by Iola Goulton In my last post, I introduced some of the differences between American (specifically, USA English) and British English. Today, I’m discussing vocabulary. Getting the vocabulary right is important for two main reasons: Vocabulary is a great shortcut to characterization. It’s an easy way to establish where a character is from, and what […]
by Karin Beery Freelance editing is an interesting profession—we’re essentially hired by authors to point out everything they’re doing wrong (and hopefully some things they’re doing right). Our goal is to help them polish their manuscripts so they’re ready for publication or submission. Here are the top five ways we can help them do that.* […]
by Mel Hughes In 1999 I wanted to ride motorcycles. Of course, most people’s first thought of motorcycles is Harley Davidsons. But real riders told me a different story. “Harleys are a joke,” was the consensus. “They put all their money into advertising, but they don’t engineer.” Before long I found this out firsthand. I […]
by Ken Walker Anyone who lived through the uncertainty of 2020 knows the feeling of “rolling with the punches.” I certainly did when, amid surging lockdowns nationwide, work tailed off in late March and made April my worst month of the year. I briefly contemplated taking a part-time job with the Census, which I had […]
by Denise Loock “Social interaction energizes extroverts but exhausts introverts.” That simple explanation from a human resources director released me from years of guilt. No wonder I avoid women’s retreats, reunions, and professional conferences. They wear me out! Author Susan Cain explains my aversion this way: “Human beings seek ‘just right’ levels of stimulation … […]
by Karin Beery How do I get paying gigs? That’s probably the most-asked question by new freelance editors. It’s a valid question. Editing is like any other profession—clients want you to have experience, but how do you get experience if no one will hire you? There are ways to get those first jobs, but you […]
by Iola Goulton (Editor’s note: This post is written in American English format since this is our primary audience even though this author is from New Zealand and typically writes in British English.) We all know there are differences between American and British English—differences in spelling, differences in punctuation, and differences in grammar. Most* readers […]
This Excellence in Editing Award spotlight is on Keen by Laura L. Zimmerman, edited by Michele Israel Harper, and published by Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, LLC. It takes a team! Irene Chambers, the EIE Award Coordinator for the Christian Editor Connection (CEC), interviewed author Laura L. Zimmerman and editor Michele Israel Harper about working together and creating an award-winning book. IRENE. […]
by Susan K. Stewart According to statisa.com, more than 1.68 million books were self-published in 2019. Bowker reports a jump of 40% in self-published books from 2018 to 2019. Individual companies report similar jumps in the number of authors bypassing traditional publishers. Writers who publish their own book are no longer the outcast in publishing […]
by Sue A. Fairchild 2020 is almost over! It’s certainly been a tough one for everyone. Although the virus will not magically disappear (we could only hope!) when the clocks ring in 2021, we can still evaluate what did and did not work in our business endeavors and make plans for the new year. Did […]
