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Tag: Comics

Pro bono

Two-frame cartoon. Panel 1: A grad student holds a manuscript and says to Bespectacled editor, "I need to get my dissertation proofread, but I don't have the budget to pay a professional." Panel 2: Bespectacled editor says, "Are you married to a Democrat who'll eventually be president? 'Cause internet random will proof it for free in just a few decades!&quit;(I know, I know. This cartoon is so December 2020. Turns out I’m still annoyed about this!)

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Author Iva CheungPosted on February 1, 2021January 30, 2021Format ImageCategories Editing, ProofreadingTags ComicsLeave a comment on Pro bono

Pandemic brain

Eight-frame cartoon. Frame 1: Bespectacled editor holds up a book with “2020” in the title and says, “Are you reading a book edited in 2020?” Frame 2: A close-up of the book shows the title reading, “2020 Anus Horribilis” and the caption says, “Do you notice more typos than you’d expect?” Frame 3: A confused reader is reading the book. The caption says, “Is the text less coherent and concise than it could be?” Frame 4: Bespectacled editor is hold her head, stressed. The caption says, “Like everyone else, editors suffered chronic stress from the pandemic and other crises.” Frame 5: We see the editor’s brain with stress arrows impinging on it. The caption says, “Chronic stress impairs attention and working memory, which are critical for eating well.” Frame 6: The editor is working at her desk. The caption says, “Some editing tasks we could do automatically, thanks to years of professional practice. Frame 7: The editor takes off her glasses and buries her head in her hand. The caption reads, “But no editing project can be done without cognitive effort, and, in 2020, our brains weren’t at their best.” Frame 8: Bespectacled editor has her hands together and says, “We hope you’ll be understanding and forgiving. Thanks for your patience.”Not an excuse—but maybe an explanation?

I’ve proofread this cartoon several times, but I’m sure there’s a glaringly obvious typo somewhere and I just can’t see it.

In all seriousness, I’d like to send my thoughts to anyone who’s had to endure loss of this year. I fervently hope 2021 will be better for everyone.

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Author Iva CheungPosted on January 1, 2021December 31, 2020Format ImageCategories EditingTags Comics6 Comments on Pandemic brain

Sage advice

Four-frame cartoon. Frame 1: Bespectacled editor approaches a hermit sage on a mountaintop. She says, "I have travelled a long distance to seek your advice!" The sage says, "Bethesda, Maryland." Frame 2: Bespectacled editor says, "Uh... I'm sorry?" The sage says, "Reference 62 in your manuscript. Publisher's location: Bethesda, Maryland." Frame 3: The editor stares ahead, bewildered. Frame 4: The editor says, "But I..." The sage says, "You're WELCOME."

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Author Iva CheungPosted on December 1, 2020November 21, 2020Format ImageCategories EditingTags ComicsLeave a comment on Sage advice

Paywall

Six-frame cartoon. Frame 1: Bespectacled editor peers around a wall of a fortified building and sees guards with medieval Roman helmets and spears. Frame 2: She throws a grappling hook up to a ledge of the building. Frame 3: She hugs the wall of the building along a high ledge toward a window. Frame 4: She peers into the window, labelled, "Google Books." Frame 5: The window slams shut, with the words "No preview available for this page." The impact knocks Bespectacled editor off the ledge. Frame 6: She is on the ground, surrounded by the medieval Roman guards, who are now pointing their spears at her. She says, "I'm just trying to confirm a quote!"

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Author Iva CheungPosted on November 1, 2020November 1, 2020Format ImageCategories EditingTags Comics, Fact checking1 Comment on Paywall

Misconceptions

Six-frame cartoon. Frame 1 shows bespectacled editor at a café, wearing a T-shirt that says, "Plain language, please!" Frame 2: A man comes up to her and says, "Right on! I love it when people use plain language. Tellin' it like it is, y'know?" Frame 3: He continues, "Not worrying about that woke PC bullshit just 'cause you might hurt a few feelings." Frame 4: He continues, "Saying exactly what's on your mind, no filter!" Frame 5: Bespectacled editor stares back at him. Frame 6: She says, "Plain language doesn't mean "asshole," dude.

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Author Iva CheungPosted on October 1, 2020May 26, 2021Format ImageCategories Editing, Plain languageTags Comics2 Comments on Misconceptions

Empathy

Three-frame cartoon. Frame 1: Bespectacled editor is at a table, taping a box. Curly-haired editor says, "Sending a parcel?" Bespectacled editor says, "Yep. Chocolates!" Frame 2: Curly-haired editor says, "Are they for your author?" Bespectacled editor replies, "For the editor of my author's previous book." Curly-haired editor says, "Oh!" Frame 3: Curly-haired editor understands the implication and says, "OH." Bespectacled editor says, "Yeah…" as she writes the address on the box.

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Author Iva CheungPosted on September 1, 2020August 30, 2020Format ImageCategories Editing, FreelancingTags Comics1 Comment on Empathy

Aims and scope

Eight-frame cartoon. Frame 1: Several people sit around a boardroom table. The person at the head of the table, presumably the editor-in-chief, says, "What should we do to set our journal apart?" Frame 2: One person raises their hand and says, "Commit to publishing only the highest-quality scholarship?" Editor-in-chief says, "Too generic. All journals are going to make that claim." Frame 3: Someone else says, "Offer expedited peer review?" Editor-in-chief says, "We don’t want to come off as predatory." Frame 3: Someone else says, "Give authors marketing support to more widely disseminate their findings?" Editor-in-chief says, "Let’s be realistic. We don’t have that kind of capacity!" Frame 5: Someone says, "Make up our own unique citation style?" Frame 6: Editor-in-chief is silent but reaches for his glasses. Frame 7: He takes his glasses off pensively, then says, "Goddamn BRILLIANT." Frame 8: He says, "Nakamura, make sure it has as much idiosyncratic punctuation as possible! McNally, allocate 40% of the copyediting budget to enforcing it!"

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Author Iva CheungPosted on August 1, 2020Format ImageCategories Academic publishing, EditingTags Citation, Comics, Style1 Comment on Aims and scope

Resignation

Eight-frame cartoon. The word "BICEP," presumably in stone, appears at the plateau of an incline. For the first six frames, bespectacled editor repeatedly pushes up an S to make it read "BICEPS," but each time the S falls down, sending the editor tumbling down. Frame 7: she lies face down at the bottom of the incline, next to a crooked stone S. Final frame, she gets up and walks away, saying "Enhhhh…screw it."

Here’s a not-safe-for-pearl-clutchers version that’s truer to what I would say.

What technically correct spelling or grammar rule have you given up on enforcing? Did you go through a period of mourning when you finally let it go?

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Author Iva CheungPosted on July 1, 2020June 29, 2020Format ImageCategories EditingTags Comics4 Comments on Resignation

Catch

Four-frame cartoon. Frame 1: Two editors sit at their desks in their office. They hear a voice yell "HAHA! YESSSSSS!!!" Frames 2 and 3: Bespectacled and curly-haired editors watch a third editor walk across the room with a blue marker in his hand. Frame 4: That editor ads to the board labelled "Bawdy count," which has a list of risqué typos caught, including "pubic," "asses," "tit," and "shit." The editor has added "genital" (which should have been "genial.") Curly-haired editor says, "Oooooh…." Bespectacled editor says, "Nice!"

Thanks to James Harbeck for the punny board title.

What are your favourite risqué typos that almost got through? #SpellcheckWillNotSaveYou

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Author Iva CheungPosted on June 1, 2020May 31, 2020Format ImageCategories Editing, Editors, ProofreadingTags Comics10 Comments on Catch

Dupes

Eight-panel cartoon. Panel 1: Bespectacled editor is at her desk, surrounded by manuscripts. She clutches her head, completely stressed out. Panel 2: She gets an idea and gets up from her desk. Panel 3: You see her drawing her own blood. Panel 4: She pipettes drops of her blood into a big machine labelled "Cloning tank." Panel 5: Clones of bespectacled editor grow in the cloning tank. Panel 6: Bespectacled editor gives her clones, still dripping wet from the cloning tank, manuscripts to work on. Panel 7: One clone is on the couch, messing around on her phone. The other clone is playing a video game. Bespectacled editor says, "WHAT THE HELL??? Why aren't you working? We've got deadlines!" Panel 8: One clone says, "I'm not at your beck and call, you know. I have AGENCY." The other clone says, "I need a snack."

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Author Iva CheungPosted on May 1, 2020Format ImageCategories FreelancingTags Comics2 Comments on Dupes

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