Back in high school typing class (the most useful class of my secondary education, I might add), we were taught to double space after every sentence.
Now, 20+ years later, I spend a lot of time undoing that practice. Not for me; I stopped double spacing between sentences years ago. But for my clients. Anyone who is my age or older must have had the same typing teacher I did!
Now that typewriters are obsolete, and our fonts are porportioned correctly, we no longer need to double space to set off our sentences. In fact, it looks weird if you do it. (see the example on that page). It also creates formatting issues, and wastes precious character limitations on microblogging sites like Twitter.
If you can, break the double spacing habit. If you can’t, go to the “find” feature in Word and hit the spacebar twice. Then “find” and it will find all the instances of double spacing. But don’t do an auto search and replace. Sometimes you need a double space–mostly after colons. In time, you will probably tire of this step and break the habit during the writing process!
Recently I was content editing a client’s letter and was having trouble coming up with a good transition between the first two paragraphs. I took a break to take care of some laundry, and in the midst of folding a yellow towel, the solution hit me.
One thing I’ve learned over my years of ghostwriting and editing is the importance of giving your writing a rest. Sometimes when you’re staring at the words on the screen, writing and rewriting over and over, you can’t get it exactly right no matter how long you sit there! But if you give your mind time to rest, the answers will often come.
Just like Dawn and I preached in Write It Right, allow plenty of time for the editing. Don’t be afraid to walk away. Excellence can’t be rushed.
This discussion came up with a prospect recently when there was a misunderstanding that when I said I do (selected) book reviews for free, that should not be confused with doing manuscript reviews and content editing for free.
Book reviews are something I do on my own time, for fun, to keep up with what’s currently being written. I review books I either buy on my own, or that an author offers to me to review and I’m interested in reading. I post them on my blog and on Amazon, noting my emotional reaction to the book, the writing style, plot, characterization, info conveyed, etc. They are a couple paragraphs at most. I also understand, as an author, how important book reviews can be to the buying public. This is not a service to my clients, so I obviously don’t charge for it, but it is related to my profession so I post my book reviews on my blog.
Manuscript reviews are not to be confused with book reviews. They are much more in-depth. These are for unfinished books where the author is aware that he needs a professional assessment of the manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses before making final revisions. A manuscript review usually addresses sweeping issues with the book including, (in a novel, for example) characterization, plot, tone, grammar/usage, etc. In my business, clients are delivered a written manuscript review of several pages. In my business, this service ranges from a couple to a few hundred dollars, depending on the length of the book.
Content editing is even more in-depth than a manuscript review. Here, all the sweeping issues are addressed, but also includes a more detailed analysis addressing (chapter by chapter and paragraph by paragraph) areas that need to be expanded, eliminated, tightened, clarified, etc. I do these in Track Changes so the author can see all my notes as they read along, and make the judgment whether or not they want to make changes. In my business, this service starts at several hundred dollars and goes up based on the length, topic of book, and how much work is anticipated. Generally this requires 2-3 read-through’s and the price reflects that.
Something to add? Comments are on (though moderated and checked daily).
That, Which, or Who?
If you are referring to people, use who instead of that:
Correct: John Smith, the book editor who corrected all the mistakes in the 97,000 word book, received a nice mention in the author’s acknowledgements.
Incorrect: John Smith, the book editor that corrected all the mistakes in the 97,000 word book, received a nice mention in the author’s acknowledgements.
Use that instead of which with restrictive clauses.
Correct: This is the rule that people that people break most often.
Incorrect: This is the rule which people break most often.
Use which instead of that for non-restrictive clauses.
Correct: This is the correct rule, which many people overlook.
Incorrect: This is the correct rule, that many people overlook.
Quick tip: If a comma seems appropriate in the sentence, “which” is likely the correct word to use.
Need more editing and writing tips? Check out my co-authored book, Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros. Want copies for your organization or Writers Group? Email me directly (Lauren at HiddenHelper dot com) for bulk purchasing discounts.
is keeping up with it. Especially when it’s your own. So, can you guess what one of my New Year’s Resolutions is? You guessed it: to blog more frequently.
A few updates:
I am now the Secretary of the Central Pennsylvania Association for Female Executives, CPAFE. My term expires on December 31st. I’m very happy to be on the Executive Board of this great group of professional women.
I continue to be the IVAA Summit PR Committee Co-Chair, looking forward to visiting Charlotte in April 2008. We have some great speakers and events lined up. I was just in Charlotte over Christmas vacation (my brother lives there), so it’ll be nice to visit again so soon.
As we move into 2008, the Hidden Helpers will continue to provide ghostwriting and book editing. I’ve taken a special enjoyment lately in writing web copy, so if your website copy needs freshening up, call me!
Speaking of freshening up websites, my website designer (husband Ed Hidden), promises me my new website will be up and running soon.
Happy 2008!
Lauren
When writing your book, stop writing these phrases, “I feel; I believe; In my opinion; To me; etc.”
It just sounds too wishy-washy. You need to instill confidence in your reader. If you’re writing a book on your non-fiction topic, you are the expert. So, when you’re self-editing your book, get rid of these phrases. If you don’t catch yourself doing it, then do a “find” command for these phrases in your Word document.
You are the expert. Before you can write a good book, you have to believe it. Then you have to write so your readers believe it too.
Where to begin?
From last Thursday through yesterday, I attended the Infinity Publishing’s Express Yourself conference in Valley Forge, PA. I spoke at Writer’s Day on Thursday on how to self-edit and how to hire and use a professional editor. I had a PowerPoint and Klickerz interactive presentation planned, but as luck would have it, the projector was giving us fits and I had to change midstream. Mental note: Always have a plan B and don’t be too dependant on technology! I think it went okay though.
On Friday, I participated in an editing panel along with Beth Mansbridge, Melanie Rigney, LinDee Rochelle, Caryn Search and Emily Lawless. What was interesting was that we had a variety of different specialties amongst us, sometimes had different definitions of the varieties of editing, and all had different pricing structures.
And of course, we had some great presentations from presenters I will profile over the next week or so. I also have some pictures but with my new camera and picture software, I’m having issues trying to get them from the photo software to regular picture files and then online. So stay tuned until I talk to my photo tech support (Ed).
It’s always great to reconnect with colleagues and friends. And my thanks goes out to Infinity Publishing for allowing me to be a part of this great event.
If you’re old enough, you may remember those old-fashioned radios that changed stations via a dial. If you didn’t have the dial turned exactly “so,” you heard static and interference. But even a slight adjustment made a world of difference–you could hear your favorite music coming through loud and clear.
I like to think of book editing in the same way…an editor’s job is not to change the station (over-edit so the original voice is gone), but to fine tune it. This is especially true with content editing. I’ve found that authors usually really know what they’re talking about, which is a blessing and a curse. It’s often difficult for them to step outside their expertise and step into the shoes of their readers. Some sections of their non-fiction book might be too technical, or not thoroughly explained. The reader hears a lot of “static” and either gives up reading your book, or finishes it, but feels unsatisfied.
Never be too proud to use an editor. I’ve co-authored two books, and even as a professional editor, my co-authors and I have utilized outside editors. There is no substitute for an impartial, skilled editor to fine tune your book so your message, just like the radio station on the old-fashioned radios, comes through crystal clear.
My friend and colleague, Jerry Simmons, posted an article I wrote on Interviewing an Editor: The Seven Questions You Need to Ask. Enjoy! And if you haven’t signed up for his Tips for Writers, you should!
If so, please contact one of my favorite clients, Maria Swan. She’s looking for interviewees for her next book. Also, feel free to share this with others. Thanks!
Once upon a time…so begins most fairy tales. Yet not all real-life tales end with the “happily ever after.? Some people spend their whole lives chasing that elusive fairy tale ending. Others take the quest to a different level; trying to find a substitute or in some way duplicate the person which, at some point in their life, they’ve identified as the perfect lover and/or soulmate. A few do track down the lost object of their desire, while others settle for a look-alike or feel-alike while they try to rekindle a never-forgotten romance. If you or someone you know has walked up and down memory lane in search of such a happy ending (regardless of the conclusion), I would like to hear from you. My name is Maria Grazia Swan and I’m an author collecting material for a non-fiction book. Send your stories to swan3@mindspring.com