Blog - Barbara McNichol Editorial Services

Have You Heard of Book Selling University?

July 12, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Barbara McNichol

Did you know you can now get book-related information on demand to help you plan, produce, price, distribute, and promote your books more efficiently? Yes, through Book Selling University, sponsored by Association of Publishers for Special Sales (APSS).

I’m fortunate to be part of a line-up of 60+ fabulous instructors who have one goal in mind: show you how to succeed as an author in these categories.

BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING
PREPARATION
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
DISTRIBUTION
PROMOTION
SPECIAL SALES

My hour-long webinar/course, Strengthen Everything You Write (Barbara McNichol, BSU-176) is offered as part of PREPARATION.

Working with Book Selling University, you’ll be able to:

Take courses as time permits and needs demand
Learn from instructors who are experts on their course material
Make more money selling your books
Price your books for maximum profits
Pinpoint social media
Improve your sales online
Make your publicity more effective and efficient and MORE

These TWO FREE COURSES get you started:

How to Purchase a Course (Brian Jud, BSU-199)
Introduction to Special Sales (Brian Jud, BSU-100)

I encourage you to check out this golden opportunity to take any element of the book writing/publishing/selling journey and learn more about it.

Full details at BookSellingUniversity.com or contact BrianJud@bookapss.org

Feel free to contact me for a comprehensive flyer listing all courses available.

How (and Why) to Work with an Editor

July 1, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

Barbara McNichol from June 2018 issue of Speaker Magazine

work with an editor As a professional, you send your ideas into the world in writing—via books, blogs, articles, and more. In today’s crowded marketplace, the more you write, the more every word counts.

Who can help you break through the clutter? Editors: your conduit to communicating to those you want to influence. For if an experienced editor doesn’t “get” your message, neither will they. And because the written word sticks around longer than the spoken word, it matters!

Why You Need an Editor

It’s tempting to regard hiring editors as an unnecessary expense. Instead, see it as an investment in effectiveness. Here’s why:

You grow as a writer. Pay attention to editors’ changes and learn the tricks of the editing trade. That includes getting assurance that your piece meets your objective.
You improve your book’s marketing power. A good editor can wordsmith titles, headings and subheads as well as incorporate keywords to hook readers during online searches.
You gain insight and save embarrassment. Your writing benefits from an editor’s initial “deep massage” that asks insightful questions and makes suggestions to hone your message. It’s followed by a tight copyedit to find those pesky grammar gremlins and wording errors before readers do. After you make changes, your editor reviews everything, does a final proofread, and keeps your project moving.

Then at the end of the process, you can declare with confidence, “My writing sounds just like me—only better!” (As an editor, that’s what I desire for my clients.)

Choosing an Editor

For books, the magic of selecting the right editor lies in the Sample Edit—a complimentary edit of your work from your manuscript. Sure, you get value from seeing Before and After of someone else’s project, but don’t skip this step. Request samples from all contenders. That’s how you come close to comparing apples to apples.

I call the Sample Edit “magic” because you get to see:

the level of editing required
how clearly your message can be expressed
if the edits changed your voice—a huge concern for authors.

And it does something else: The Sample Edit helps determine your project’s place on the editing spectrum. Does it require proofreading, copyediting, or a complete rewrite? Along with word count, that determines an editor’s customized fee, communicated in writing up front.

In your selection process, be sure to examine prospective editors’ credentials. Study their websites and peruse their portfolios. Testimonials are great, but also ask for references so you can pose questions to their clients related to your needs.

In short, don’t miss the opportunity to deliver your best writing. After all, it’s you, your voice, your contribution to the world. Make sure your message comes across clear and strong. It’s that important!

Tricks of the Editing Trade

Enliven your text by using active (not passive) construction:
Active: “The boy chomped into the juicy watermelon.” The verb “chomped” is active.
Passive: “The juicy watermelon was eaten by the boy.” The word “by” is a clue that it’s passive.
Keep it simple:
One idea per sentence
One distinct point per paragraph
No more than 21 words in a sentence.
Whack wordiness:
“I really think it’s time to go.” (“It’s time to go.”)
“Due to the fact that” (“Because…”)
“There are m[M]any experts that believe in magic.”

Word Alert: The word “that” doesn’t substitute for “who” when referring to a person. You’d refer to someone who speaks, not someone that speaks.

Use the correct word to say what you mean. Even from excellent writers, editors often encounter misused words: browse vs. peruse, compliment vs. complement, advice vs. advise.

As an expert editor, Barbara McNichol proudly helps speakers/authors change the world with their well-crafted words. Over 24 years, Barbara has placed more than 350 books (and counting) on her editor’s “trophy shelf.” She is also the creator of Word Trippers Tips, a resource for better writing available at www.WordTrippers.com.

Be a Better Writer and See Your Career Soar

June 23, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

Do you want to be More Valuable to your company or your clients? Your writing qualifies you for hiring, for retaining, and for getting promoted. But writing is the gateway to rejection, too.

People judge your abilities by the quality of your writing.

It’s a harsh fact. In business, people who don’t write well to communicate—who don’t select the right words to express complex ideas—are perceived as lacking credibility … professionalism … accuracy in their work.

On the flip side, those who master the written word are remembered as influential … reputable … successful.

My name is Barbara McNichol, chief architect of Word Trippers Tips. After years of editing nonfiction manuscripts and proofreading hundreds of thousands of lines of copy, I realized that everyone makes mistakes … everyone mixes up similar words … and everyone loses credibility the moment readers recognize the errors.

I have turned those common errors into a program professionals use to improve their writing instantly: Word Trippers Tips. It includes a 38-minute WEBINAR on its own and/or 12 MONTHS Word Tripper of the Week plus bonuses.

How can you learn to be a better writer and make your career soar?

Go to www.WordTrippers.com and/or listen to this teleclass 5 Nuggets Successful People Know and Use on better writing.

Please share you comments and questions here.

18 DAYS to Become a Better Writer – New E-Guide

June 22, 2018 by Barbara McNichol 2 Comments

Set aside 18 days and study one of these easy, effective tips to be a better writer each day for 18 days, continuous or not.

Your goal: Make a point of integrating a new one into your writing every day . . . and see the difference you make perfecting the communication loop to benefit you, your clients, and your career.

better writer

This ebook supplements the Word Trippers Tips ADVANTAGE Program (www.WordTrippers.com). It is can also be purchased individually for only $9.

Email Barbara@wordtrippers.com for purchase details.

Who or Whom? Here’s How To Choose Between Them

June 9, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Kathleen Watson

Do you have difficulty when it comes to choosing who or whom in your writing?

Some think whom sounds stuffy and pretentious.

When did proper grammar become stuffy? I think that’s an excuse made by people who don’t know the difference.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Does anyone criticize Ernest Hemingway for using whom in the title of his famous novel For Whom The Bell Tolls?

Three Guidelines

Here are three guidelines to help you recognize whether to use who or whom:

Who is the doer of the action.

Who was driving the car?
He was critical of people who didn’t support his decision.
The winner, no matter who she is, will wear the crown for a year.

2. Whom is the object, the person acted on, and it often is preceded by a preposition (at, in, for, from, of, to, with).

Did you speak to her? To whom did you speak?

Who gave you the check? From whom did you get the check?

Did you take a walk with her? With whom did you take a walk?

3. Consider these substitutions as shortcuts to helping you make the right choice:
he, she, they (subjects) = who
him, her, them (objects) = whom

Who was driving the car? He was driving the car.

You invited whom to dinner? You invited her to dinner.

For whom were members of the audience applauding? Members of the audience were applauding for them.

Do you have sentences that you question if who or whom is correct? Submit them here for a reply.

You’re Told to Fix and Polish This Message–But How?

June 5, 2018 by Barbara McNichol 4 Comments

By Barbara McNichol

Suppose your supervisor emails you a message that says, “Fix the attached” or “Polish this piece.” But exactly what does it mean to fix and polish? In addition to correcting punctuation, typos, misspellings, and grammar glitches, what’s required beyond that?

First, find out what your supervisor thinks it needs. Where does it fall short? What’s missing? Whether or not you receive an answer, go through the following key questions yourself:

Why is this piece needed? What’s its intended purpose? Because readers are busy, you must immediately make clear what this message is about. A specific title or subject line goes a long way. For example, instead of writing “For New Customers” you might write, “5 Ways to Communicate with New Customers.”
What should the reader do, think, believe, or remember as a result of this piece? Does the communication specify what you want readers to do and by when? How easy is it for them to first understand the instruction and then take action? For example, if it’s a letter to a credit card company about a dispute, make it clear what you want, e.g., future credit or a refund. Then state when you want a resolution, e.g., “before the next payment cycle on June 23rd.” Put this call to action near the top!
How long should your sentences and paragraphs be? Ensure your message comes across in short, easy-to-read sentences. My rule of thumb is not more than 21 words in one sentence or 3-4 sentences in one paragraph. Why? It’s hard for anyone to track your meaning when sentences ramble, especially when they’re part of long paragraphs. People scan more than they read; they can take in short sentences and paragraphs more quickly than long-winded ones. Don’t make it seem like hard work!
How can you use polite, positive language to persuade others?Remember, a positive outcome should be the goal of every communication. Your objective may be to retain a customer, win a contract, build a relationship, gain approval, or advance a project. Always spell out benefits: e.g., resolution, improvements, increased profit, etc. And be polite by using words such as welcome, thank you, please, appreciate, happy to, and value your input. If your piece doesn’t include positive language, then why send it at all?

When it’s up to you to fix and polish that important message, use these questions as your checklist every time.

Why is this piece needed? What’s its intended purpose?
What should the reader do, think, believe, or remember as a result of this piece?
How long should your sentences and paragraphs be?
How can you use polite, positive language to persuade others?

What essential fix and polish elements would you add to these?

Aspiring Author to Published Pro – You Can Do It!

May 22, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

published author Do you know someone who is struggling with a book project — or who’s thinking about being an aspiring author but is overwhelmed by all the information out there?

Do you know people who could use honest advice, truthful information, and even some hand-holding to help them get their meaningful book written, published, and marketed?

My friend, publisher Gail Woodard at Dudley Court Press, is committed to helping thoughtful people write and publish books that matter — to them and to the world.

Sometimes it’s hard for people to step up to receive the help they need to get their books done right. So Gail has created a program to make it easy for anyone to get the right advice, the right information, and the right support so they can publish a book they can be proud of.

Six-Month Online Program

Aspiring Author to Published Pro is a six-month online program complete with in-depth educational modules, weekly emails for accountability and support, and twice monthly Q&A calls with Gail. She will answer your questions, celebrate your accomplishments, and help you network with other authors.

I invite you to consider this program — for yourself or others you know who would love to have the support, direction, and guidance they’d get from a seasoned pro.

What People Say

Listen to what participants in the precursor program had to say:

“My book would not exist if not for this program. It changed my initial boring concept into a timely, cutting-edge platform”

“Gail helps to take the fear and trepidation out of book writing. She’s able to meet everyone where they are and move them along on their journey to authorship”

“This program was a great experience. Gail was attentive and generous with her coaching.”

“Gail is such a fabulous teacher and coach who is clearly extremely knowledgeable and passionate about her field.”

Amazing Discount

Right now, this expanded program is available at an amazing 50% discount. Sign up now to get the introductory price of only $1,500 for the complete program for the full six months. Seats are limited.

So think about who you know would love this program. Check out this page for more information. You’ll be wow’d by everything you’ll discover and all the support you’ll get in this program.

Send this link on to your friends, colleagues, and family members who have a book in them that wants to be written. Let’s make this their year to become a published author!

Here’s the link again.

10 Writing Mistakes to Help Everyone (Not Just Book Lovers)

May 17, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

Source: www.grammarcheck.net

“Since” and “Because”–What’s the Difference Between These Confusing Words?

May 7, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Barbara McNichol

In my recent post on the blog of Nonfiction Authors Association (NFAA), an author asked about confusing words this way:

Barbara, I’d love to see you do an article on the difference between “as” and “since” and “because.”

Here’s a summary of what my research told me.

Both “because” and “since” imply cause. They can be interchangeable when “since” means “for the reason that.” e.g., “Since my dog needs exercise, I take him for a walk.” e.g., “I walk every day because my dog needs exercise.”

One source suggests using “because” when the reason is the most important part of the sentence and “since” or “as” when the reason is already well known and is less important. e.g., “The match was cancelled because it was raining.”

I endorse this as an important distinction and use it myself.

Note that “since” also refers to a time frame. But look at this example. “Since we ate lunch, we had lots of energy.” Do you see how this statement is ambiguous? Does it mean “from the time we had lunch” or “for the reason that we had lunch”?

To avoid confusion, I recommend using “because” when your meaning relates to “cause” and “since” when it’s a factor of time. Keep the meanings distinct; it’s a good way to add clarity to your writing and power to your pen.

For clarification of commonly confused words, request a free reference guide at Word Trippers.com

What word pairings trip you up? Share them here.

Use the “Language of the Positive”

April 30, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Joan Burge (used with permission)

Did you know that changing just a few of the everyday words you use while conducting business can actually enhance people’s positive impressions of you? Here are three highly effective tips you can start using today.

“Do” or “can” instead of “try.” When you’re a pro at what you do, you understand the importance of managing expectations among the people you support and work with in the office. That’s why so many of us use the word “try” (as in, “I will try to have that report finished Tuesday”) to buffer our schedules and communicate parameters on tasks and projects. Problem: “Try” has a somewhat wimpy connotation, as if you’re unsure – even when you aren’t, of course! Solution: Replace with variations of the words “do” or “can” instead – and focus on what is definite: “I’ll do a preliminary outline by Tuesday for review,” or “I will complete a preliminary outline Tuesday.”
“Believe” instead of “think” or “feel.” If you’re a careful listener, you’ll often hear people say something like, “I think/feel the best course of action is….” Communication experts agree that replacing “think/feel” with “believe” expresses even more assertiveness and self-confidence to management, colleagues and clients: “I believe you’re right.” Bonus fact: To communicate even more directly and succinctly, practice dropping the use of “I believe” and stick with the statement itself: “You’re right.”
“And” instead of “but.” Here’s one of my favorites! See if you can tell the difference between these two statements: “I know you’ve missed the deadline, but…” vs. “I know you’ve missed the deadline, and….” The first sets up a negative “but,” which precedes bad news – and since people know this, they tend to get defensive or tune out whatever follows, regardless of its legitimacy. Conversely, the second statement acknowledges the bad news, yet skillfully avoids the sense that a shoe is about to fall. Result? The “and” says, “We can work on a solution, which is more important than the blame right now” – and people are far more likely to listen, meaning communication improves.

Successful professionals focus on what I call the language of the positive Can you think of additional ways to change commonly used words or phrases so co-workers and clients respond even better? I encourage you to delve deep and test new ways to communicate verbally and in writing!

Known as the pioneer of the administrative training industry, Joan Burge is an accomplished author, professional speaker, consultant, and corporate trainer. She is the founder, CEO, and visionary of Office Dynamics International, an organization that provides high-performance executive and administrative assistant training and coaching.