by Rebecca Florence Miller In my previous post, I shared some important preparatory work you need to do as you begin your new career as a freelance editor. In this post, I plan to share more about how to develop your business after you have put those foundational pieces in place. Once you have adjusted…
by Rebecca Florence Miller When I began my first halting steps into the world of freelance editing in 2011, I had a good grasp of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, but not a lot of the professional skills I needed to develop a thriving business. In those early days, I was able to move to a…
by Karen Saari You finally get a paying client and he has sent his manuscript to you. The excitement is real! You can’t wait to dig in and start working on those words. Well, that was my experience anyway. I’d been dragging people off the streets, begging them to let me edit what they’d written,…
by Sue A. Fairchild As I began to think about what we could post today that would relate to both editing and Valentine’s Day, I began to consider how much love and affection we must provide our authors as we edit their words. Most often, authors have spent months, sometimes years, writing their novels. They…
by Lora Doncea When we are physically, mentally, and spiritually strong, we can accomplish almost anything. However, there are times in life when we are completely overwhelmed. The responsibilities, demands, and problems of life seem impossible to keep up with. What can we do to regain our strength? In Psalm 61, David describes a time…
“Dear Editor, can I use song lyrics in my novel?” is a question I hear often. Song lyrics are covered by copyright, an asset with monetary value. Copyright is the right to copy, distribute, and display copyrighted works. Copyright covers original works, whether words, sounds, or images, and whether published or unpublished. These can be:…
by Lora Doncea In our work, we encounter a wide variety of people with diverse personalities. The ability to work with different types of people well is an extremely valuable skill. Here are some tips I’ve learned over the years. The most important thing is to sincerely ask God to help you with every project.…
by Karin Beery Today I didn’t go to the zoo. I didn’t jump out of an airplane. I didn’t compose a symphony, skip stones across the lake, commit a crime, build a snowman, get married, draw a picture, or milk a cow. I didn’t even buy a new pair of shoes. I could fill pages…
The holidays are now over, the new year sufficiently toasted. As January marches on, many of us likely march, too, with our own share of resolutions and hopes for 2019. Whatever form these aspirations take, consider adding these three books to your “To Read” shelf! Not only will you enhance your skill set, but you’ll…
by Kathy Ide Originally posted July 16, 2010 on kathyide.com Following on the heels of last week’s column, here are more ways you can tighten your manuscript. Cut out unnecessary words. For example: She nodded her head. (What else would she nod? Of course it’s her head) I thought to myself. (Who else can you think to?) whether or not each and every…
