Dear readers,

this month I tell you about what the editing process is like when you work with me. Also, I attended a seminar about AI and copyright. And as always, you can find my reading list in this newsletter!  

If you have any suggestions or feedback in regards to this newsletter, I’m always happy to hear from you! As usual, you can read all previous editions of the newsletter on my website. 

Warm regards,

Teresa Johnson

—
Teresa Johnson, Ph.D. 姜心悦
German (native), English, Chinese

Lektorat Johnson
Services: Editing, Proofreading, Translation
Specialization: Academic Writing, Nonfiction

Tips from your Editor

What is the editing process like?

In my day to day as an editor I often work with a variety of texts and genres. That means, that the approach to editing may differ slightly from one project to another. However, there are certain general commonalities to the editing process.

In general, the work flow is as follows:

1. YOUR INQUIRY. You send me an email with your initial inquiry to info@lektorat-johnson.de and ideally attach your text to your message right away. Being able to take a look at your text helps me provide you with a concrete offer.

2. COMMUNICATION. In an initial short conversation, we discuss expectations and answer open questions about the editing process. If preferred, communication via email is possible.

3. TRIAL EDIT. A trial edit helps you to get to know my way of working. And it helps me to estimate how long it is going to take to me to complete my work. I edit your text and stop the clock after exactly one hour. Afterwards we discuss my feedback for your text.

4. OFFER. Alongside the trial edit feedback, you will receive my offer for editing the entire text. You take your time to decide if you accept the offer and inform me accordingly. If you book my services for the entire text, the fee of the trial edit will be included in the overall offer.

5. PAYMENT. For small projects: Once I receive your payment (or a receipt of payment) I begin the editing work. For large projects: Installment payments can be negotiated for large projects only.

6. EDITING. At the agreed upon due date you will receive the edited text from me. In a final conversation we discuss my feedback for your text.

Every project comes with its own unique needs and challenges, which may require a slightly adjusted work flow. That’s why we will discuss every step of your individual project. This is especially true for discussing the detailed services that are part of the editing process. More about that in another issue of my Side Notes!

Asian Studies

Correct citations are an important part of academic writing. Commonly used in Asian Studies and Chinese Studies in particular is the citation format according to The Chicago Manual of Style, in short: Chicago. For this reason, I would like to show you various examples of how to cite common source types with this citation style.

Citations with the Chicago style: book reviews

In the footnotes:

1. Maura Elizabeth Cunningham, “The Character of Chinese Computing,” review of The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age, by Thomas S. Mullaney, Los Angeles Review of Books, December 01, 2024.

2. Aurelia Campbell, “Growing and Knowing in the Gardens in China,” review of Growing and Knowing in the Gardens in China, edited by Phillip E. Bloom, Nicholas K. Menyzies, and Michelle Bailey, The Journal of Asian Studies 85, no. 1 (2026), 191.

Shortened footnotes (for repeated citations):

3. Cunningham, “The Character of Chinese Computing.”

4. Campbell, “Growing and Knowing in the Gardens in China,” 192.

In the bibliography (sorted alphabetically):

Campbell, Aurelia. “Growing and Knowing in the Gardens in China.” Review of Growing and Knowing in the Gardens in China, edited by Phillip E. Bloom, Nicholas K. Menyzies, and Michelle Bailey. The Journal of Asian Studies 85, no. 1 (2026).

Cunningham, Maura Elizabeth. “The Character of Chinese Computing.” Review of The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age, by Thomas S. Mullaney. Los Angeles Review of Books, December 01, 2024.

*In the bibliography of an academic paper each entry would be visually distinguished from the others by means of a hanging line.*

How not to write…

The following examples are taken from various media that I encounter in my every day life at work and at home, in German and in English. These examples illustrate that there are many texts (and spoken words) out there that could have benefited from professional editing before they were published. I am not trying to expose anyone. Therefore, I only name the general genre or medium, not the person or the exact source who published these examples.

(Unfortunate) real world examples:

• TV (PRIVATE CHANNEL): Das Grosse Oster-Special [orthography]
• DAILY PAPER: Solche Segnungen hatte Ende 2023 mit Einschränkungen der inzwischen verstorbene Papst Franziskus erlaubt. [sentence structure]
• MUSEUM WEBSITE: More Informations [false plural of an uncountable word]

What I’m reading in May:

Upcoming

May 2026

Seminar: AI and Copyright

Technically, this was last month’s event: During the last week of April, I attended a seminar offered by the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft (MFG) Baden-Württemberg. Alongside other professionals of the creative and cultural industries, I learned a lot on the topic of AI and copyright laws. Of course, I will happily share this newly acquired knowledge with all my customers.

Interested in my editing services?

How about a trial edit?

If you would like to get to know my style of working as an editor, a trial edit is the way to go. I will edit your text for exactly one hour. Afterwards, I return the edited text to you and we discuss my feedback for you in a phone or video call.