Macro of the Month – August 2024 – NumberToTextUK/NumberToTextUS

Spells out numerals

We have a full newsletter this month. The featured macro spells out numbers, accounting for different spelling conventions. Want to know what the top 10 macros editors around the world use? Join me and Paul Beverley at the ACES virtual conference to find out. And for those who don’t currently use macros, there are multiple opportunities to learn how they can help you edit more productively.

This Month’s Macro – NumberToTextUK/NumberToTextUS

Spell out numbers below 10? Spell out numbers one hundred and below? Follow different guidance? You can use NumberToText regardless of which numbers must be spelled out. More on the difference between NumberToTextUK and NumberToTextUS in a bit.

How it works: This macro is smart; it knows what a number is. Therefore, it saves you even more time because you don’t have to place the cursor at the number before you run it. When you notice that a number to the right of your cursor needs to be spelled out, just run the macro—regardless of the cursor’s location.

When you see a numeral to the right that needs to be spelled out, run the macro. It scans to the right looking for the next number, saving you the time of having to move the cursor before you run the macro.

There is the issue of the “and,” however. UK convention uses “and” after “hundred,” and US convention does not. Select the macro for the convention you follow:

NumberToTextUK: four hundred and thirty-six
NumberToTextUS: four hundred thirty-six

NumberToTextUK spells numbers in the hundreds by placing “and” after “hundred.”

NumberToTextUS spells numbers in the hundreds without using “and.”

Download the code:

• NumberToTextUK: www.wordmacrotools.com/macros/N/NumberToTextUK

• NumberToTextUS: www.wordmacrotools.com/macros/N/NumberToTextUS

Upcoming Macro Training – Word Macros A to Z

Join hundreds of editors who have learned to use Paul Beverley’s macros through the Word Macros A to Z course. Over six weeks you will learn the skills you need to optimize your productivity through video tutorials, practical exercises, a vibrant discussion forum, and three live Q&A sessions. It’s a virtual one-room classroom designed for PC and Mac users as well as for those who are new to macros and those who want to explore more of what is possible.

Here is what some past attendees have said about the course:

• I really enjoyed how clear the content was—especially given that I knew nothing about Paul Beverley's macros to begin with.

• I was learning valuable things each week that I could employ at work right away.

• I enjoyed being able to work through the course at my own pace while still having regular access to the instructor to ask questions. I liked that the instructor was very engaged in the discussion forum. I also really liked how each module began with an outline of options based on how much time I had available that week.

Register here. Members of CIEP, IPEd, PEG, and Editors Canada are eligible for a discounted rate; check with your editing organization for details.

Join Us at the ACES Virtual Conference

Paul Beverley and I will be presenting a session at the ACES Virtual Conference. We will be revealing the top 10 most popular macros as selected by editors around the globe. (Paul’s macros are used in at least 67 countries worldwide). We compiled this information from the Global Editing Macros Survey we conducted this spring. The session will not only tell you which macros editors most rely on; it will also demonstrate where in the editorial workflow they are useful. Our session, Maximize Your Productivity with Macros Insights from the 2024 Global Editing Macros Survey, is scheduled for Thursday, September 26 at 10:30 am ET. You can find out more information about the conference and register here.

Copyediting: A Closer Look

The recently released Copyediting: A Closer Look, published by the Indian Copyeditors Forum, features a chapter about how macros enhance the editing process. Thanks to Vivek Kumar, the book’s editor, for inviting me to contribute. The book contains multiple chapters about technology: Tech Tools for Editors by Hilary Cadman, Editing Across Devices and Platforms by Adrienne Montgomerie, Microsoft Word Navigation: Some Microrecommendations for Editors, and Generative AI and the Future of Copyediting by Deeptesh Sen. The book is available for sale on Amazon across the globe, including in the United States.

Have a question or want to suggest a macro for a future newsletter? Reply to this email and let me know.

Happy macroing,
Jennifer

ps: Don’t forget to back up your macros.