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"'The Frugal Editor: Do-It-Yourself Editing Secrets for Authors' is a complete course of instruction under one cover." ~ Jim Cox Editor-in-Chief Midwest Book Review


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

To Serial Comma or Not to Serial Comma

This tip is from my Sharing with Writers newsletter. If subscribers or visitors to The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor blog would like to subscribe, just send me an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line at HoJoNews@aol.com.  I'll do the work for you.  (-:

Editing Tip: This is a punctuation concept I sometimes have trouble explaining to my clients. I tell them one thing, then they see it used by a perfectly respectable publication some other way. I call it a style choice, but generally it’s not a choice when you publish books. Wondering what it is? It’s called the serial comma. The Chicago Tribune clarifies for us! http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-07-18/news/ct-perspec-0717-things-20110714_1_rudimentary-punctuation-semicolon-punctuation-marks  


----- Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults. and speaks on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (How To Do It Frugally series of book for writers). Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/writers_books.htm , where writers will find lists and other helps including Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on all things publishing (not just editing!) at her Sharing with Writers blog. She tweets writers' resources at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo . Please tweet this post to your followers. We all need a little help with editing. (-:

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