One of my absolute favorite editorial tasks is to do content editing. For those of you not familiar with the term, content editing is, in essence, editing a composition to see what is missing, what needs to be rearranged, and what needs to be deleted or changed so the “content” of the composition meets its intended goal. This is certainly not a dictionary definition of content editing, but it’s mine.
In my opinion, content editing is the most important component of the whole editing process. If you don’t have the content nailed down, all the proofreading in the world won’t help. If you do your own writing and editing, before you even try to fix grammatical, spelling, or tense errors, do a content edit. Read through your own writing and make everything in there should stay or what gaps you have in your information or argument. You should never leave your readers wondering “what?” or “why?”.
Need more tips on self-editing your writing? Order my co-authored book, “Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros”. It’s got a 5 star review on Amazon!
The fine folks over at Webcore Labs host my website. I have some neat stat tools where I can see how many hits I get, who my referrers are, bar graphs of my traffic, etc. About twice a month I take a look at it to and especially the search terms. Do you know what this month’s top search term was in finding my website? Free sample eulogy-13 times. Wow. Maybe somewhere out on the web there’s a free template for a basic eulogy, but that seems kind of impersonal and generic, don’t you think? If that keeps popping up, maybe I’ll have to write an article about it to get peoples’ juices flowing.
I find that more people have trouble with actually accessing the right material and content in their brain than the actual mechanics of writing. So, if you’re having trouble finding the right thing to say, give us a call at 717-918-1928 for a free 15-minute consultation. We can take you from the brainstorming process to the finished product easily and painlessly.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2006
Contact:
Lauren Hidden 717-918-1928 info@hiddenhelper.com
Corie Stewart 717-421-7874 corie@coreofficesolutions.com
Area Virtual Assistants Get Recognized!
May 19th is The First Annual International Virtual Assistants Day
NEW CUMBERLAND, PA (May 19, 2006). Back in late 2000, Lauren Hidden began transcribing tapes, providing online research and writing articles for a business out of state. It took a few years for her to realize there was a term for her occupation – a “virtual assistant.â€? Six years later, she still gets some puzzled expressions when she states her occupation.
Corie Stewart, of Core Office Solutions, also based in New Cumberland, started her business in 2005, “Before I opened my virtual assistant practice, I had spent twelve years as an executive with non-profit organizations before I was downsized. Starting my own business was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. A year later, I am a full-time VA supporting clients in the Harrisburg area and across the country.�
Virtual assistants, or VAs, are entrepreneurs who provide services remotely. Depending on their specialties, they may offer general administrative support, meeting planning, writing services, web design, bookkeeping, or any other service that can be provided virtually.
Starting this year, the third Friday in May marks International Virtual Assistants Day. Originally proposed by the Alliance for Virtual Business, the day will be recognized during the Online International Virtual Assistants’ Convention, a 3-day-long event offering best practices seminars, training workshops, presentations and exhibits.
Lauren Hidden adds, “Having a day for virtual assistants is a great idea. I hope it will bring more awareness to the profession. Many entrepreneurs and businesses in the Harrisburg area are still unfamiliar with how virtual assistants can help them.�
Since 1996, more than 5,000 professionals from all over the world have started their VA businesses. At least 50 are now operating in Pennsylvania. This number is expected to soar as more jobs become outsourced, remote technologies improve, and more workers tire of the grind or the expense of the daily commute.
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About The Hidden Helper
The Hidden Helper is an editorial services company. Working virtually, The Hidden Helper provides ghostwriting, editing, proofreading, and research services for A-level entrepreneurs and authors nationwide. Visit the website at http://www.hiddenhelper.com.
About Core Office Solutions
Core Office Solutions is an administrative support company providing marketing and public relations support, website design and hosting, transcription, event/meeting planning, and personal assistant services. For a complete list of services, visit www.coreofficesolutions.com.
About Alliance for Virtual Businesses
Established in June 2003, the Alliance for Virtual Businesses™ is volunteer-directed organization, whose primary mission is to promote the growth of free enterprise between virtual assistants, entrepreneurs, small businesses, corporations, associations and other business entities. Visit the website at www.allianceforvirtualbiz.com
Write It Right is gaining momentum. It’s getting good reviews on Amazon.com. At some point I’ll be offering it for sale on my site, but until I get that capability on my website, if you’re interested in purchasing the book, email me at lauren@hiddenhelper.com and you can order a copy (autographed if you’d like) directly from me.
My second book is done and currently being designed. The cover is done, the layout person has given us some different options, and we’ve finalized the printer. Can’t wait until that one is released. Then I just need to figure out the next book I want to write.
If you’re a regular watcher of the Today Show, you’ve seen the author discussing birth order last week. I find that pretty interesting. I’m the youngest of 3 and the only girl. My husband is an only child. Do you fit in to the tendencies of your birth order?
My oldest brother has a degree in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. My next brother has his own chimney sweeping business.
And then there’s me. It certainly nailed my career on the head. Plus as a former social worker, I definitely am a champion for the underdog.
For while, I used to think too much about what I couldn’t do as a VA. I used to think that would hold me back from success. Then I found that what I CAN do is more important than what I can’t. If you can’t be all the parts to the puzzle, find someone who can be your missing piece. Thinking outside the box is a waay overused phrase, but it’s true. Who can you partner with who will add value to your service offerings? Who can partner with you so you can add value to theirs? I’ve developed some of these partnerships recently and it’s a great idea. I wish I had thought of it earlier!
I was just in the DVVAA chat and I was reminded of a prospecting tip I have for new VAs.
If you have an industry in which you want to find clients, find someone in that industry and take them out to lunch.
Why? They’ll probably accept. After all, who doesn’t like a free meal? Plus, you’ll have an hour to pick the brain of someone who knows your ideal clients. Find out where the clients “hang out”, what services would be valuable, and if your dining partner knows anyone right now they could refer you too.
Be sure to thank your “ideal client” for meeting and eating with you. And save your receipt. At least part of your meal is a tax write-off.
Your writing tip of the day for May 2, 2006 is:
When sending emails, especially a long thread, change the subject line to correspond to the turn the conversation has taken. That way, when you need to look up an email later, you don’t have to open 20 emails titled “re: hi”.
Think of it as a title for a college paper. When you type a response, what is the main focus of your email? Use that for a short title and you’ll save yourself a lot of time the next time you need to reference an email.
Could your writing skills use a spring cleaning? Learn how to self edit your writing with Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros. This book, written by me and Dawn Josephson, can help you learn to recognize and overcome your writing challenges.
Happy Typing!