Happy Thanksgiving!
To Critique or Not to Critique Your Christian Manuscript
by Bobbi Temple If you have written a Christian book manuscript, you may have heard about getting it critiqued. Writing conferences tend to offer these opportunities. However, you certainly do not need to attend a conference to get professional feedback for that godly piece of passion you wrote. The Quick Critique Many Christian editors and…
Professionally Asking Questions
by Megan Gerig Newbie, amateur, unprofessional, inexperienced—these are words that no editor, whether just starting out or with twenty years of experience, ever wants to hear. However, many editors find that they are called these particular adjectives whenever they ask a question. This causes a lot of editors to fear that asking questions will cause…
Dear Editor, Should I Capitalize . . .
by Iola Goulton I have previously blogged about whether we should capitalize deity pronouns (it’s the publisher’s decision—see https://thechristianpen.com/dear-editor-should-writers-capitalize-deity-pronouns/) or whether we should capitalize nicknames (only if it’s unique—see https://thechristianpen.com/dear-editor-should-i-capitalize-nicknames/). What else do we capitalize or not capitalize? Brand Names Brand names are capitalized to be consistent with the brand trademark. We therefore use standard capitalization…
Our Health and Well-Being
by Susan K. Stewart Well-Being Editing is a sedentary activity. Many of us spend four to five hours at our desks each day. We have to make conscious decisions to take care of ourselves. Our well-being goes beyond our physical health. We also need to care for our emotional and spiritual health. If any of…
Five Smart Moves to Help You Pitch an Editor for Your Christian Book
by Bobbi Temple If you have sought a Christian editor by posting jobs and making offers but haven’t received a response, try these five smart moves to help you pitch an editor for your Christian book. Smart Move #1: Ditch the Unreasonable Fears Maybe your job pitch reveals your fears. Do you believe these things?…
How Reading Helps Your Editing
by Karin Beery There are a lot of rules for good writing, and good editors know all of those rules. Editors take writing and editing classes, read books, and go to conferences to help them better understand how to create a good book. If you want to produce a great book, however, you need a…
Spotlight on an Excellence in Editing Award-Winning Book: Talitha the Traveling Skirt
This Excellence in Editing Award spotlight is on Talitha the Traveling Skirt by Becky Van Vleet, edited by Barbara Curtis (freelance) and Derinda Babcock (in house), and published by Elk Lake Publishing, Inc. It takes a team. Irene Chambers, the EIE Award Coordinator for Christian Editor Connection (CEC), interviewed author Becky Van Vleet and editors…
Letting the Small Jobs Go
by Ken Walker The coronavirus cost me a blogging job this year. At least, I’m assuming that’s the reason. Since March, the client hasn’t responded to several calls or emails, or paid that month’s invoice. It wasn’t a huge piece of business, generating less than $200 a month. And yet, for three-plus years, it was…
Dear Editor, Should I Capitalize Nicknames?
by Iola Goulton A nickname, epithet, sobriquet, or soubriquet is a descriptive word or phrase used instead of or as part of a person’s name. We capitalize people’s names, so it makes sense that nicknames are also capitalized. However, terms of affection or endearment are not capitalized. The challenge is therefore to decide whether the…