iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 02/10/2026

Two editing conferences in eight days: tiring, but hugely rewarding. October’s going to have its busy moments, too: I have more research reports, some educational materials, a history book and a finance book, as well as my local book festival and starting a short course.

Highlights September 2026
• Proofread research reports
• Proofread a book on Pompeii
• Copy-edited Egyptology journal articles
• Attended the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading conference
• Attended the American Copy Editors Society virtual conference

Certificate of attendance at CIEP conference 11–12 September

Certificate of attendance at ACES conference 16–18 September

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 02/10/2026

I'm having a little Halloween fun over on Instagram. Ghosts of embarrassment avoided – a look back at some of my favourite catches from the past year, slip-ups that are so easily made and that the eye glides over because they look plausible. I love ghost stories and it's October... 👻

The poetry of Robert Keats (he was called John)

It happened at the end of the 21st century... (it was the end of the 20th)

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 24/09/2026

Well that was a nice surprise in the shops this morning: a book I worked on ages ago. The feeling of excited recognition never goes away 🥳 DK book: DIY know-how with show-how

Hardback book on a shop shelf. DIY: know-how with show-how

Same book. Caption: seeing it on a shop shelf never gets old

Author acknowledgements with my name circled

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 16/09/2026

Being edited: a relationship with someone who gets you and wants you to succeed. Joyfully uplifting keynote from Kory Stamper at #ACESVCON26 on editing as being all about human relationships. It’s not about imposing a rule book, but listening and understanding what you’re trying to do.

Photo showing Kory’s title slide on a laptop screen.

Slide: editing is not about rules; it’s about communication

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 14/09/2026

What does the idiom ‘to walk back’ mean? Video may not be my greatest strength, but my latest blog post looks at some phrases using ‘walk’. rust-bat-855c.squarespace.com/config/pages...

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 03/09/2026

Another wonderful month to be grateful for – thank you, world! 😁 I have two editing conferences this month, alongside more Egyptology and business editing. #AmEditing

Highlights August 2026
• Finished copy-editing an academic book on upcycling
• Copy-edited a law book
• Copy-edited Egyptology journal articles
• Copy-edited a business communications book
• Proofread a book of Celtic myths

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 21/08/2026

Thank you, internet – that really helps me know what to try next 😁

Error message: An error has occurred. Please try again.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 14/08/2026

For what? #edibuddies will see it immediately. If you don’t see it yet (and there’s no shame in that – it’s hard to see), look closely at the penultimate word…

Screengrab of an error message asking for permission to access a folder ‘for reading and writting files’, with two Ts in ‘writing’.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 11/08/2026

When F and I clash in this way, I always imagine the F kicking the dot, which flies off to the right of the screen. Yep, I'm still noticing the ligatures, or non-ligatures, while I edit: www.suzannearnold.com/blog/ligatures #AmEditing

Screengrab from Word showing the overhang on a lower-case F sitting just below the dot on an I.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 11/08/2026

Working outside this morning before the sun comes around here. There’s a parakeet chattering away in the tree and I’m working on consistency in an academic book on upcycling. Bliss! #AmEditing

Selfie with my laptop next to a balcony railing, with a green tree beyond.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 04/08/2026

This is why I love editing: always learning. To me, snowballing is a thing you do after the cold stuff falls from the sky in winter. ❄️ But I’m copy-editing a piece about research whose data collection involved snowballing. After a moment’s confusion, I now know that it’s also a sampling method 😁

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 04/08/2026

I'm notoriously bad with spiders. But I figured a book about them would do me good and be interesting – and it did and it was 🥳 Yes, it also did make me wince at times! But it was really interesting and I was glad I'd braved it.

Highlights July 2026
• Proofread business thought leadership
• Proofread accounting guidance
• Proofread a photo book of spiders
• Started copy-editing an academic book on upcycling
• Took some time off.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 31/07/2026

Would you say ‘there are a plethora’ or ‘there is a plethora’? Does your answer vary depending on the context? This is a good example of how proofreading is about so much more than typos. #AmProofreading

Photo of parkland, with text superimposed: ‘there are a plethora’ or ‘there is a plethora’?

Photo of a pond. Text: you may be surprised by how much time editors and proofreaders spend pondering these questions

Photo of rabbit. Text: often, we answer ‘it depends’

Screengrab from Merriam-Webster dictionary suggesting using singular to emphasise grouping and plural to emphasise individual elements

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 29/07/2026

I’m alternating chapters of a gorgeous photo book about nature and an academic book about reusing and upcycling. One’s a proofread on a typeset PDF, the other is a copy-edit in tracked changes in Word. Both are fascinating. I love my job! 😍 #AmEditing #FreelanceLife

Selfie sitting at a laptop outside with a green tree in the background.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 26/07/2026

While looking for something else, I’ve found one of my favourite examples of corporate speak. This was while I was sub-editor of ‘F1 Racing’ magazine, while McLaren’s new site was being built, which apparently is 23 years ago 😱

Attributed to Ron Dennis, head of McLaren: ‘This new building makes optimum use of the lateral optical interface’, with a note saying ‘Paragon HQ has lots of windows, says Ron Dennis’ interpreter’.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 24/07/2026

What a wonderful surprise in today’s post – a copy of @rogersteare.bsky.social’s book ‘Ethicability’. I proofread this a few weeks ago. An extra treat was discovering that Jacqueline Harvey (a @the-ciep.bsky.social friend) had also worked on it. Books really are a team effort. Thank you all 😁

Ethicability, a slim white hardback volume, photographed in front of a leafy tree.

A snippet from the acknowledgements, thanking Jacqueline and me.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 17/07/2026

Like so many of the best things in life, my Egyptology started by accident and I never could have predicted where it would take me. So here’s my Egyptology origin story. #NonFictionEditor #EditingNonFiction #NonFictionEditing #NonFiction

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 17/07/2026

There you are, working in tracked changes, and you insert one letter, but Word shows two letters as having changed. What’s going on? Blog post now live on font ligatures: www.suzannearnold.com/blog/ligatures #NonFiction #EditingNonFiction #NonFictionEditing #AmEditing

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 15/07/2026

A few highlights from this morning’s #StetWalk, including a gorgeous moth! #AmEditing #FreelanceLife

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 10/07/2026

This was an unexpected analogy! 😂 Pick the grapes out of the quinoa, not vice versa. You can’t proofread everything at once. Instead, focus on one thing at a time, such as that examples are correctly numbered – pick out the grapes, not the quinoa. #ProofreadingNonFiction #NonFictionProofreading

Photo of a box of grapes containing a layer of quinoa. Text: Don’t try to proofread everything at once

Closer photo. Text: check numbering separately from reading for typos, for example

Closer photo again, showing quinoa with just a few grapes: pick the grapes out of the quinoa, not the quinoa out of the grapes

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 07/07/2026

I saw the Sam Ryder Jesus Christ Superstar in London last night. Stunning production. This morning, I’ve finished some corporate thought leadership. And now I’m settling in for some CPD.

Photo of the stage set seen from above: scaffolding at the back of the stage, with the orchestra in its upper layers, and a large cross-shaped walkway across the stage.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 03/07/2026

I’m having a day off and have just finished ‘The Correspondent’ 😭 Beautiful, weepy, thought-provoking. I loved Virginia Evans’ answer at Women’s Prize Live on why an older character: ‘Everyone’s life is interesting. And it gets more interesting every year.’ This book delivers on that!

Paperback copy of ‘The Correspondent’ photographed in front of a green leafy tree.

Photo of Evans reading at Women’s Prize Live. Text on the image: Evans also said, of writing it, ‘I felt I was laying down the track as the train was coming.’

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 03/07/2026

Trust an editor to read multiple versions of the same news story and get distracted by whether the document was found in February or May! (These are the details trained editors habitually watch out for, which is how we spot things that seem to others like incredible finds.)

Screengrab of Guardian story about the Declaration of Independence, saying it was found ‘in late May’

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 02/07/2026

This was the highlight of English Grammar Day 2026 for me: editor @tomfreeman.bsky.social on why it’s not always best to rigidly follow all ‘rules’ (or to follow all rules rigidly?). There’s greater value in ensuring that text is logically structured and clear. #EnglishGrammarDay

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 01/07/2026

June was delightfully varied. And today, my plans are simple: I'm working on some accountancy guidance this morning, then will watch tennis this afternoon. #FreelanceLife #AmProofreading

Highlights June 2026
• Copy-edited a memoir
• Proofread a book of curios
• Proofread business thought leadership and research reports
• Attended Women’s Prize Live and English Grammar Day

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 27/06/2026

Apparently the bath’s the place to be during the heatwave. She’s in there so much that I’ve taken a little fan in there for her. #Caturday

Photo of a black and white cat snoozing in a bath, with a small fan in the foreground.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 20/06/2026

Wow. Humbled by Katherine May’s ‘Wintering’. Reading about the winter solstice on this summer solstice weekend, and how frost beautifies everything. I love sunshine and warmth, but I also love the beauty of frost – these are my own photos. #NonFiction #solstice

Ebook photographed against a green tree. Quote from the book: ‘electric light may now be abundant, but sunlight – the only light that our bodies have evolved to use – is hard to come by.’

The book cover again, with a line saying ‘yes, I’m reading about winter’s lack of light at midsummer’

My own photo of frost on a leaf, with a quote from the book: ‘a good frost will pick out every blade of grass, the crenellated edge of every leaf.’

My photo of small balls of frost ice on grass, with the quote continued: ‘the cold renders everything exquisite’

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 20/06/2026

I’ve had a busy week, but lots of fun and was fortunate that much of my work could be taken outside. Now for a lazy weekend: stories 📚, sunshine 🌞 and snoozing 😴

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 17/06/2026

I’m better at editing words than making videos, honest! Trying to make a new intro video for my website but it’s a work in progress 😂

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 12/06/2026

Bit of Egyptology to start the weekend 🎉

Zoom title slide: A means to an end: cultic expansion and consolidation in late dynastic Egypt, Penny Wilson

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 12/06/2026

One of the highlights of Wednesday’s Women’s Prize Live was a workshop on the art of storytelling with Silk Road Slippers. The format was simple yet powerful: a writing prompt, seven minutes to write, then read them out and get feedback. It was so good! @womensprize.bsky.social #WomensPrize

Alexandra Pringle, Alex von Tunzelmann and Faiza Khan give feedback.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 12/06/2026

Lyse Doucet won the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction last night. Very well deserved. This reel gives a snapshot of events this week, from a fangirl perspective. Her calm BBC reporting on the horrors of war won my admiration; her gentle humour won my heart.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 11/06/2026

Women’s Prize Live in 30 seconds: a snapshot of my day. Will post more later… @womensprize.bsky.social #WomensPrize

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 10/06/2026

Fantabulous evening listening to the @womensprize.bsky.social finalists. Each read from their book, then spent a few minutes discussing it. All wonderful. Winners to be announced tomorrow. #WomensPrizeLive #WomensPrize

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 10/06/2026

Excuse me while I sit here sobbing into my tea over this testimonial 😭🎉

‘Suzanne combines absolute professionalism and extensive experience with an optimistic personality.’
Dr Eva Lange-Athinodorou, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 05/06/2026

I said yesterday I can take on more client work now that I’ve handed the journal over. So what kinds of things do I work on? Well, I can’t show you most of the corporate thought leadership, annual reports etc, so some of the examples here are from a while ago, from in-house roles.

Photo showing a variety of magazines, journals, books, reports…

Who I worked for: non-profit 22%, student/individual 4%, companies 14%, indie authors 12%, publishers 48%

Types of products: reports 17%, journal or magazine 16%, other 2%, books 65%

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 04/06/2026

Egyptology, business and a memoir – I always say I love variety, and you can see it in the jobs I accept 😄 This month: more business and accounting, memoir and a book by a popular author. Lucky me 🤩 #AmEditing #FreelanceLife

Highlights May 2026
• Completed a manuscript review for a memoir
• Proofread business thought leadership
• Finished my year as interim managing editor of the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 29/05/2026

It's a bitter-sweet day for me – last day on the journal. I took it on on an interim basis for a year and have had a wonderful time and learned so much. And I'm still self-employed: next week, I'll be working on accountancy guidance, thought leadership, a memoir and a history book.

Photo of the 2025 journal with two lanyards naming me as managing editor.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 22/05/2026

Rather blustery but it’s lovely and sunny so I’m working outside for part of the day. I’m running some searches on a memoir before I get going with copy-editing it. Looking forward to it. #AmEditing

Selfie with a laptop at an outdoor table, in the shade.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 19/05/2026

This was 6 May – they grow fast!

The chicks in the nest now have the beginnings of blue feathers.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 19/05/2026

I promised pics... So, this is how things started, on 28 April...

Photo from a camera inside a birdbox, showing a nest of eggs that are starting to hatch. A few little pink, naked chicks are in among the eggs.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 18/05/2026

Feeling silly while watching the last two bluetits refuse to fledge. I’ll try and remember to show you some better images, tomorrow. Seven have fledged – two yesterday and five today. These two are still in the box. I bet they sneak out at dawn!

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 14/05/2026

Bushy Park this morning (south-west London, UK). #StetWalk

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 12/05/2026

Dick also used AI to help with research, which was an interesting experience for both of us, and led to this marvellous comment: ‘Suzanne edited this book from the reader’s perspective, and AI has yet to achieve that capability.’ Thank you, Dick.

A paragraph acknowledging my work with the line quoted in my post: ‘Suzanne edited this book from the reader’s perspective, and AI has yet to achieve that capability.’

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 12/05/2026

Congratulations to Dick Stroud on publication of ‘HMS Sikh’. His dad’s war was the starting point for historical research into what the HMS Sikh was doing in the Mediterranean, what life was like as a prisoner of war and why some of the sailors were sent back to Britain.

Paperback copy of the book photographed against a backdrop of green trees and colourful flowers.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 08/05/2026

Dragons and sustainability reports – just the variety I love! May is my last month as interim managing editor of the journal, so I'm starting to hand over to my successor. Ties in neatly with my preference for reviewing the past year and planning the next one with the UK tax year end.

Highlights April 2026
• Proofread business reports, including sustainability
• Proofread a book of mythical creatures
• Copy-edited articles for the 2026 Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
• Used a business retreat to review past-year performance and plan the next year.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 27/04/2026

Lovely start to the week, proofreading in a quiet but sunny cafe before meeting my accountability group.

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Suzanne Arnold editor @suzannearnold.com · 25/04/2026

Proofreading isn't just about typos, and this is a good example. Can you see it? That last T should be italicised.

The book title 'The Hobbit' in italics, but the last T is accidentally not italicised.

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