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Technica’s Top Five Books Every Writer Should Have on their Shelf
Book Review As writers, it’s important to take time to immerse yourself in books that offer insights into the art, science, and emotions of writing, learning from those who have come before—from those who have made a point of sharing their experience and wisdom....
I Need Help Writing my Book!
If you’ve taken the plunge and made the decision to write a book, that on its own is a huge step. So, first and foremost, congratulations! The next steps in making your vision a reality can be intimidating at first. But they don’t have to be, especially after dividing...
Chilling Reads for a Spooktacular Holiday
With Friday the 13th creeping up just as we enter the holiday season, it’s the perfect time to whip up a list of books that sprinkle a little spookiness into the festive fun! So, grab your cocoa, turn on your favorite holiday playlist and cozy up under those...
Holiday Gift Guide for the Reader in Your Life
Hold onto your bookmarks, folks! It’s that magical season again—time to hunt for a quirky, one-of-a-kind gift for the bookworm in your life, and we’ve got your back! Wave goodbye to the boring old standbys like gift cards that scream “I couldn’t think of anything,”...
Holiday Gift Guide for the Writer in Your Life
The holiday season can be a busy time of year -- so busy you might not have had the time to think of the perfect gift to give the writer in your life! Don’t worry, Technica Editorial has got you covered. Whether it be a small trinket or a learning experience, we have...
Self-Publishing in 2024: Prize-Winning Contenders to Check Out
In the year 2024, I think we can safely say that self-publishing is here to stay. What was once seen as just a forum on the internet to publish niche genre work by lesser-known authors, self-publishing is now big business with many aspiring authors forgoing the...
It’s Time to Start that Great American Novel: Celebrate National Novel Writing Month
During the COVID lockdown, how many people thought they would finally sit down and write that novel that has been brimming in their brain for years. Some were able to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, but for most, the dream of writing the great American...
Why Research Matters in Nonfiction Writing
Writing nonfiction is so much more than just weaving words on a page; it's a balancing act between storytelling and facts, creativity and credibility. At the heart of this type of writing lies its most essential element—research. In the world of nonfiction writing,...
Celebrate World Smile Day with a Few Books that will Leave you Grinning
“Let’s put a smile on that face.” While Heath Ledger intones these words with dread in his legendary Oscar-winning performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, it’s a phrase that shouldn’t inspire fear in people. In 1963, artist Harvey Ball created the iconic smiley...
Exploring the Forbidden Aisles of Banned Books!
Banned Books Week is “an annual event that highlights the value of free and open access to information.” Beginning in September of 1982, Banned Books Week was created in response to an unexpected surge in the number of challenges to books available in libraries,...
I’ll Give You Proof!
At first glance, copy editing and proofing might seem like very similar tasks—and they do, indeed, have plenty in common. But a copy editor with a sharp eye for detail will recognize that these are entirely separate processes with entirely separate skill sets. On the...
Can AI Be Responsible? The Case for Elsevier’s Scopus
If the scholarly publishing community has learned nothing else over the last 5 years, it’s that for better or worse, AI is here to stay. Peer reviewers are using it. Authors are using it. We’ve talked so much about the use of AI in scholarly publishing and the negative connotations it has, but is there a way to use AI “responsibly”? Elsevier seems to think...
Is There a Better Way to Incentivize Peer Review and Reverse the Peer Review Crisis?
Anyone who has worked in the peer review system knows that things are in a state of flux right now. It is a system that has seen a heavy, almost overwhelming, burden on mostly volunteer reviewers. A study in 2020 analyzing peer review across all academic journals estimated that globally reviewers spent close to 100 million hours working on reviews in 2020...
AI Detection Software is Hit or Miss According to Most Experts
For this year’s Peer Review Week, the theme selected was “Innovation and Technology in Peer Review”. We’ve spoken at length in recent posts about how AI and technology have changed the nature of peer review. We’ve specifically discussed ChatGPT’s growing role in peer review and how non-peer reviewed publications are increasingly using AI to write most if...
Get Ready for Peer Review Week 2024: Innovation Meets Technology from September 23-28, 2024!
The academic publishing landscape is undergoing significant changes, with a growing focus on author and research integrity, alongside the increasing integration of AI. There's mounting pressure for greater transparency and efficiency in peer review as publication volumes soar and reviewer numbers struggle to keep pace. This has spurred innovations aimed at...
Celebrate National Dog Day with a Good Book (No Promises that the Dog Lives!)
Monday, August 26 is National Dog Day. The holiday was first established 20 years ago by animal advocates with the goal of advocating for the adoption of the numerous dogs found in animal rescues all over the country. According to a 2024 study, 65.1 million households in the United States own a dog, which amounts to over 40% of homes. So, clearly people...
Book Review: The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction by Amy J. Schneider
A quality and detailed manual to help in technically revising and formatting works of fiction. Writers and editors, certainly ones new to the trade, are inclined to focus on the importance of official style when it comes to nonfiction writing. The more “serious” the topic, the more important—surely—that the formatting matches the tone. As a result, most...
7 Tips to Overcome Writer’s Anxiety
After four years of political, social, and medical upheaval, stress is just a part of everyday life. If you aren’t feeling at least a little stressed, congratulations you’re probably a chatbot. The publishing industry is no stranger to stress. We’ve talked about stress in academic publishing before and author tools that can help. Whether its continuing...
The Ins and Outs of Short Story Publishing
Why Publish Short Stories One reason to publish short stories is to appeal to people who have less time to read. Because they are naturally shorter than novels, short stories get to the point faster than longer works. Stories also allow authors the opportunity to fine tune their craft through multiple individual publications, and can be steppingstones to...
Book Review: Launch, by Jeff Walker
We love sharing books that really resonate with us, and that offer solid takeaways for authors. Launch, by Jeff Walker, is just such a book. If you're an author, entrepreneur, or just someone with a killer idea itching to hit the market, this book should be your Go To. Read it. Take notes. Process. Then DO. We think it may just be your golden ticket to...
Citation Manipulation Continues to Wreak Havoc on Publishing
One of the new buzz problems in scholarly publishing is the growing notion of citation manipulation by journals and publishing societies. We’ve previously written about the recent trend of “citation boosting services” selling fake AI-generated articles with citations from particular researchers in order to boost and inflate their personal metrics. However,...