Content, clearly.
As a plain-English editor, I spend a lot of time converting dense ‘bureaucratese’ into language that is clear, accurate and matched to the audience. One of the main tools in this trade is simple language: using short words in place of longer words and phrases.
So I was interested when my son recently came home from school with a list of words and their replacements.
Have you ever gone house hunting and noticed the effort that goes into styling the properties on the market? A splash of colour spills across a bed of plumped-up pillows. A well-designed artwork calls from a freshly painted wall. A recognisable wine bottle and 2 glasses rest on an outdoor tray. Not an object seems out of place.
Although there are many guides to writing, copyediting and proofreading, structural editing (or ‘edit1’) is harder to define and explain. At its heart, it is about the audience. The aim of an edit1 is to make sure the audience can quickly and easily grasp the information you are presenting; a logical, intuitive structure helps you to achieve that.
The Australian manual of style (AMOS) is for anyone who writes, edits or presents information.
Developed in collaboration between Biotext and Macquarie University, AMOS provides practical and expert guidance to help you write, edit and present.
