The Editor's Half Hour

AI is transforming the way we edit, write, and create—but where do we draw the ethical line? 

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the ethics of AI in publishing to explore some of the biggest ethical questions editors and writers face in the age of AI. 

Are AI tools a helpful assistant or a threat to creativity? How do we ensure fairness, accuracy, and integrity in AI-assisted editing? 

I interview Amy Frushour Kelly, editor and AI content policy consultant who is an advocate for the ethical use of generative AI in the editing and writing professions by promoting AI ethics, literacy, and editor-specific training in policy development.

She teaches the AI Content Policy for Editors course and is a frequent presenter at conferences on AI ethics for editors and content creators. Amy has 30 years of editing experience in journalism, technical writing, finance, and content marketing.

Amy currently serves on the ACES Board of Directors and is a member of Editorial Freelancers Association (ACES), Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), and Professional Editors Network (PEN).

To learn more about Amy and to gain access to more resources, please visit frushourconsulting.com.

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Consider joining the podcast Patreon: patreon.com/c/editorshalfhour/posts

Visit piquepublishing.com/podcast to view or listen to other episodes.

The following lists other books and resources discussed and shared in this episode:

“Journal editors’ mass resignation marks ‘sad day for paleoanthropology”: https://www.science.org/content/article/journal-editors-mass-resignation-marks-sad-day-paleoanthropology

“Scientific Journal Publishes AI-Generated Rat with Gigantic Penis In Worrying Incident” https://www.vice.com/en/article/scientific-journal-frontiers-publishes-ai-generated-rat-with-gigantic-penis-in-worrying-incident/

Responsible AI by Olivia Gamblin: https://www.amazon.com/Responsible-AI-Implement-Approach-Organization/dp/1398615706/

Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick: https://www.amazon.com/Co-Intelligence-Living-Working-Ethan-Mollick/dp/059371671X/

AI Snake Oil by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor: https://www.amazon.com/Snake-Oil-Artificial-Intelligence-Difference/dp/069124913X

Welcome back to The Editor's Half Hour podcast! We're kicking off the year with an episode designed to help you work smarter, not harder. In this episode, I interview productivity expert and editorial pro, Lori Paximadis for a lively discussion about the systems and shortcuts that can revolutionize your workflow.

Lori has been a successful full-time freelancer for more than half of her 33-year career in publishing. Her background in project management and production makes her a sought-after copyeditor and proofreader for fiction and nonfiction. Her clients range from Big Five publishers to indies. She has been presenting and training on the topics of systems and efficiency since 2016.

In this episode, Lori shares:

🛠️ Her favorite tools and tech for streamlining editorial projects

🕒 Time-saving hacks for managing client communication, deadlines, and revisions

🧠 The mindset shifts that can help you avoid burnout while staying on top of your game

Whether you’re a seasoned editor or just starting out, you’ll walk away with practical tips to implement right away—plus, a peek into Lori’s productivity playbook.

📚 Mentioned in this episode:

Text Expander: textexpander.com

Calendly: calendly.com

Lori's website: systemsandshortcuts.com

Lori’s socials: about.me/loripax

2025 Inaugural Editors Calendar: https://2025-editors-calendar.printify.me/product/15393711/2025-inaugural-editors-calendar

📩 We’d love to hear from you! What are your go-to systems or shortcuts? Share your thoughts and tips on social media using #EditorsHalfHour or drop us a message.

Sign up to receive the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/iXaVBU

Consider joining the podcast Patreon: patreon.com/c/editorshalfhour/posts

Visit piquepublishing.com/podcast to view or listen to other episodes.

In this special episode and season finale, I interviewed Madeleine Vasaly, the author of the newly released book, “The Proofreader’s Guide to Comic Book Style.” This book offers an in-depth catalog of style traditions in comics and explains how they’re different from the standards in other types of media. In this interview, we discuss grammar, style, and the heroic art of editing dialogue balloons.

Madeleine Vasaly is a developmental editor, copyeditor, proofreader, and consultant with over a decade of experience in publishing. Her comics background includes a temporary stint at DC Comics as a full-time proofreader in addition to freelance work for DC, IDW/Top Shelf, Yen Press, Tapas, and other publishers. She has proofread and copyedited series, one-shots, anthologies, graphic novels, and collected editions across all age ratings, and created company-wide style guides for publishers.

Outside her work in comics, Madeleine has edited and proofread hundreds of prose books and countless articles for online newsrooms. She has served on the board of the Professional Editors Network since 2018.

• Book website: https://comicbookstyle.com

• Madeleine’s website: https://madeleinevasaly.com

• "Resources for Comics Editors and Proofreaders" blog post: https://www.madeleinevasaly.com/blog/2024/9/25/resources-for-comics-editors-and-proofreaders

And social media:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleinevasaly

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/madeleinevasaly.com

When you pick up a cookbook, do you ever wonder how it all comes together? From the ingredients to the instructions to the tempting photos, a lot more happens behind the scenes than meets the eye. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the essential yet often-overlooked role of the cookbook editor.

Join us as we chat with seasoned cookbook editor Melissa Haskin, who reveals what it takes to turn a chef’s vision into a polished, reader-friendly masterpiece. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Melissa works on recipes, resumes, and research. Most recently, she edited "The Solo Stove Fire Pit Cookbook." She offers coaching for freelance editors and will be launching her first course, Recipe Editing 101, in March 2025.

In this episode, you'll learn why editing is essential—not just for correcting grammar but for refining recipes, ensuring accuracy, and creating a seamless flow that makes readers feel right at home in their kitchens. Discover the magic of balancing clarity with creativity, making dishes look delicious, and keeping flavors authentic.

Below is a list of resources mentioned in this episode:

The Modern Proper Website: https://themodernproper.com/

The Modern Proper Book: https://themodernproper.com/cookbook

World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org/

Melissa’s website: https://www.melissa-haskin.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissahaskin/

Recipe Class (March 2025): https://www.melissa-haskin.com/courses.html

• Full price: $497 (similar in price to Erin Servais' AI for Editors Course and the Toronto Metropolitan University course)
• Automatic 10% discount for early registration (through February 1)
• Extra $25 off at any time for listeners of your podcast with code Nadia25 (valid for the March 2025 course) 
• Currently slotted to be a 6-week course over Zoom/video call at a set time each week. Will be offered as a self-paced course in the future. 

Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/melissa-haskin

Recipe Editing class through the Toronto Metropolitan University (no affiliation) 

Other Resources:

The Romantasy Cookbook: Epic Recipes Inspired by Great Romantasy Novels and Their Fearless Heroines Hardcover – May 27, 2025by Gabriela Leon (Author)

Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook: All the Best (and Most Surprising) Things People Have Put Between Slices of Bread

Northwest Editors Guild Red Pencil Conferences

Recommended Books:

The Complete Recipe Writing Guide: Mastering Recipe Development, Writing, Testing, Nutrition Analysis and Food Styling, Raeanne Sarazen, MA, RDN, FAND

The Recipe Writer's Handbook, Revised and Updated Paperback – March 30, 2001, by Barbara Gibbs Ostmann (Author), Jane L. Baker (Author)

The Food Lover's Companion 5th Edition/The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion 2nd Edition 

In this insightful episode, we dive into the nuanced world of editing for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writers. It’s one thing to edit for grammar and flow, but how do editors balance maintaining a writer’s authentic voice while adapting the language for clarity and readability in English? This episode unpacks what it takes to work effectively with EFL writers, touching on topics like cultural sensitivity, linguistic diversity, and the unique challenges editors face when working with non-native English speakers.

Whether you're an editor, writer, or just curious about the intricacies of language, this episode sheds light on how editors approach the delicate yet crucial task of working with EFL authors. Tune in for expert tips and fascinating stories from Mekiya Outini—an award-winning author and editor with over ten years of experience providing editorial services to EFL writers, authors of literary fiction and creative nonfiction, and international students and scholars. He holds an MFA in fiction from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, where he met his wife and collaborator, Itto Outini. Together, the Outinis have garnered support from the MacDowell Foundation and the Steinbeck Fellowship Program at San Jose State University and co-founded The DateKeepers, a full-service author support platform dedicated to serving artists and creators around the globe.

Website: https://www.thedatekeepers.com

Mekiya’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mekiya-o-1157b9184/

The DateKeepers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-datekeepers-–-a-hub-for-writers-and-creators-372831275/

The DateKeepers LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/names-dates-7147355807444049920/

Isabella Furth shares her insight about emotional labor and how it affects the editing process. Emotional Labor is defined as caring work or relationship work; it’s about managing emotional resources, but it can often become devalued or taken for granted.

Isabella explains the importance of recognizing emotional labor because it isn't something that should be avoided or ignored. As editors, we must find the moments in our work where we are taking the extra steps necessary to make our clients feel comfortable and safe.

In this episode, Isabella shares tips on how to factor emotional labor into your costs, and most importantly, how to recognize and manage it.

For more information about emotional labor, read the blog that covers this topic at www.sdpen.com. Search for "Editing and Emotional Labor."

Isabella's vast editorial experience includes journal articles, scholarly books, doctoral theses, biographies, textbooks, test prep materials, and general interest non-fiction. She also has more than 12 years of experience in policy research, writing, design, and structured dialogue. She is a member of the American Copy Editors Society (ACES), the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA), and the San Diego Professional Editors Network (which she served as co-president from 2018 to 2020).

To learn more about Isabella, please visit her website at http://www.bluefisheditorial.com.

For about 20 years, the University of Chicago Press has been looking to publish a book about book design, and it has finally happened. In 2024, The Design of Books, written by Debbie Berne was officially published and it shares everything that authors, editors, and agents should know about book design. Debbie has been a professional book designer since 2002 and has designed hundreds of book interiors and covers in genres across the board.

In this episode, Debbie walks us through the basics of book design. She explains how the design process differs from the freelancer’s perspective to an in-house designer at a major publishing house. She also talks about timing and conversations with authors. When should the conversation about a book’s interior begin, and how involved should the author be throughout the design process? According to Debbie, it depends. Listen to this episode to gain valuable insight into what goes on behind the scenes of creating good book design.

Since the recording of this episode, Debbie Berne passed away in 2025. Please read this wonderfully written article about her: https://oaklandside.org/2026/01/15/obituary-debbie-berne-oakland/

Rebecca Scharpf of Scrollwork Edits provides an abundance of information about what it takes to work with neurodivergent clients. She primarily works with fiction writers and specializes in editing fantasy, sci-fi, and romance novels.

In this episode, she shares a variety of ways editors can create positive and affirming spaces for neurodivergent writers.

Rebecca shares several resources for both writers and editors:

Yo Samdy Sam (autistic and ADHD): https://www.youtube.com/@YoSamdySam/videos

Orion Kelly - That Autistic Guy (autism as it presents in men): https://www.youtube.com/@orionkelly

Purple Ella (nonbinary, autistic, and ADHD, parent to a neurodivergent child): https://www.youtube.com/@PurpleElla

How to ADHD (ADHD in women): https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoADHD

I am MindBlind (autistic / ADHD / mother / aphantasia / memory disorder): https://www.youtube.com/@HowtoADHD

Also, check out Meg McIntyre’s blog that shares additional tools and resources for both writers and editors: https://mcintyreeditorial.com/blog/tools-resources-neurodivergent-writer-editor

To learn more about Rebecca and her business, please visit: https://www.scrollworkedits.com/

Award-winning editor, Karen Yin joins us to discuss her latest book, The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers (Little, Brown Spark). She provides insight and guidance on how to be more equitable in the way we communicate.

Karen explains that this is not a book of dos and don'ts. In fact, it's the opposite of that! This book is a cornerstone guide that teaches us to be more aware and to use critical thinking as language continually evolves.

She has also written several stories for children, including Whole Whale (Barefoot Books), So Not Ghoul (Page Street Kids), Doug the Pug and the Kindness Crew (Scholastic), Nice to Eat You (Scholastic), and “My Kinda Sorta Badass Move” (Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities, Inkyard). Acclaim for her writing includes a 2021 California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, a 2020 SCBWI/Smithsonian Nonfiction Grant, selection of her flash fiction by the Los Angeles Public Library for its permanent collection in 2020, and a 2015 Lambda Literary Fellowship.

Karen was also the winner of the 2017 ACES Robinson Prize (Editor of the Year). She founded several acclaimed digital resources, including Conscious Style Guide, The Conscious Language Newsletter, and the Editors of Color Database. Conscious Style Guide was named by Poynter as one of the top tools for journalists in 2018 and is recommended by Poets & Writers, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and countless others, including NASA. The Editors of Color Database was one of Writer’s Digest’s Best Websites for Writers in 2023. Karen serves on the advisory board of The Chicago Manual of Style.

Find her online at KarenYin.com and her book recommendations at DiversePictureBooks.com.

There are several things that CaTyra Polland is known for, but the most notable is being the founder of National Black Authors Day, which is celebrated on May 4. In this episode, she shares valuable insight into how she started her editorial career, which led her to start her own business, Love For Words (love4words.com). She explains her mentality behind starting this national holiday and what it means for Black authors.

CaTyra spends her time serving her clients as a guide and mentor for the publishing process—especially in writing and editing. She is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, editor, creator, poet, and international speaker. After being recognized for her ambition, community service, and literary expertise in the Rochester area, CaTyra continues to build a legacy.

She also shares details about why she created the Literacy Love Scholarship for high school students, which is a way to empower young kids to write, edit, and pursue their dreams.

Last but not least, she is also the host of the Editor Knows Best, which is an international podcast for literary creatives. In between running her business and speaking at conferences, she also volunteers her time as the grant reviewer for the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts, chairwoman for the Innova Girls Academy (the first and only all-girls elementary school), and as a grant writer for the Rochester Black Authors Association.