Editing Resources

Whatever you’re writing, whether it’s a term paper or a novel, it’s always helpful to have a few sources to help you edit when you’re done. Even before you get to the more in-depth and detailed editing I mentioned in Beginning Self-Edits, this list of resources can help you answer any difficult questions as you write. So if you’re not sure if you need to italicize book titles or what the difference is between “purposely” and “purposefully,” hopefully this list will show you where to go to find out what you need to know.

1. Ask Someone

I know it seems obvious, but sometimes we forget how helpful the people around us can be. The person you ask may not know the answer to your question, but if they do, that saves you trouble of looking anywhere else. Sometimes, asking someone else is the fastest way to solve a problem. Even if your appointed grammar-buddy doesn’t know the answer to your question, the two of you may be able to solve the problem together.

2. Online Resources

I usually turn to the Internet to answer my questions if no one I know has the answer, simply because it can be time-consuming and difficult to sift through all of the answers online, and I tend to need answers immediately. That’s mostly personal, however; if you’d rather skip asking someone in person, or no one is around to debate the finer points of grammar, the Internet is a great place to start looking for answers.

-Grammar Girl

Mignon Fogarty, the creator of Grammar Girl, has a variety of posts on everything about grammar, from colons to quotation marks. You can find the website here.

-Purdue Owl

If you have questions that are more style guide based (anything having to do with footnotes or italicizing titles), Purdue OWL has guides for popular styles, including MLA and Chicago. If you’re looking for something more in-depth in regards to styles, you may want to visit a library. The Chicago Manual of Style, for instance, covers every question one could possibly have about formatting in Chicago style. Unfortunately, many full style-guides aren’t available online, so if you need something heavy-duty, you’ll need to check one out or buy one.

-Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary

Lastly, I believe every writer needs a good online dictionary. I use Merriam-Webster’s, because I know it’s a well-established dictionary and I trust it, but there are certainly other online dictionaries you could use.

These are my go-to resources for editing at the moment, and I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me. If I find any more, I’ll be sure to update this post. Good luck on all your editing endeavors!

~K