• Why is editing undervalued?
• An error of finger-licking proportions
• Where does the comma go in ‘God rest ye merry gentlemen’?
• Tip of the week: Don’t buy a wreath for your door, make one

As this article in The Conversation rightly points out, the work of editors generally goes un-acknowledged unless they make a mistake.

It is standard to credit the designer and printer on imprint pages. Often the font is listed (nice touch). It’s shockingly rare for the editor to be named. Perhaps to preserve some sort of myth that the book arrived perfectly formed from the author? Yet there are also big name trade authors who publicly thank their editors for greatly improving their book. Maybe they have the (justified) self-confidence in their abilities as writers.

If editors were listed as standard, would it help to raise the perception of value in their work? And is all of this part of a wider problem of invisibility in the skills of publishing?

Read the article on The Conversation website.

We all make mistakes, but few are as appalling as the one made by KFC last month.

Here’s how it happened. KFC had collected a series of notable dates in order to send out automated topical themed promotions throughout the year.

So far so good. When automated campaigns are done well their timeliness makes them very responsive. But don’t ever assume that you can just let the bots get on with it. Human oversight is absolutely critical to sense-check campaigns that will be delivering your brand to thousands of customers.

Read the cringe-making story of what happened next, on the BBC website.

Thank you to David Crotty and The Scholarly Kitchen for this ear-worm of a video (you have been warned), which cleverly considers the contribution of the humble comma as it answers the question.

Read and watch

I’m not big on Christmas decorations, but I do like a wreath on the front door. Last year I made my own and it was ridiculously easy, so this month’s tip is to suggest that you follow suit – if you don’t already.

Wire wreath rings are cheap and easy to buy, and everything else can just be foraged. I use ivy as a basis, and then collect seed heads, berries, and rose hips and haws, threading them through the ivy and the ring. The result may be sparser than the dense wreaths on offer at garden centres – with their suspect slices of fruit, and gold and silver stems – but to my mind at least, far more beautiful.

To all of you who celebrate Christmas, or are just looking forward to a few days off, I wish you well.