Writing 101: We Are All the Caretakers of Our Language
Just because something gets repeated over and over doesn't mean it's true. It also doesn't mean that it's good grammar/style/usage. Here...
Writing 101: Working with a Thesaurus Can Be Scary
As we enter the month of Halloween, I'm sure you're already seeing all of the costumes available to help you change your persona for the...
Proofreading 101: No Job Too Small (or too "Hugh")
When I talk about the work that I do and mention to people that most of my time is currently taken up working on book-length manuscripts,...
Editing 101: If the Shoe *Doesn't* Fit
I saw something posted on social media, recently, that asked "If Cinderella's shoe was a perfect fit, why did it fall off?" It's an...
Bad, Spellcheck! Bad! (aka sleeping on the job)
I've been working on a manuscript for the past few weeks that has had some, shall we say, "challenges" when it comes to punctuation....
Writing 101: Use Your Words (Wisely)
As an editor, I see a little of everything when I'm working with authors. I see the authors who want to keep everything as "real" and...
Editing 101: I Am Not a "That" (and neither are you)
All of us have our pet peeves. They range from "people who drive slowly in the fast lane" to "flowers that only bloom during the one week...
Publishing 101: Font Smatter
I debated for a while on what to call this post. To give you an idea of what we'll be discussing, here are two of my other options:...
Editing 101: Sometimes Brief Is Too Brief
So often, people send me things saying "I'd like this to be shorter, if possible." For the most part, I have no problems with that. Many...
Editing 101: Drawing an Editorial Map
As an editor, I spend a lot of time trying to coach authors down the paths I think they should take. I also try to nudge them away from...
