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Description: Editing is full of repetitive, detail-heavy tasks that eat into time better spent on substance. Join Jennifer Yankopolus for an introduction to macros, free tools that run inside Microsoft Word to speed up editing, reduce repetitive strain, and catch what a tired eye might miss. Unlike AI tools, macros don’t interpret or generate anything. You decide what needs to be fixed, and the macro precisely and consistently carries out that exact task; you stay in full control of every edit.

Through live demonstrations, you will see how macros can handle common editing tasks for you, such as fixing punctuation and capitalization errors, checking the consistency of proper nouns, cross-checking citations against the reference list, adding terms to your style sheet, and looking up information online. Each demonstration is built around a specific editing scenario, giving you a clear sense of how these macros could save you time.

The webinar features Paul Beverley’s free library of over 1,200 macros, created specifically for editors, meaning no programming experience is needed to use macros. Paul will be on hand to answer your questions. This session is open to editors of all experience levels and users of both Mac and PC platforms. (Note that macros work only in the desktop version of Microsoft Word.) You’ll gain a solid understanding of what macros can do and the resources you need to bring them into your own editing practice.

Presenters:

Jennifer Yankopolus
Freelance editor

Jennifer Yankopolus has been editing in the architecture and design field for 25 years. Since 2020, she has been teaching editors worldwide how to use macros to increase their productivity through webinars, workshops, and classes. To support editors in their ongoing use of macros, she writes the monthly Macro of the Month newsletter, which introduces readers to one new macro each month.

Paul Beverley
Retired freelance editor

Paul Beverley is a now-retired freelance editor who has been developing and using macros for 20 years; he makes them all available free to other editors through his Word Macro Tools website. The site also offers free self-learning materials to get you going and a bank of hints, tips, and other macro resources.