By Kathy Ide Wherever possible, your clients should strive to use strong, precise verbs rather than weak, vague verbs. Instead of saying, “They were going,” write, “They went.” Or better yet, show how they went. “They jogged,” “They raced,” “They ambled,” for example. A single descriptive action verb is almost always better than a weak […]
By Ken Walker Years ago, before I had ever signed a book contract, I met a published writer who had just co-authored a project with a nationally-known figure. The writer got 50 percent of the six-figure advance. Because of that, for years I reasoned that I was due half of the proceeds of any book […]
By Ralene Burke I love editing. Let’s be honest, though, most writers and other potential clients are not going to be fascinated by the intricacies of the comma, the difference between an en-dash and an em-dash, or when the punctuation goes inside or outside the quotation marks. Therefore, what do we, as editors, share with […]
By Sarah Hayhurst I love to read a book that is noticeably edited well. In contrast, content that has grammatical issues, formatting flaws, and communication blunders derails me from the author’s well-intended message. Granted, most editors likely have a keener sensitivity to such details than the average reader, but I believe that all readers are […]
By Karin Beery When you tell people you do freelance work, they usually have one of two reactions—jealousy (because you’re free!) or pity (because you can’t find a real job). Regardless of how they react, most of the time it’s because they don’t really know what it means to work freelance. Here are a few […]
By Helen Wakefield The first thing that springs into people’s minds when they think of editing usually has something to do with grammar and spelling. Editors and other writing experts know that an editor performs many functions at varying levels—from the structural level to hunting down those typographical errors. But editors are more than word, […]
By Kathy Ide Two types of dashes are often used in book manuscripts: em dash: — en dash: – The Em Dash According to The Chicago Manual of Style and The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style, an em dash should be used to denote a sudden break in thought that causes an abrupt change in […]
By Karin Beery Working as a freelance editor certainly has its perks—you can work from home (in your sweatpants), set your own hours, and spend yours days reading! Honestly though, just about anyone can do that. If you want to be a good editor—someone who is trusted and counted on—there are a few more things […]
By Sarah Hayhurst After investing four years into a BA in Communication Arts, I was surprised by the ongoing investment of time necessary to stay current and conversant in the ever-changing style guides of CMOS vs. AP. I say “versus” because at times it seems like they are diametrically opposed to each other. Did two […]
By Ken Walker The way I see it, the leading reason to consider being a ghostwriter is similar to that for being a book editor: the legion of people who need help telling their story. After more than 20 years of ghostwriting, co-authoring, and collaborating with authors, I have discovered that many people are simply […]
