State of Gendered Language. She details how the world seems to be changing at an ever quicker pace. In some areas, this change is positive such as a reduction in sexism, homophobia, and transphobia but with every advancement, there is an inevitable backlash.

The powerful rarely relinquish without a fight. Controlling language is another way to control people. Women’s rights and freedoms are being threatened and eroded as a reaction to women’s advancement in the workplace and positions of power. The same is true of those from the LGBTQ+ community whose rights are being repealed and lives endangered just as many people become more accepting of difference.

Moving away from sexism

Gendered language is a contentious issue with many people. It follows that language needs to keep pace with society and adapt to better reflect its citizens.

Challenges to sexism in language began in the 1960s and 1970s. One of the first examples of this change was the wide acceptance of he and she rather than deferring to the male pronoun. From this we had the introduction of Ms to further support women.

Meanwhile, women were taking to the streets in their thousands demanding equal pay, paid childcare, and rights over their bodies. At the same time, gays, and other activists were asking to be recognised and treated with respect.

Simultaneously, people began to believe that descriptive titles needn’t be gendered. They asked questions such as do we need to gender the job description. Do we need to know if the person performing a role is male or female? If the answer is no, which is invariably is, then get rid of the gender label. Finding a gender-neutral alternative is easy.

Ooh look! It’s a male scientist!

There is a fantastic satirical page on Facebook, Man who has it all, who parodies the ridiculous advice self-help books, and the media, dole out to women. He tackles the prejudice of gendered language head on. In one post there is a photo of a male and female side by side; his t-shirt reads Male scientist whereas hers simply reads – scientist.

Essentially, the point being made illustrates that gendered labels are unnecessary. They help reinforce unhelpful stereotypes around gender roles: we don’t need policewomen, firemen, or postwomen. By gendering jobs, you are implying that the default is a male in that position.

Furthermore, it helps people assume that for someone not of that gender to perform that role is exceptional. This is especially evident when discussing certain career paths such as a male nurse or a female surgeon.

Some people may argue that there are greater challenges in the world to be concerned about but this is an important issue. There are many societies where women are still restricted from entering certain professions. And language whether overtly or not plays a role in societies expectations.

So, when we eradicate unhelpful gender labels, we are helping young people grow up with the expectation that all roles are open to them. That to be a physicist, politician, or CEO is possible however they identify.

We’ve eliminated gendered language – so we’ve won!

Sadly, we are not even close. While gender labels are being removed from English, there are still unhelpful stereotypes and examples of how language can be weaponised. Boys criticised for being sensitive and girls who are leaders labelled bossy are two such examples.

Issues with language and how different genders are spoken to persist. Politicians get asked questions that produce eye rolls on a regular basis. When Jacinda Arden and Finnish prime minister Sana Marin met last year, one male journalist fell short.

With a straight face, he asked two elected leaders of their respective countries if they were ‘meeting because you’re similar in age, and, you know, got a lot of common stuff?’

Arden countered with if he’d ever ask Barack Obama and John Key the same question. Meanwhile, Marin gave the withering reply, ‘We’re meeting because we’re prime ministers.’ The asinine nature of this question highlights that as a female you can lead your country yet still be undermined by someone talking to you as if you’re a teenager having a sleepover.

There are many other examples of how language is gendered or othered. Othering can also be noted by absence, sometimes research is conducted with only cis-gendered white men. Outcomes from this myopic view are still being felt among women and other disenfranchised groups.

When we other groups and only let one voice dominate, is it any wonder that many of us feel abandoned by institutions and locked out of policy. That’s why gendered language matters.

Sensitivity as a proofreader and editor

Part of the role of an editor is to help your clients understand accepted language usage and point out diplomatically when their writing could be amended. It’s fine, we all make mistakes and have our biases which is why checking your own writing can lead to issues as we are often unable to see our own ticks and bad habits.

That’s why hiring a good editor will help you avoid pitfalls and help to ensure readers don’t feel excluded.

As an editor, it is your job to be the widest audience for any discourse and advise your clients accordingly. Showing sensitivity promotes inclusion and that is what all writing should aim for.

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Stop the noise: how writing can calm the mind

Diary and daily planner with important list items written laid open on a black stone background.

How writing can calm the mind

Writing can calm the mind and untangle overlapping thoughts. My brain functions in the same way a noisy party does; there are lots of conversations happening at once. I listen to all of them, and focus on none of them which leaves me overwhelmed and exhausted.

What was I saying?

As you can imagine, this can be tiring for me and everyone else. My husband gets frustrated when I begin talking to him halfway through a story or sentence. Sometimes, I feel hurt when he hasn’t joined in or given me an appropriate response. Then I focus and see the confused look on his face.

I have found the way to quiet and organise my thoughts is to focus and write them down.

A to-do list to help organise mind chaos

To start with, I write a to-do list in my time management book. But my list is what I like to call inclusive. Some items on my list are so insignificant that other people wouldn’t bother to write them down, but I must or I will forget.

My friend Rachel told me about her ta-da! list. This includes all that she has achieved that day. Psychologically, this makes perfect sense. It can help you feel motivated for mundane tasks, and there is satisfaction in striking items from the list.

I have started to include ta-da items on my to-do list, and, I must admit, it is very satisfying.

Hardcopy diaries don’t need to be charged to work

As well as a to-do list, I keep a diary. I admire the many who use diaries on their phones with colour-coded calendars. All the families’ activities are organised and can be accessed within three taps.

However, I like pen and paper. It makes me feel physically calmer and in control when I write things down. I feel it helps me remember more easily. At least, that’s what I tell myself.

My diary is a gorgeous purple perfect-bound book with gold embossed print. It has individual tabs for each month and soothes me with its clear, calm typeface.

My diary is a record of work I have completed, appointments and includes impending deadlines for clients. I’m not a total luddite as I also have a working document on my laptop.

Writing to manage obtrusive thoughts

If I need to focus my mind, I write. Writing down my thoughts and ideas helps me get them out of my head. This is a technique recommended for improving mental health for a long time.

In my previous life as a teacher, I always kept a notebook beside my bed.

When I woke in the night, I reached for my notebook and a scalpel-sharp HB pencil. It’s just not the same writing with a soft point.

Then I’d scribble away like Veronica Sawyer from Heathers in her monocle until the tornado of my mind was lulled into quiet. My heartbeat slowed and I would sink back into my pillows.

On waking, I read through my spider-like scrawl to decipher what had been so urgent that it had interrupted my sleep – again. Often, I was updating records, planning a parent call, or thinking of a child whose issues needed more attention.

Teaching is a wonderful job, but the admin can be overwhelming. Especially when everything you do is classed as urgent. Writing helped relieve the worries in my mind and allowed me to feel calmer.

Writing as a form of meditation

Freewriting is great for capturing fragments of dreams before they slip from your consciousness. That’s why you write first thing in the morning.

This takes longer to get into as a habit and relies on being strict with yourself about getting up in the morning. Apparently, it takes 100 hours of repeating something before it becomes fixed. I’m not there yet, but when I do manage to write in the morning my mind feels clearer.

Occasionally, these fragments can be reviewed and spun into stories.

Journaling

Since I became ill last year, journaling has been part of my recovery. In March, a friend suggested I document all the hospital visits and operations I’d had. This was as a record and a permanent reminder that I’m far more resilient than I thought. Who knows it could become my answer to the misery memoir, but with a lighter touch!

Expressive journaling can be very therapeutic.

At my lowest, I found writing really helped to make sense of what I was going through. I was reading a lot of Marian Keyes at the time, and I’m sure some of my entries are derivative of her confessional style. If you’re going to imitate anyone, Keyes is a good place to start.

Playing with words

And words. Words are everything. I enjoy how some words feel in my mouth when I form them. I love seeing the effect they have on other people. Sometimes, I use them to shock or offend. Often I use them to try to get people to laugh.

It’s a hang-up of being the middle child. Make them laugh, so they’ll hear you. Sometimes it works; other times it doesn’t.

What to eradicate from writing

Like most writers, I could benefit from a good editor. As with many of us, I tend to overwrite.

I’m a fan of True Crime podcasts, and from this I have learnt that killers familiar with their victims tend to overkill. I do this with my writing. Now and then when I’m trying to impress someone or I’m nervous I use a word to convince them I’m clever. What I notice about good writing is how economical it can be.

Good writers understand the point of writing is communication with the reader. If you can be understood without confusion, you’ve succeeded.

Most of my writing is just for me and that’s fine.

Writing can help calm your mind. Try it and see.

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Great books make life better

Four books displayed on a teal table top including Girl A and The Sundown Motel
Girl A, Inch Levels, The Sundown Motel and Educated

Being ill is boring

Being ill is boring, but great books make life better. I hadn’t been feeling great for a while, but I did what many people do when they’re worried about their health: nothing. When I finally went to the doctor, I was despatched to the hospital and operated on.

Eight months later and my life has changed. Well, for the moment at least. I am no longer tearing off to school and shoving food in my mouth like a compulsive gambler filling a slot machine with coins. Instead, I’m at home, and life is much quieter.

General hospital

I’ve had several operations since my first one, but there have been some positive changes from this uncertain time. It feels like a reset; I’ve had to default to factory settings and start some things from a different perspective.

For one thing, I’ve realised that I need to take better care of myself. I ignored the neon signs and massive warnings my body was giving me.

Books heal your mind

While I was incapacitated on the sofa, I was able to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes: reading. My preferred genres are crime fiction and horror. I also love stories set in the domestic sphere which are mostly written by women. Crime and horror have many female authors too: good ones. Often they are not as celebrated as enthusiastically as their male counterparts, but that is a topic for another blog.

Reading to distract from pain

When I was on high doses of medication, I could barely move let alone think. Reading became an essential ritual of self-care. It allowed me to explore worlds and inhabit other lives. Reading helped me imagine a time when I would be well again.

Of the books I read, several stand out. Books that, despite my discomfort, I consumed within two days. One occupied me so much that I read until dawn.

Girl A

In January while floating in codeine-cushioned comfort, I read Girl A in twenty-four hours. As I was physically restricted on the sofa, I read about a family trapped by a father obsessed with his own needs to the detriment of his terrified children. Told in flashback, the story details the survival and brutal aftermath of siblings who escape their abusive home.

All the children are damaged in different ways, and they all develop different coping mechanisms for their trauma. I found it strangely comforting and full of melancholy.

Educated

Educated explores themes of endurance, redemption, and hope. A young girl lives in a state of constant anxiety; her End-of-Days-survivalist father directs his family in a grim drama of trauma, pain, and neglect. Both these books feature abusive fathers who use their physical strength and religious fervor to dominate and control their families. Their thwarted ambitions are paid for by their innocent children.

Girl A is fictitious, but it was inspired by real-life accounts of children held captive by their parents. In contrast, Educated is a memoir that is truly horrific, yet hopeful. I found both these books to be comforting when I was at my worst.

My confinement was temporary whereas these children had spent years living under tyrannical rule. It is easy to fall into self-pity when you are ill, and these two stories helped me get some perspective. I had my loving family who made every effort to comfort, help and support me.

Inch Levels

After Educated, I tackled Inch Levels. The framing device for this novel involves a young man with terminal cancer lying in a hospital bed which resonated with me. Visited by his mother, sister and brother-in-law the past slowly seeps into the present, and the toxicity of poor communication and family secrets is devastating.

A change of direction

By the middle of January, I decided I needed something lighter to divert me. Books that would comfort, intrigue, excite and scare me. I love ghost stories and horror; they both deal with controlled terror. While I was feeling scared of the world, and my own health, these books offered a distraction. They helped me adjust to my new, but hopefully, temporary existence.

The Book Club

The Book Club enveloped me like a warm blanket; I loved the cosy-crime claustrophobia of it. I have always enjoyed living in cities for the anonymity they provide. You can enjoy community without knowing everything about those on your doorstep. Mary Alice Monroe captures the dynamics of a close-knit community and the intricacies of female friendship well.

The Sundown Motel

The Sundown Motel blends two genres I am enthralled by: ghost stories and true crime. Simone St James creates an uneasy atmosphere when she abandons her protagonist, Carly Kirk, to a small town in upstate New York. She works at the reception desk at a rundown motel while trying to uncover what happened to her aunt who disappeared forty years previously.

The tension arises from the isolation and anger of some of the inhabitants of the hotel – not all of whom are alive. If you loved Pyscho and The Shining this evokes the same sense of unease, but the girl in peril is replaced with a fearless woman who won’t stop until she finds the truth. I love how the author discards the tired girl-in-terror trope and instead gives her main character agency.

The Broken Girls

After The Sundown Motel, I read another thriller by Simone St James: The Broken Girls. The story employs a time-shift element that I adore, and this time we switch between the 1950s, the 1980s, and the present day. Fiona, whose older sister was murdered at the site of an abandoned girls’ school, is dismayed to find the site is under renovation.

Who would want to bring this place back to life? Why was the school closed in the 1950s and what really happened to Fiona’s sister? This was intriguing and pacy featuring another strong, complicated woman. There are some male authors who would benefit from reading heroines like Fiona and Carly.

No Matter What

I have some friends who are in the process of growing their family. They loaned me this book to help me better understand the needs their children will have. No Matter What is a searing memoir by an adoptive mother and all the love, pain, uncertainty, turmoil, and contentment this brings for the parents and their children.

Other books I would recommend include, The Sanatorium set in the Swiss Alps which was grim and compelling; The Return: friends reunited in an isolated hotel; The Midnight Library which lived up to all the hype, and Where The Crawdads Sing which made one hospital stay much more bearable.

The Last House on Needless Street

Finally, a best-seller that I could not shake for weeks. I have an interest, some might say an unhealthy one bordering on obsession, in cats. Everything about them fills me with admiration: their utter disdain, grace, and independence among their other mystical associations. So, reading The House on Needless Street felt indulgent.

Here is a paraphrase of the blurb: This story involves murder, abduction, and a man called Ted who lives with his daughter Lauren and his cat Olivia. All of these things are true. And yet some of them are lies. I have not read a book this tightly plotted and deceptive in a very long time. Catriona Ward – you are a master storyteller.

My life has been weird, isolating, consoling, invigorating and unusual over the last year. All I know is, that great books make life better. And to all the lovely people who have been such a support. Thank you.

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Why language matters

Why does the language we use matter?

When Jewel sang, ‘I’m sensitive and I’d like to stay that way‘, I didn’t know this was every editor’s maxim. One of the most exciting aspects of language is how it is in a constant state of flux. This is why language matters.

Slang: proceed with caution

Nothing marks you out as being more desperate than when you use language that is the preserve of the young. As my fourteen-year-old would say, “Cringe!”

Am I offended?

The meaning of words develops and alters over time. What were once playground slurs, can look appallingly crass in hindsight. If I’m being honest, they probably didn’t look that great then either.

As our understanding of ourselves and each other grows, it is important to revise the language we use to refer to one another. Some argue we have become too sensitive, but it is when words are misused that we get into trouble. Most people agree that this is why language matters.

Copy editors

A good copy editor watches for these language bombs and finds a way to defuse them: tactfully.

Being different isn’t a problem; disrespecting difference is problematic

Many groups feel marginalised or misrepresented in society. For hundreds of years, power was in the hands of one dominant group: the wealthy, white, cisgender, male. They dictated everything in society from how women, the LGBTQ+ community, non-white, differently-abled, and the neurodivergent were described for as long as they held power. Some would say little has changed. This is why language matters.

Does it matter how we refer to others?

Well yes, it does. How people are described, feeds into how they are treated and helps shape their identity and sense of self-worth. There is an easy mantra to follow: if in doubt, check it out.

Archetypes are easy to use but lack nuance

This is good to bear in mind when editing anything. Always ask yourself, Who is the audience? How will this piece of copy be received? Words ascribed to people and how they are portrayed, especially in the media, favor archetypes. They act as a shorthand for the reader or viewer. That’s because it is easy to group people with aspects of their identity together in one, homogenous group, but it is lazy. It takes no effort to categorize groups in this way, but the impact felt is negative helping reinforce stereotypes.

We used to chant, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I didn’t believe it as a child, and I don’t believe it now. Words matter – they have the power to hurt and damage.

They’re a bit sensitive

Some in the LGBTQ+ community, have reclaimed the word queer, while others, especially some older members, still recoil at memories of homophobia. There is a word that the black community has reclaimed, but it must only be used by members of that community.

This is just a snapshot of words and their power but the sentiment should remain; it is important to be sensitive when referring to groups that are not part of your lived experience.

Authenticity matters

As Louise Harnby comments in The Editing Podcast with Nick Taylor on LGBTQ+ editing, “It is about authenticity rather than sensitivity; sensitivity can imply negativity and hurt…we’re actually looking for realism.” There are voices that you should ask to check over your copy to avoid clumsy stereotypes and tired cliches.

It is important to get pronouns right, and it is becoming easier with guides appearing online and through reputable organisations, such as the Ciep.

For an informative, lively discussion on sensitivity readers with Crystal Shelley, check out episode 62 of the above-mentioned podcast.

What does this mean for the writer?

The easiest solution is to reach out to someone from the community you are writing about and ask them to read through your copy before you publish. This is easier with a novel than with a newspaper feature that, by its nature, has a short lead time.

If you don’t know anyone, and you are concerned, for example, that referring to someone with ADHD as mentally ill might be offensive: hire a sensitivity/authenticity reader to avoid any obvious pitfalls.

What does this mean for an editor?

For a fiction or non-fiction editor, it would be a query raised with the author. A gentle nudge or suggestion pointing out that what they’ve written could cause offense. Sometimes, to be offensive is the point of the writing from the perspective of a character, but it can be when someone is relying on lazy tropes they get in trouble.

How can editors challenge language?

If we are editing a newsletter, which refers to ancient inhabitants of a home we might pause to consider if this is insulting. One idea is to practise compassion and empathy. What would I think if I saw that in print and I lived in a residential home? How would I feel seeing a parent or grandparent dismissed in those terms? Consider these questions, and then make suggestions to the writer based on them. If you are a sub-editor, you probably have the power to change the words yourself without the need for consultation.

When to leave copy alone

In some circumstances, leaving controversial language in a text makes sense. If it is a psychological or sociological study and you are reporting people’s use of profanity or slurs, then it should be okay. It would be important to make clear that these words could be offensive and are not the author’s words.

If you are reporting spoken words in a newspaper article, or the words of a provocative character in a novel that may be permitted. It is important to consider the context when choosing which words to use. You can also use euphemisms if you are really concerned.

Is that normal?

What if a writer refers to normal behaviour? Which infers anyone deviating from this is abnormal. Would I flinch to see someone whose brain works differently being described as weird, strange, or too much? Could I recognise that this is unhelpful and inaccurate? Some of the most neurodivergent people in the world are also some of the most creative and inspiring.

David Bowie and ADHD

David Bowie once said in an interview that if he’d been at school today, he would be labelled as having ADHD. Let’s face it, he did pretty well out of being different and following many ideas such as painting, acting, producing, and most successfully, performing and songwriting. Not all these activities succeeded, but I admire that he never limited himself and followed divergent passions.

If it’s good enough for a polymath like Bowie, perhaps we should all consider how we refer to those who differ from us and not other them.

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A short story workshop

Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love

We arrived in Bath in plenty of time for the short story workshop. Sun washed through the trees, and an excited buzz filled the air. This was the last day of the Bath Literary Festival, and the first time I had been to an event for six months.

My friend, Jools, bought me a ticket for a short story workshop with the award-winning writer, Huma Qureshi.

Persephone Books

We stepped through the entrance to Persephone Books and climbed the stairs emerging into a bright, white room. A squishy sofa sat in one corner and a stack of books jostled for space on a series of long tables. Excited chatter murmured through the group, and then Huma was introduced. Effortlessly attired in a prairie dress, she settled on the sofa and gave us an easy smile.

Huma Qureshi

A circle of chairs faced one another. Women outnumbered men fifteen to two. The atmosphere was inclusive and curious. Huma began to guide us with the eloquence and candour of a close friend.

The workshop

She put everyone at their ease immediately. In an hour and a half, she covered the most common issues of writing short stories.

Finding your voice

Finding your voice is a problem many emergent writers face. So far, I’ve tried (and failed) to write as Maggie O’ Farrell, Catriona Ward, and Marian Keyes. At university, I attempted a Virginia-Woolf-as-Mrs-Dalloway voice which ended in a reproachful tut from my tutor. Huma clarified finding your voice is about writing honestly. Many of us tend to overwrite and then edit. Another major issue is not being in the writing habit and writing every day.

Writing dialogue

I have a tin ear and cannot write dialogue which is ironic as I cannot stop talking: mine tends to be writerly which is not good. As Huma confirmed, “Speech that sounds like writing isn’t great dialogue.” Her advice? Sit in a cafe and observe strangers. Obviously, not in a creepy-stalkerish way. You need to listen and watch how someone’s words match how they move. Our bodies betray our true emotions even as our words deceive us.

Huma explained how a short story differs from the novel in the way they do not need to follow a narrative but are more like a glimpse through a window. Immediately, my mind was flickering through moments I could try to capture like fragments of a half-remembered dream.

Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love

I bought her collection of short stories: Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love, and I was thrilled with the inscription. The cover teases delicious intimacy. I read the first two stories as soon as I got home. This collection is personal, sensual, and devastating. All the pain of misunderstanding, the thrill of love in all its forms, and the restrictions our families place on us deliver in every word. Huma is an acute observer of the human condition and cares deeply. It shows.

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Everyone has one book in them, or do they?

Person writing with glasses
Someone writing at a table

So, everyone has one book in them, or do they? 2020 provided many with unexpected time on their hands. Those lucky enough to be furloughed found themselves without the worry of loss of income and with time. After endless lockdowns, life has now returned to something resembling the time before Covid, but not quite.

There is a lot of chatter online at the moment about how some people want to become time millionaires. So, some people are swapping a better-paid job for one with less income but more time.

Time to write that novel

Hours people spent commuting have, in some instances, been replaced with working from home. This has led to more time to pursue other interests outside work. One ambition many of us harbour is to write a book. But how realistic is it?

Writing groups and using social media

One way to help people connect with others who share their desire to write is to join a local group. There are many groups if you know where to look. You could start on social media or take the plunge and join a writers workshop or course.

Local arts centres for writing

If you search to find your local arts centre, there may be courses offering short story writing, novel writing, and the exciting world of flash fiction. Joining one of these groups could give you the motivation and discipline you need to get started on writing your novel.

Writing success from a writers group

Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine began life in a local writer’s group. Honeyman was a guest on Open Book a couple of years ago discussing how important her writing group became to the development of her novel.

When you want to write it can be daunting and many of us wonder if we are good enough? Do we have a distinct writer’s voice? Sometimes it can be hard to engage with other people even if they are supportive. If you want some help without meeting up with others there are options.

Free writing resources and inspiration

The National Centre for Writing has lots of free resources including renowned authors sharing their writing process including the excellent Eimer McBride. There’s also Reedsy and many others.

Writing can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Take the plunge – you won’t regret it.

If you enjoyed this blog, then read more at ClearCopyUk

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Why do I need a proofreader?

proofreading and editing a document
Close-up Of A Person's Hand Marking Error With Red Marker On Document

If you write an article, blog, leaflet or memo about an area that you know well, you can give it a quick read through and publish. What could go wrong? Why do I need a proofreader? Proofreaders are the people that exist in the shadows. They are the ones that take a piece of well-written writing and elevate it into something better (that’s what a good editor does but more of that in another blog post).

A proofreader provides the final checks on your copy. Their motto is: consistency and error free, or it should be. They will agonise over a misplaced comma; wrestle over capitalisation; and, frequently, deal with the misuse of words including homophones.

What are homophones?

Homophones are words which are pronounced the same way but spelt differently and have different meanings. Many writers, even good ones, occasionally get tripped up by homophones. Spell checkers and online grammar tools are a great support to any writer, but they often miss homophones and if you don’t want too (see what I did there) miss them, your copy should be checked carefully.

There, their,they’re. Don’t worry

Auditorily, they are identical, but there meaning is completely different.

There is no doubt clear writing matters

There is an adverb used to indicate place and direction, which can be used as a prepositional phrase, or a pronoun. If in doubt, consider how you would use each ‘there’ in a sentence to help avoid confusion or mistakes. Dan is over there next to the linesman.

Their love for one another was found in those small moments of intimacy

Their is a possessive pronoun which means ‘belonging to them’. As I tell my students, their contains the word ‘heir’ to show ownership. Their idea of the perfect holiday was lying on a golden beach drinking margaritas as the kids played in the surf.

They’re two of the best people I know

The final ‘they’re’ is the easiest to conquer as it is a contracted form of two words: they + are. They’re always late, so we should start eating without them.

If you are still asking yourself, Why do I need a proofreader? (I’m asking this question AGAIN for SEO reasons). It is to help you focus on your message, but be reassured that your copy is error free. Proofreaders can ensure you are using language accurately so your writing and message is clear.

For clearer copy visit Clear Copy UK.

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What is the difference between a typeface and a font? Does it matter?

Romie typeface by graphic designer Margot Leveque
Margot Leveque 'Romie' typeface

Until recently, I thought ‘font’ referred to different styles of text I could choose from and ‘typeface’ meant the same.

This is one example of how words matter, and I’m happy to admit: I was wrong.

Typefaces and fonts

A typeface is the collective term for a family of related fonts, such as Calibri. Fonts refer to the weights, widths and styles that constitute a typeface, such as Cailbri light, italic or bold. Most people use the terms typeface and fonts interchangeably, as I did, but they are wrong to do so. In every day usage it does not matter, but in the publishing world the distinction is important.

I have long been fascinated with how I have absorbed publishing language but misunderstood its meaning. This helps me empathise with those who struggle with homophones: words which sound the same but are spelt differently such as there and their.

A writer who appreciates style

A fellow editor and proofreader recommended I read Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski. Aside from being a beautiful coming of age story exploring sexuality, the book contains an unexpected delight.

Just after the acknowledgements page, there are two blank pages before a paragraph describing the typeface used in the novel. Jedrowski lovingly details the origins of Lintoype Sabon, a typeface that, as he recalls, has been used since 1966 and is considered a modern classic. Why does this matter, you may ask?

When writers, editors and proofreaders have spent hours, sometimes years, creating a mood or realising a world for the reader. That world needs to be presented in the most aesthetic way possible. There is so much thought and consideration given to a book’s cove design. I love how Jedrwoski has taken the time to detail how much thought is put into the typeface as well.

He expresses something about the publishing process that few outside the industry spend time considering. It is how all the elements of the publishing process are put together to support the written words.

The very stylish Margot Lévêque and Romie

A recent article for the excellent online culture magazine, It’s Nice That features a profile of the graphic designer, Margot Lévêque. It is heartening to read how this well-known creative began her professional life after abandoning a degree in biology and switching to a marketing course in Paris. Her signature typeface is the wonderful Romie a typeface based on calligraphy that captures the romanticism of the past with a modern edge. I love how Margot discusses the personification of all her typefaces as if they are her friends and she can imagine them all hanging out with one another.

So, in conclusion, typeface matters if you want to be accurate and you are working in any aspect of the publishing industry. As a proofreader and editor, I need to know the difference. As a potential client, it is useful but not essential.