What Does Book Proofreading Include? While many people mistakenly believe all stages of book editing are the same as book “proofreading,” there is most definitely a difference. Not sure if your manuscript is ready for a proofread? Asking yourself, “How do I find someone to proofread my book?” Read on for answers! Traditional Publishing Sets the [...]
I enjoy a good memoir. Reading or listening to the stories of real people’s lives, especially told in the person’s own voice and style, can be one of the most pleasant and inspiring experiences. As a long-time and widely read editor of this genre, I have put together the following list of tips for writing [...]
Has someone recommended that you look into getting a “beta reader” or “sensitivity reader”? You may not realize initially, but they are both types of beta readers that focus on different things in your writing. If you’re wondering what they are and why they’re helpful, the short answer is that they make your book better. [...]
You may have heard that there's no wrong way to write a book. When you make the goal to write, first draft jitters can easily get in the way, and without a plan or solid options for your process, you won't know what's right or wrong. Many pieces of advice for finishing your book first [...]
Like any creative, you will hear a multitude of advice on how to face rejection as a writer. No two pieces of advice are going to work the same for any one person; each person will have to find what helps soothe or motivate them after a rejection of a draft submission, no answer or [...]
As a writing and editing professional, editor Cortni Merritt is sometimes asked to consult and collaborate on a variety of academic, technical, and business writing projects in addition to her projects with SRD Editing Services as a member of other groups not associated with SRD Editing Services. Recently she was honored by the request to [...]
Lessons on Life from a TV Writer Earlier this year, I listened to the audiobook for Shonda Rhimes's Year of Yes, a successful and interesting TV writer with decades of experience (if you don’t know who she is.) In this mix of memoir and self-help advice, both funny and touching, Rhimes shares her wisdom about [...]
For more than 20 years, the Accelerated Reader (AR) program has been helping kids read children's books they enjoy, at their own pace. Readers of all levels can choose an AR book, read their way through it, then take a computerized quiz to assess their understanding and sometimes earn class credit. Educators across the US [...]
MS Keyboard Shortcuts Are Gold If you use MS Word on a regular basis to write and edit, you probably already know about the most common keyboard shortcuts. (If you're not familiar with the long list of Windows keyboard shortcuts out there, check them out now!) In particular, there are several wonderful, useful keyboard shortcuts [...]
The Outcome Can Terrorize You If there's a thousand ways to do something, there's a thousand ways to do it right. And a thousand ways to muck it up. And the truth is -- you'll never find the writing process that works for you, without stumbling through a few of those. In On Writing Well, by William [...]