A Guide to Tricky Citations for Academic Authors & Editors
All academic writers know that they need to properly cite their sources. Whether you’re directly quoting from a text or speech, paraphrasing the thoughts of another scholar, or reprinting an image or table, you need to cite the original author in order to give them credit and provide breadcrumbs for readers to learn more.
While the Chicago Manual of Style’s (CMOS) guidelines for common bibliography and note citations are generally well known by scholarly writers, there are a number of other tricky formats that often confuse academic authors.
In this brief guide, assembled from recommendations by my expert team of citation editors at Flatpage, I’ll introduce you to the hardest types of citations for academics to get right using CMOS and provide you with sample notes so you can get them right next time!
Thank You, Volunteers!
Twenty-five years ago, a small group of freelance editors gathered in a Seattle living room hoping to build a network of colleagues and community for editors in the Pacific Northwest. They—and hundreds of other editors over the years—gave their time and energy to support this group and build it into what we now know as the Northwest Editors Guild. To this day, the Guild relies on volunteers for most of its operations, and you can be a part of that tradition.
April is National Volunteer Month, and we give huge thanks to Guild volunteers past and present who donated a little or a lot of their time, expertise, and effort. The Guild literally would not exist without you!
What is a StetPet? Your Animal Editorial Assistant Questions Answered
Every Wednesday on the Northwest Editors Guild’s social media pages, you’ll find a dog with a goofy grin or a cat conveniently sitting on a keyboard. They aren’t editors, per se, but they are the trusty animal “assistants” to editors from all over the world. Some remind their editors to take a break while others physically impede any actual work getting done by sitting in strategic locations.
They are our StetPets, and we’ve been featuring them consistently since the summer of 2017 on the Guild’s Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages. Virtual fame and ear scratches from the greater editorial community are included.
The #StetPet hashtag has many editor and writer fans, but we often get questions from people who just discovered StetPets. Here are some of the most common StetPet queries answered for you and your animal assistants.
Meet the 2022 Board
Our all-volunteer board of directors changes a little bit every year, with most members serving a two-year term on the board that ends in February. This year we're saying farewell to 2021 board members Jesi Hanley Vega, Laura Whittemore, and Alison Cantrell, and welcoming new board member Megan Christy. MariLou Harveland, Kris Ashley, Sarah Peterson, Laura Shaw, Alicia Ramos, Erica Akiko Howard, and Ivonne Ward continue their service.
Instead of our usual formal biographies, the board this year decided to answer some fun questions as their introductions.
Member Survey Results
It's been an interesting two years since our last Member Survey, hasn't it?
We’re so pleased that almost 200 of you (approximately 50% of the Northwest Editors Guild’s membership) took the time to participate in the 2021 Member Survey, especially amidst the ongoing upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2021 Member Survey asked about many different measures of our professional lives. We've pulled out a few things that we thought were the most interesting takeaways to share.
State of the Guild 2021
If you’re relatively new to the Guild, you are probably unaware that back in the day, prior to the pandemic, the Guild would host an annual potluck in Seattle. In addition to providing an occasion for members to eat yummy food and get to know each other better, the potluck was also the site of the Guild’s Board President’s “State of the Guild” address. This address served as a report-back to the members, but it was also an opportunity to educate members about the current scope, vision, and goals of the Guild as well as the work done by our Board of Directors (here are the 2019 and 2020 addresses). Once the pandemic hit, however, and the Guild’s potlucking days receded into the past, what was once a live “address” migrated to the internet and became a blog post.
So here it is, the State of the Guild, circa 2021, as told by your current President, Jesi Vega.
It Was a Dreary Night of November: The Importance of Setting in Horror Fiction
If you’ve read Dracula or Frankenstein, you’re probably already aware of how important setting is to the Gothic novel. If Dracula had lived in a cottage by the sea, it would have been a much different story. Unlike other stories at the time, Gothic literature was a place where setting played just as much importance as character and usually involved desolate landscapes in wild and mountainous locations, rambling castles, foggy moors, and decaying ruins.
In contemporary horror fiction—the successor of Gothic literature—setting plays an equal role. But where the Gothic’s settings reflect the fear of giving in to social vices and desires, the horror of the modern reader is focused on realities that are closer to home.
Editing While Parenting
Many of us have found ourselves busier than usual over the last couple of years, and the situation for parents has been even busier. Covid-19 brought with it concerns about childcare, lockdown, safety, and remote schooling, as well as changes to the way many of us do our regular jobs. The Northwest Editors Guild Blog Team recently had a chance to chat over Google Docs with five busy editors who are also parents, to find out how they’re making it all fit together.
How to Get the Most Out of the Guild’s Member Directory
As a member of the Guild, of course you want to make sure that your profile on the member directory presents you in the best possible light to potential clients who might find you via our search page, but there’s a lot more to that than just selecting your areas of specialty (and keeping them updated as your career progresses). For example, did you know that clients can leave recommendations on your profile? Read on a few top tips on how to get the most out of the member directory.
Give Back by Volunteering for the EdsGuild
Do you want to help create beneficial opportunities for fellow editors? All it takes is your time and knowledge and signing up for one of the Northwest Editors Guild’s upcoming volunteer options.
The Guild is now in the process of recruiting volunteers for board service (beginning in January 2022) as well as conference planning for the next Red Pencil Conference in Seattle (scheduled for late 2022).