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9 Things All Writers Can Do at the Editing Stage

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by Jennifer Scott, guest blogger

As a writer, it can feel hard editing your own writing. You’re close to your own text, so how can you ensure you’re getting it right?

Here are 9 tips to help you edit your own writing effectively and make it the best it can be.

  1. Take A Break

First of all, take a step back from your manuscript. You’ve worked hard on it, so you deserve a break. Give it a week or two, and then come back to it. It’s much easier to be objective once you’ve taken your time and then come back to your writing.

  1. Read The Whole Thing Through Once

Book editor Janelle Green from Top Canadian Writers says, “Before you do anything, read the whole manuscript through once. It’s tempting to start getting right in there and making changes, but in fact you can be making things harder for yourself.” Read the whole thing through and make notes. Come at it from the perspective of a reader before you start editing.

  1. Chop Down Sentences

Take a look at the sentences in your work. Some of them will be longer, although not exactly run-on sentences. If you can, cut them down into shorter sentences. A long sentence can contain a couple of different ideas, and it’s easy to lose the reader if there’s too much going on.

  1. Don’t Rely On Spell Check

Spell check is a handy feature when you’re editing, but you can’t rely on it to catch everything. It’s fallible, just like any other editing software, and can miss errors if they don’t show up as incorrect. Use it by all means, but then follow with a manual check to look for any errors you’ve made.

  1. Read It Backwards

When you’re looking for technical errors in your writing, read it backwards. This way, you’ll be more likely to spot issues rather than be distracted with how the piece reads. You’d be amazed at how much this simple tip works.

  1. Don’t Forget The Grammar

No matter how experienced you are at writing, your grammar should always come under scrutiny when you’re proofreading. It’s easy to misunderstand a rule of grammar and create sections of text that need revision. If you’re struggling with this, don’t worry; there’s lots of help. Try the following sites:

  1. Watch Your Tone

The tone of your manuscript is important. If you’re writing a how-to text, a more straightforward approach is needed. If it’s a comedy book, of course inject more personality into it. Take a look at your tone and ensure it’s consistent.

  1. Read It Aloud

The best way to ensure your prose flows is to read it aloud. You’ll be able to see how your writing sounds to a first-time reader and make changes as needed.

  1. Get Help If You Need It

If you find it hard to edit your own writing, plenty of services are available to help. The Huffington Post in its “Write My Essay” feature explains why editing and writing services are more valuable than ever.

Use these 9 tips the next time you’re editing. You’ll be amazed at how much you can polish your writing before sending your manuscript to an editor.

Jennifer Scott works as online editor at Best British Essays (https://bestbritishessays.com/). Also, she is a business developer who works in education, technology, security, and online marketing.

Swing into the New Year with the Gift of Accuracy

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Treat YEnglish language resourceourself to the Gift of Accuracy

Get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions with a resource that makes you a better writer all year long.This 52-week subscription program provides Word Tripper of the Week, a multitude of writing tips, and even two crossword puzzles!

Full details here.

Praise for Word Trippers Tips

“Barbara’s Word Trippers material should be in everyone’s back pocket. It is a quintessential reference for those words that can stump us with their appropriate use. Highly recommended.” – Mary Shaefer, author

“You don’t want to embarrass yourself in print. But figuring out the differences can be time-consuming and sometimes confusing. You’ll find clear explanations for each of the commonly confused word pairs. That makes it quick and easy to select the option that applies and then get back to the task at hand.” – Lynette Smith, editor, author

7 Tips for Getting Book Endorsements

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by Mary Walewski (used with permission)

book testimonialsWhen you’re publishing your first book, it’s easy to overlook getting endorsements. These are the blurbs on the front and back cover of your book. A great book blurb – or endorsement – by an expert in your field, a known author, or even a celebrity can give your book a seal of approval and help sales.

Getting a book blurb or two sounds easier than you think now that the experts you want to contact have websites and are on social media. No more contacting publishers or agents – your prospects may have assistants helping with their online profiles, but at least you can skip a few of the middlemen.

Here are my top 7 tips for getting book endorsements:

  1. Start your prospect list early – ideally when you’re still writing the book. At least, be working on your list when your book is still in editing. Visit your prospects’ websites and look for a contact page or email. Friend and follow them on social media.
  2. Your list should consist of people your audience would know and respect. Look for fellow authors in your genre, experts in your field, and celebrities who have a connection to your topic. Don’t count on the big names to respond – but you never know.
  3. Outline a general query letter for your prospects, then customize it for each person you’re approaching. You have a better chance of snagging an endorsement of your favorite authors if you show you’re a fan of theirs. Also include info on how you’ll be marketing and selling your book – nobody wants to endorse a book that nobody will see. If your book sells, your endorser benefits too!
  4. In your letter, include sample endorsements for your prospects to edit as they please. Some may choose to write their own, and that’s great.
  5. After they say yes, ask them whether they’d like a paper copy or an ebook, the entire book, or just an excerpt. You can have ARCs – advance reader copies made through your local POD publisher or even at the local office supply store.
  6. Ask four times as many prospects as you think you’ll need. You only have room for 1 blurb on the front and maybe two more on the back. If you get more, put them on the inside front page. Whatever you do, don’t NOT use a good blurb. If someone goes to the trouble of reading your work and writing an endorsement, use it.
  7. Give your endorsers a reasonable deadline and follow up tactfully. Don’t be a pest – remember, they’re doing you a favor! Lastly, after your book comes out, send your endorsers a copy of your book with a nice inscription and a thank you note.

Mary Walewski of Buy The Book Marketing is a book marketing consultant for indie authors and publishers. You can contact her at https://buythebookmarketing.com.

What tips have helped you? Please add to this list below.

An Editor’s Story and an Enticing Resource

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by Barbara McNichol

As a life-long editor who’s had a professional editing service for 23+ years, I frequently trip over embarrassing writing mistakes—e.g., “except” instead of “accept” or “complement” instead of “compliment” and hundreds more. Clearly, English is a tricky language!

The question I’ve asked for eons is “How can I help people avoid embarrassment and quickly find the correct word?” So I coined the Word Trippers model as a way to quickly distinguish between tricky words. Here’s an example:

Affirm, confirm – “Affirm” means to declare positively or firmly, to assert as true or factual, while “confirm” means to verify, make firmer, strengthen, support or establish validity. “Working on the campaign helped confirm my intention to go into politics,” he affirmed in his announcement speech.

I couldn’t stop! After creating an extensive resource featuring 390+ common Word Trippers, I sent out Word Tripper of the Week for 3+ years, and I featured Word Trippers in my WordShops.

Then it dawned on me. I could combine Word Tripper of the Week with proven writing techniques through an innovative subscription resource: Word Trippers Tips. It’s designed for:

  • Business professionals
  • VAs and admin assistants
  • English language learners
  • Authors, bloggers, speakers
  • High school and college students
  • Grant writers, court reporters, journalists

Word Trippers Tips assists people who value accuracy in communication.

  • Saves you time looking up definitions
  • Establishes your credibility as a communicator
  • Helps avoid writing mistakes that lead to confusion
  • Assists in understanding the nuances of our language
  • Boosts your confidence by knowing the correct words

All these benefits are yours! Bring Word Trippers Tips and its multiple bonuses into your world.

Word Trippers Tips saves me a lot of research time because it gives me a quick reference instead of going to Google. I save every Word Tripper of the Week so when my boss or co-workers disagree on how to use a word, Word Trippers becomes the referee. All of us live on email. If someone sends me one that’s sloppily written, it’s like saying, “I don’t have time for you.” I want to be sure I write clearly and accurately. Word Trippers Tips is perfect for me! – Susan Powell, Team Lead, Ratner Companies

Word Tripper Tips—a 52-week subscription resource for only $99
www.WordTrippers.com

Change Testimonials for Nonfiction Book Websites?

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by Patrice Rhoades-Baum

Have you heard this advice: “Never edit or change your testimonials.” Not true! You SHOULD edit them so they’re professional and add value using a light touch. Just be careful not to change the meaning.

Use this checklist:

  • PROOF – It’s vital to fix typos and punctuation issues. This helps to ensure your website and other marketing tools are polished and professional.
  • SHORTEN – Brief testimonials get to the point and are easy to read. Trim long testimonials to 3-5 sentences. Yes, this means sacrificing content. But that’s better than loooong testimonials, which cause readers’ eyes to glaze over.
  • REWORK (IF IT’S CONFUSING)– If a testimonial contains good content but is confusing or poorly written, consider rewording key sentences. Be careful not to change the meaning or the person’s intent. Then email the revised testimonial to your client for approval.
  • ORGANIZE – I like to place testimonials with the most impact at the top of the website’s “Testimonials” page. When you organize testimonials, alternate those that address similar challenges.
  • INCLUDE FULL NAME & MORE – Make every testimonial work hard for you! Include the person’s full name, title, organization, and books written.
  • ADD SEO KEYWORDS – When you edit client testimonials, sprinkle in organic SEO keywords. For example, if your name is Jane Doe and you’re a business coach, you can do this:
    • Replace this statement: “Jane guided me to…”
    • With this statement: “As my business coach, Jane Doe guided me to…”
  • MAKE A BOLD STATEMENT – Your website visitors (your prospects) don’t read every word on your website. They skim. That’s why I select one sentence in every testimonial and make it bold.

Always take time to edit or change testimonials you use in your book marketing. This adds professionalism to your marketing efforts – and adds value for your book.

Please share your opinion on this topic in Comments below.

change client testimonials Patrice Rhoades-BaumThis article is from my colleague Patrice Rhoades-Baum. As a marketing consultant and branding expert, she guides solopreneurs – professional speakers, corporate consultants, and business coaches – to create a clear brand, strategic website, and polished one-sheet brochure. Patrice  specializes in branding for small businesses and writing strategic, hardworking one sheet and website copy.

Polishing Your Writing? Follow These 3 Self-Editing Steps

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By Peggy Carouthers, Guest blogger from The Write Life

No matter what you’re writing, revising drafts is a headache.

Self-editingNot only do you have to review your article or story with microscopic focus, but the stress of missing an error and hurting your future writing prospects can be terrifying. Automatic editing software often misses errors and paying for editing services isn’t always an option.

It’s important to find an editing technique that makes the revision process easier and makes you feel confident in your writing.

I developed my own editing method while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in writing and communications. I was freelancing for a local newspaper and serving as editor in chief of my college newspaper while balancing a full course-load of writing-intensive classes and a 75-page senior thesis.

I didn’t have time to spend hours reading over every article or paper.

To handle the workload, I devised a simple three-step method to catch every mistake and build confidence that each draft is well written. READ MORE

 

Key Skills for a High-quality Nonfiction Editor and Writer

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by Barbara McNichol

Students taking a professional editing course at Kennesaw State University recently contacted me and asked the question below. As I responded to them, I thought both wnonfiction editingriters and editors would find this list helpful.

What are the most important skills someone needs to be a high-quality nonfiction editor?

These essential skills come to mind:

  • Patience to concentrate on one tedious project for countless hours (ADD people rarely do well with this)
  • Knowledge of English language and grammar rules – sounds basic but the basics are often missing among writers (that’s why we have editors)
  • Curiosity to question accuracy of word use and willingness look up answers (e.g., dictionary.com, my Word Trippers)
  • A proven process to ensure projects are handled thoroughly (in my case, 3 reviews of every manuscript)
  • Focus on what might be missing from the piece in terms of logic, examples, clarifications
  • Ability to whack wordiness (e.g., tighten the writing, get rid of extraneous words, finding redundancies, keep sentences short, etc.) If writers did this in their own reviews, the editor would focus on value-added aspects such as flow and creativity.
  • Respectful, explanatory tone rather than demanding tone (e.g., beware of using “must” and “should”)
  • Power of using active voice rather than passive voice – rewrite where practical
  • Sense of orderliness and flow so there’s a logical thread running through the piece
  • Smooth transitions between paragraphs
  • Use of figures of speech, metaphors, similes, etc.
  • High level of skill in Word, including formatting and setting up automated Table of Contents

The bonus? Authors who revise their own writing using these skills can save time and money in the editing process before ever getting an editor involved.

What is your experience editing your own writing? What techniques work best for you?

UNESCO’s First City of Literature: Edinburgh, Scotland

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by Barbara McNichol

Waverley Station

A welcome sign at Waverley Station for authors and readers

On a recent trip to Scotland, I was delighted to learn Edinburgh has been named the first UNESCO City of Literature, a designation it has now touted for 10 years. In fact, coming into the city’s Waverley Station one day, we were greeted with this sign that says: “Waverley is the only railway station in the world named after a novel. Thank you Sir Walter Scott!”

Edinburgh is the birthplace and home to world-famous writers, poets, and playwrights including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), Sir Walter Scott (Waverley), and JK Rowling (Harry Potter). It even has its own Poet Laureate, the Edinburgh Makar.
 
During two weeks each August, the Edinburgh International Book Festival features the world’s largest literary festival of its kind. It welcomes approximately 800 authors from nearly 40 countries and brings in over 225,000 visitors annually.
Floral Clock for Edinburgh's City of Literacy

Floral Clock for Edinburgh’s City of Literacy

The more than 50 bookshops in this city of half-a-million people are key venues for a vibrant culture of readings, literary cabarets, and workshops. In 1725 the world’s first circulating library opened in Edinburgh and today free public libraries can be found all over. The National Library of Scotland, the leading center for the study of the Scots, the Scottish Poetry Library, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre are all found in Edinburgh.

City leaders are working closely with other Cities of Literature on a range of projects to share knowledge and expertise. Learn more here
Which cities would you nominate for the designation City of Literature?

Go on a Diet of Stale Phrases and Overused Clichés

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By Loren Ekroth, PhD

Some of the most common clichés in current use include “threw under the bus,” “at the end of the day,” “with all Clichésdue respect,” “the fact of the matter is,” and “don’t cry over spilled milk.” I’ve heard public figures use “end of the day” as many as 10 times in a short interview. Ouch!

You learned in high school English classes that a cliché is “a trite, stereotyped expression that has lost originality and impact by long overuse,” as in “strong as an ox.” Most likely your teachers discouraged the use of clichés on aesthetic grounds, recommending instead that you use fresh and lively language.

How about excising clichés on practical grounds so you don’t lose the impact of your messages? That’s another downside of using clichés.

A Cliché Spoof

Decades ago humorist Frank Sullivan, writing for the New Yorker as “Mr. Arbuthnot, the cliché expert,” spoofed the breezy language of his time (1935-1952) in light-hearted interviews. An updated version by English Professor Ben Yagoda shows the flavor of these conversations:

Q: Mr. Arbuthnot, since your last testimony, have you continued to follow the world of clichés?

A: I’m all over it, 24/7.

Q: Would you mind answering a few questions to establish your expertise?

A: Whassup with that? Sorry if I’ve got that deer-in-the-headlights look, but I’m shocked, shocked. Here’s my deal: I’m a world-class talking head. I’ve made my bones and I’ve got all my bona fides. When you chatted me up with this, you didn’t give me a heads up that I had to reinvent myself.

Q: I apologize. I am merely following the charter of this committee.

A: Whatever.

Q: . . . You will certainly be a valuable witness . . .

A: Sweet. And I’m sorry for going postal a minute ago. I promise I won’t be high maintenance. With all the media here, I can see where this could be a win-win. Besides, I want to give something back.

Q: Have you noticed any new clichés recently?

A: Big time. Bottom line: Arguably, this is the cliché’s 15 minutes.”

As Old as Shakespeare

You get the idea. Clichés start out as fresh and vigorous, became fashionable, then faddish, and finally, faded. They persist because they’re easily dispensed from the tongue or pen without much thought. Some still in use such as “dead as a doornail” are as old as Shakespeare.

The beauty of using fresh, striking language is that it gets a listener’s attention, triggering images and feelings that engage the mind, stimulate creative processes, and are remembered. Doing this takes more mental effort and the intention to have impact, but in our hurry-up world of breezy interactions, such effort is in short supply.

Our poets and novelists offer us the best repository of fresh language, plus a few columnists and commentators. They show us what language can do to get us thinking more vigorously. I remember with admiration the eloquence of the late radio-television commentator Eric Sevareid (1912-1992). His language was pure public poetry without a sniff of clichés.

New Clichés?

When you are selective in choosing the persons you read and listen to, you will find refreshing expressions and can create new ones of your own. As the late movie producer Sam Goldwyn once said so memorably, “Let’s have some new clichés.” And as my friend, professional speaker, and entrepreneur Tom Antion said, “No one ever lost credibility by being interesting.”

Go on a diet from using stale phrases and serve up gourmet words.

Reprinted with permission of Dr. Loren Ekroth, aka “Dr. Conversation,” publisher of “Better Conversations” weekly newsletter. Free subscriptions at www.conversationmatters.com

Which clichés tickle your fancy? Which would you like to ban from the English language? Please share here — and any new clichés you’ve come up with, too!

Authors: What Do You Want from Your Book Editor?

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Book editing with a pen

Editing Your Book

By Barbara McNichol

With 21 years of editing under my belt, I strive always to understand and deliver what authors want to the best of my ability as a book editor. Professional editors build careers on doing exactly that.

Through a blog post, I asked what worries nonfiction authors about the editing process. The insights below reflect answers from 40 authors who responded. Specifically, they noted:

  • They want more than a clean up; they want a major step up in clarity.
  • They want support in thinking through the book’s organization before nitty-gritty editing begins.
  • They want their book editor to be tuned in to their objectives for the book, keeping them top-of-mind throughout the process.
  • They want their points made more succinctly and artistically and their stories told well. As one author said, “An unedited piece can make my point but in a less elegant way than one that’s been edited.”
  • They want their ideas made more appealing by adding vivid words and gem phrases they didn’t think of themselves.
  • They want feedback on the effect their writing is or is not having on readers. Thus, they want their editor to act as an advocate or stand-in for the reader.

Even more specifically, respondents expect their book editors to catch errors or problems casual readers miss in the following areas:

  • Content: unfinished thoughts, missing steps, unclear logic or a story that falls flat.
  • Language: fixing grammar, spelling, agreements, redundancies, repetition, mixed modifiers, run-on sentences, and more.
  • Effectiveness: improving the flow and tightening the writing throughout.

How Book Editors Can Learn What Authors Want

From the first contact with a client, I open a dialog through what I call a Planner—a questionnaire that focuses on the long-term goals for the book itself. Questions not only address the mechanics of editing but emphasize the author’s big-picture dreams.

When working with an author on a book to enhance their business or brand, my questions include:

  1. What successful books would be good models for yours?
  2. After people in your target audience have read this book, what do you want them to say about it? How would you like a testimonial to read?
  3. What actions do you want readers to take as a result of reading your book—both for their own benefit and for yours?
  4. What do you want them to know about your business and services?
  5. What changes do you want to create in your life/business as a result of putting this book out into the world?
  6. What value would having a successful book bring to you/your business brand?
  7. Which results do you seek most in working with an editor (followed by a list for ranking)?

Order Your Editing the Way You Like It!

Each manuscript provides a new opportunity for your editor to deliver on your “wants.” It should be like asking a waiter to have your meal prepared exactly to your specifications each time.

Don’t short-change the editing process and its value to you. Use a tool like my Planner to articulate exactly what you want from your editor. Communicate through both written and verbal dialog so you can realize the boost in quality that will result.

To see how Barbara’s Planner can help you, go here.

Barbara’s note: Thanks to Teresa Funke, Chair of NSA Writers/Publishers PEG for printing this article in the PEG newsletter.

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