I’m thrilled to bring editor extraordinaire Robin Cruise to DearEditor.com today as my Guest Editor. Robin gave me my first job in publishing and her creativity, industry wisdom, and business acumen have inspired me ever since. She’s spent her career behind the scenes as managing editor, deputy publisher, and then publisher, with both trade publishers and book packagers. I’m so pleased she’s finally stepping out with her editorial consulting business Red Pencil Consulting. Many publishers and individual writers will benefit from her creativity, encouragement, and wisdom.
When a DearEditor.com reader sent me a letter asking when to use “and” versus “and then,” I turned to Robin. A managing editor’s job is to clarify this very point—to balance rules, creativity, understanding, and story. I’m convinced that at that, Robin’s the best there is.
Here’s the question Robin fielded:
Dear Editor…
When you use “and then” in a sentence, is it more clear to use either “and” or “then” versus both? Why would you need the word “and” before “then”?
Thanks,
Natasha
To read Robin’s answer, click over to DearEditor.com
Robin Cruise is committed to literacy and has been involved, as both an author and a publishing professional, in creating books for young readers for the past twenty years. Her experience includes more than 15 years with the children’s books division of Harcourt Trade Publishers. Robin lives in Kirkland, Washington, where she is the founder and principal of Red Pencil Consulting. In that capacity she works closely with authors, editors, and others to develop and deliver manuscripts, books, and additional high-quality content for publication and other uses. Contact Robin through her website, www.robincruise.com.
