The Top Editing Resources I Use as a Fiction Copyeditor

​Here are some of the editing tools and resources I use every day to help my clients publish high-quality books. Of course I use Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and Adobe Acrobat for proofreading PDFs, but that’s just the beginning. 
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1. PerfectIt

PerfectIt is proofreading software that acts as a consistency checker add-on within Microsoft Word. You pay a yearly subscription and download it from the parent company Intelligent Editing. In the Word ribbon, you’ll find a new tab labelled “PerfectIt,” where you can run the software to check against any style sheets and preferences. I mainly use the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) and the Conscious Language style guide.

Since I also have a subscription to the digital version of the Chicago Manual of Style. PerfectIt checks the main CMOS rules and style preferences. It even has a handy pop-up that tells where in the guide you can read more about any given rule. Digital access is priceless because of its search and bookmarking functionality.
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How I Use PerfectIt
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I run it at the beginning and end of my book editing projects. After I do a basic clean-up of the manuscript (find and replace for extra spaces, extra punctuation, formatting stuff), I run PerfectIt. It allows me to see recurring problems and style decisions and words I need to add to my style sheet.


I also run in at the end of the editing process to catch any remaining inconsistencies and errors. I love how it catches sneaky things like brackets and quotes left open, abbreviations defined two ways, and inconsistent capitalization of words.


This tool helps catch so many surface issues so that I can spend more time on the substantial tweaks and suggestions that will further elevate and refine my clients’ stories. It’s a great tool for every editor’s toolbox. I don’t know how I lived without it, honestly…

 2. Macros

A macro is a tiny program that you can write or tweak that does repetitive tasks at the click of a button or keyboard shortcut. The great thing about macros is they don’t get tired or distracted, and they can do repetitive tasks fast. Here’s my recommendation on where to start with macros:

• Paul Beverley, the king of macros, freely shares a huge suite of macros on his website
• Tech Tools for Writers – 20-Minute Macro Course
• Search the Editorial Freelancers Association (paid subscription) for some good webinars on macros

​The best way to approach incorporating macros is to think about which tasks you do repeatedly and how much time you’d save if you automated them. 

The two most useful macros to start with for most editors are MerriamFetch and GoogleFetch. These macros look up the highlighted word in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary or google a word. I have them set up to keyboard shortcuts so whenever I need to fact-check or look up a word it’s done instantly and opens in a new tap on my second monitor. No more toggling back and forth between windows.

Another more powerful macro from Paul Beverley is ProperNounAlyse. It scans the whole manuscript and creates a separate document with all the proper nouns, in alphabetical order, and highlights any potential errors. For example, Erika Steeves vs. Erika Steves, Brandon vs. Brandan—which is helpful in finding those character-name inconsistencies over a long document. Overall, it’s a fantastic consistency aid.

Macros are powerful, so remember to start slowly and with a few macros at a time.

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3. Style Guides and Online Dictionaries

Style guides are different from style sheets. A style guide, like CMOS, APA, MLA, etc., is the guidance around how to treat capitalization, punctuation, abbreviations, and endless other important style decisions that keep books up to professional standards. For fiction, the style guide of choice is the Chicago Manual of Style. 

A style sheet is like a mini guide for each individual editing project, where the editor documents style preferences for general spelling, punctuation, typography, capitalization, and even details about characters, places, and timeline—all in an effort to maintain consistency and spot errors. It’s especially useful when you’re trying to remember whether a character has short brown hair and blue eyes. And weren’t they left-handed? It’s easy for those details to shift across a whole book. We copyeditors are diligent and meticulous creatures, and style sheets help us manage all the details that keep the manuscript internally consistent.

CMOS is the gold standard for fiction editing. They have an online version, a great blog, and monthly Q&As. I recently learned they have practice quizzes, which are fun.

Here are some other style guides that are incredibly useful. 

• ​​Conscious Style Guide
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  This essential guide to conscious language helps writers and editors think critically about how they use language. The style guide covers terminology for various communities, offers links to key articles debating usage, and overall helps keep me informed and up-to-date on all facets of conscious language, including topics on gender and sexuality, ethnicity and race, disability, plain language, and more.
  
  You can even download a Conscious Language PerfectIt style sheet here. Just import it into PerfectIt and it’ll flag so many conscious language issues. It’s amazing!
  
  
  
• Conscious Language Toolkit
  
  Another great resource I can’t recommend enough is the Conscious Language Toolkit for Editors, created by Crystal from Rabbit with a Red Pen. It’s an incredibly useful resource and I highly recommend it.
  
  

​Dictionaries And Usage Resources
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• Merriam-Webster
  
  ​For U.S. spelling, I have the Merriam-Webster website on-call via a macro that instantly looks up any word I highlight. 

 

• OneLook
  
  This online dictionary pulls definitions from a variety of dictionaries! Top-notch resource for anyone writing or editing.

 

• Google NGram Viewer
  
  I frequently use this tool to see prevalent usage out of a variety of options. Things like whether a term is most commonly hyphenated, closed, or open.

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4. Productivity Tools for Editors

I’m WFH for life! Over the years, it’s been important for me to learn how to actually get down to work instead of doing what everyone pictures us freelancers doing, aka staying in our PJs all day, doing laundry, watching TV, and avoiding work. 

Not going to lie—it took me a while to appreciate how useful it is to have regular routines, “work” clothes, and a separate “office” space to go to, even though my commute is less than 30 seconds long. Plus, a regular time in my day to go to the gym (which is also my living room) and head outside for a walk. 

These tools have helped me manage my time, projects, and information so that I’m not constantly anxious and running around doing 20 different things without completing any of them. They’re the meta tools that help me run my editorial business.

• Google Calendar
  
  Everyone needs a calendar! Mine is digital because I like the reminders, but I also blend it with a physical bullet journal. I have several calendars: one for my business, one for House of Zolo meetings, and several shared calendars that I can switch between to see what’s happening in various online communities I’m part of. It’s also easy to invite people to calls and have the Zoom link available in the invite, which is great for networking and coworking.

 

• Google Tasks
  
  I’ve tried so many task managers over the years: Todoist, Marvin, Evernote, Trello, Asana, anything that would help me implement David Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology, or some other system that would seduce me for a time. After a while, I would abandon these systems and let them self-implode under the weight of me not daring to open the app…
  
  What’s working for me these days is something much simpler. Enter Google Tasks, built right into Gmail. It’s just a collection of lists with tasks. But the most useful part for me is how you can drag emails into these lists! No more retyping tasks from emails or having to search your email for some attachment later. You can just drag the email message itself into a list and it’ll be there waiting for you! 
  
  I use this for all my admin backlog like business expenses, correspondence with clients, and other emails I want to do something with but not right now. ​

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Hot tip: I recently learned from a coworking buddy that you can snooze SENT messages. I knew about the power of snoozing and schedule-sending messages in Gmail, but I had no clue you could snooze sent emails to appear at the top of your inbox on a specific date and time. I’m now using this to help me follow up with people in my ongoing networking efforts. I just need to wait for the messages to resurface care of my Past-Self and follow up with people. It’s genius.

In combination with the Snooze function and being able to set reminders within the tasks, these simple lists are keeping me on track. It’s seamless in its simplicity.

• Momentum App – Productive Flourishing
  
  Google Tasks is great for discrete lists of tasks and reminders, but what about an actual planner that will help you break down projects, decide what to do when, and see things at different timescales (yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily)? 
  
  ​The Momentum app grew out of a physical planner (and printable PDF sheets) developed by Productive Flourishing. I’m a big fan and used their planner PDF pages until they built this paid app. I love planning out my editing projects, including the daily quotas I need to hit to complete my projects on time. It helps me feel in control of my time. I know what I’m doing and what’s coming up next. I’ve leveled up so much from following their blog and being involved in the Productive Flourishing Academy.

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You can still download free daily, weekly, and monthly planner pages from their website; it’s so valuable to write down and prioritize your projects.

• Roam Research –Notetaking App
  
  Of course since I’m into productivity it’s inevitable that I would eventually stumble into the world of “personal knowledge management.” I recently read Tiago Forte’s really great book Building a Second Brain, which inspired me anew to find a notetaking app that would work for me. Check out his video on how to decide what type of notetaker you are (I’m a Gardner!). 
  
  As an editor, I consume a lot of information and like to keep up-to-date with professional development. I take my notes in here and link up to any additional worksheets and documents in Google Drive.
  
  Roam Research feels really good for me, mainly because it’s like a digital bullet journal that I can search and use bidirectional linking (like a giant interconnected brain for all my related notes). I also love interstitial journaling—a blend of notetaking, time tracking, and daily tasks in one workflow—which Roam allows you to do really easily. This video on interstitial journaling from Ness Labs, one of my favourite blogs on mindful productivity, blew my mind and gave me words for how my brain already works.

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P.S. Obsidian is a free app that does similar things (but not as high-powered). Worth checking out if you’re a nerd for this stuff.

• Calendly – to book appointments with clients
  
  I typically send calendar invites to people via Google Calendar. But for having people book consult calls and for my clients to book their post-edit Zoom chats with me, Calendly has been great. It makes it so easy when people can just book in a time that works based on my calendar availability. Cuts down on so much back and forth!

• Pomofocus – free online timer app
  
  I was introduced to this amazing free tool by the Freelance Editors Club. We do weekly coworking on Zoom, and Tara uses this timer on her screen to help us focus. ‘Pomo’ comes from the Pomodoro time-management method where you work in focused batches of 25 minutes (or any length of time) followed by a break. The breaks are key. As an editor my job is very sedentary and solitary, so being involved in online communities is so good for feeling more connected and accountable to my goals. 
  
  Even beyond these coworking sessions, I’ve started using the Pomofocus timer for myself and other freelancer friends who want to cowork. As a lifelong learner who likes structure and habit, it’s the best feeling knowing I’ve built my business to feel like I’m always following my interests, learning new skills, and connecting with writers dreaming up incredible stories. ​

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I also really love Toggl for keeping track of time based on clients and projects.

Which Tools Do You Love?

Editing is a complex and multifaceted process that requires a range of skills, tools, and resources. Whether I’m working on a science fiction series, a short story, or a blog post, these tools in my editing and business toolkit help me every day.

Have you bookmarked any of these? Which resources do you use every day? I always love learning about new tools, so let me know in the comments!
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Hi! I'm Erika.
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​​I’m a copyeditor who helps speculative fiction authors publish the best version of their books. I’m a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and ACES.

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