The hottest Editing Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Literature Topics

Catechism

Castalia • 119 implied HN points • 19 Aug 22
🎭️ Culture Editing
  1. Sometimes, stories that seem fascinating can feel boring in real life. The excitement gets lost during retelling.
  2. The editing process is really important in filmmaking. Editors can completely change how a story is perceived.
  3. People in the industry often have their own struggles and past experiences that influence their work and attitudes.

Office Hours

Story Club with George Saunders • 116 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
📚 Literature Editing
  1. The editor plays a crucial role in shaping and refining writing pieces.
  2. Writing for online platforms requires a different style and pace to keep the reader engaged.
  3. Editing involves identifying the essence of the draft and enhancing it for a more impactful result.

How to Write a Book

The Analog Family • 39 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Writing a book requires a clear proposal that outlines your ideas and structure. It helps you think deeply about what you want to say and who will read it.
  2. Research is crucial and can be organized effectively using physical notes like index cards to help you remember important information.
  3. The writing and editing processes are intense but rewarding. It can feel like a long journey, but it's an opportunity to share something you love with the world.

Five ways I sharpen my writing

A Bit Gamey • 47 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Always know your purpose when writing. It helps you stay focused and get your message across clearly.
  2. Use a friendly and personal tone in your writing. It makes people connect with you and enjoy what you share.
  3. Keep your writing concise by using strong verbs and cutting out unnecessary words. This makes your points clearer and more powerful.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Writing Hack: Retyping a Draft from Scratch

psychotechnology • 13 implied HN points • 04 Jul 25
📚 Literature Editing
  1. When a draft feels rough or disconnected, try retyping it from scratch while looking at the original. This helps improve flow and makes the writing feel more alive.
  2. It’s important to retype even good sentences instead of copy-pasting. This approach helps you reconnect with the text's rhythm and find fresh insights.
  3. If a draft doesn't excite you, it might be better to abandon it. Not every piece needs to be salvaged, and it's okay to move on when something doesn’t resonate.

American Made: Or, What I'm working On

Notes from a Small Press • 8 implied HN points • 12 Aug 25
📚 Literature Editing
  1. AI is becoming a big topic in the publishing world, and it's important to understand its impact on writing and authorship.
  2. Many people have different opinions about how AI should be used in publishing, making it a complicated issue.
  3. Staying informed and discussing these issues can help authors navigate the changing landscape of publishing.

Office Hours

Story Club with George Saunders • 74 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Editing is a complex process that involves both line editing and structural editing.
  2. Metaphors play a significant role in writing but should not be mistaken for the actual process of revising.
  3. Approach editing with the right spirit, aiming for a balance between being too harsh and too lax to bring out your best work.

Stealth Editing a Culture

American Dreaming • 138 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Editing
  1. Literature is being sensitivity edited to conform to political correctness, even posthumously, which is seen as cultural whitewashing.
  2. Sensitivity editing of literary works without author consent or after their death is considered morally wrong and limits cultural history.
  3. Normalizing sensitivity editing in literature sets a troubling precedent for other mediums like film and music, potentially rewriting past art to suit current sensitivities.

Finishing a book

Kyle Chayka Industries • 99 implied HN points • 19 Mar 23
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Working on big projects can make you feel deeply involved but also detached at the same time.
  2. Consistency and persistence are key in tackling huge projects - small efforts daily can lead to significant progress.
  3. Every big project carries within it a personal narrative reflecting your experiences and influences.

How to take a perfect dating photo

First principles trivia • 4 HN points • 10 Feb 24
🪞 Fashion & Beauty Editing
  1. Taking a perfect dating photo involves addressing technical aspects like focus, exposure, resolution, focal lengths, bokeh, color rendition, and lighting.
  2. Using Photofeeler to get feedback on your photos is crucial in determining which ones are truly attractive, smart, and trustworthy.
  3. Iterative posing and experimenting with different expressions, body orientations, and angles can help you find the most appealing combination for your dating photo.

Turnaround #2

Turnaround • 98 implied HN points • 29 Jul 19
🎨 Art & Illustration Editing
  1. Good storytelling helps you stand out and get noticed, conveying facts more effectively than presentations.
  2. A good story typically includes a central character, conflict, message, plot, and a journey.
  3. Timing matters in sharing your story - consider waiting until product-market fit or a launch to engage with media.

How I Write

Rough Diamonds • 23 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
📚 Literature Editing
  1. The author's writing process involves minimal editing and a lot of continuous writing from years of experience.
  2. The author emphasizes the importance of clear, concise writing using strong, plain language.
  3. In addition to focusing on logic in writing, the author also highlights the importance of evoking the right emotions and associations in the reader.

Three self editing tips

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Give your writing some time before editing. Letting it sit for a day helps you see it with fresh eyes and improve it better.
  2. Try printing your draft to edit it on paper. This makes the work feel new and helps you spot mistakes more easily.
  3. Reading your writing out loud can help you catch errors and awkward phrases. It’s a great way to make sure your writing flows well.

Editing, or the lack thereof

Notes from a Small Press • 23 implied HN points • 05 Jun 23
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Book editors have different styles and expectations based on the type of publishing they work in.
  2. Authors should not expect book editors to provide feedback as they write the book.
  3. Generalizing editors in the publishing industry is unwise; editors have varied roles and approaches.

Music in Seconds, Editable Videos, and Consistent Characters

ppdispatch • 2 implied HN points • 23 May 25
🕹 Technology Editing
  1. ACE-Step can create music 15 times faster than before, letting you generate tunes in 19 languages. You have control over the voice, lyrics, and instruments, making it super flexible.
  2. VACE-14B allows you to edit videos easily using text or images, so you can swap, move, or edit anything you want in your videos.
  3. Instant Character helps you create stories using a single image to keep your characters consistent across different scenes, perfect for creative projects.

Multimodal AI-Edited Supercuts

Multimodal by Bakz T. Future • 1 implied HN point • 24 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Editing
  1. Multimodal AI can create supercuts that give quick but immersive experiences of long media. This means you can watch shorter versions of movies or shows without losing the essence of the story.
  2. These AI-generated videos can stitch together scenes and reimagine parts of the original work, providing a fresh way to enjoy familiar content. It's like having a personal editor that knows what you like.
  3. Using technology to make media more accessible for busy people is important. Everyone has different schedules, so having flexible options helps more people enjoy art and storytelling.

Can AI Edit As Well as a Traditional Publisher?

72 Degrees North • 0 implied HN points • 14 Oct 24
📚 Literature Editing
  1. AI struggles to match the detailed editing and personal attention that a traditional publisher provides. While it can help with grammar, it often misses the deeper nuances that a skilled human editor would catch.
  2. Using AI for writing can result in bland and subpar text. It can be useful for some editing tasks but should not be relied upon for creating quality literature.
  3. Finding reliable human editors is challenging, especially for self-publishing authors. Many editors are overworked, and having trusted beta readers can sometimes be more effective than hiring a freelance editor.

Rethinking the Beginning

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 13 Sep 22
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Starting something new can be really fun and exciting. It's a chance to explore your ideas without too much pressure.
  2. Don't stress about getting the beginning perfect right away. It's okay to write a few openings and see what feels best.
  3. Allow yourself to play with your writing at the start. It can lead to surprises and make the process more enjoyable.

On Making Things Up

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 06 Apr 21
📚 Literature Editing
  1. Fiction allows writers to change facts and details, making it more flexible than nonfiction. This freedom can be exciting but also requires adjustment, especially for nonfiction writers.
  2. In fiction, the writer can easily erase and remake details if they don't fit the story anymore. It's all about how well these parts connect to the larger narrative.
  3. Workshops can help writers transition between different styles, like moving from memoir to fiction. Learning from experienced authors can bring great insights into this process.

Fairest Writer Spring Workshop Series!

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 24 Mar 21
📚 Literature Editing
  1. There is a Spring Workshop Series for writers featuring five well-known authors. This series is a great opportunity for writers to learn from experienced professionals.
  2. All workshops are free and held over Zoom, making it easy for anyone to join in. Each session focuses on different aspects of writing, from memoir to PR.
  3. The Lambda Literary Awards will take place on June 1st, and one of the organizers has a memoir nominated in the Trans Nonfiction category. It's an exciting time to celebrate diverse voices in literature.

Just in case you're checking email...

The Fairest Writer • 0 implied HN points • 24 May 20
📚 Literature Editing
  1. A plan for writer workshops is in place, aiming to address community needs and offer support. Feedback is being gathered through a survey to make sure everyone benefits.
  2. Freelancers can improve their writing careers by changing their mindset about editing and deadlines. It's helpful to view editors as collaborators and to negotiate rates when necessary.
  3. Sharing success stories, like a writer coming out of retirement, shows the positive impact of workshops on individuals. It encourages others to pursue their writing dreams despite challenges.

Open-sourced library for working with media files

Cosmos • 0 implied HN points • 27 May 23
🕹 Technology Editing
  1. Using a library like Pluto can speed up media editing workflows by automating tasks like converting files, resizing images, creating videos from images, and more.
  2. Pluto offers a variety of scripts to help with tasks such as converting a PDF into a video slideshow, creating GIFs from videos, resizing images for better website performance, and more.
  3. For those working with media files regularly, leveraging Pluto's scripts can save time and streamline the editing process.

Xgau Sez: May, 2023

And It Don't Stop • 0 implied HN points • 24 May 23
🎶 Music Editing
  1. Good editors respect writer's intentions, suggest stronger language, and double-check facts.
  2. Music from different cultures all have unique grooves that can be enjoyed and appreciated.
  3. Staying engaged while reviewing albums is key to providing worthwhile critiques and enjoying the process.