I’ve been a fan of Kathy Ide ever since I learned about the Christian Editor Network and The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, two organizations that were a tremendous help to me when I began editing from home in 2006. Kathy was especially gracious in helping a newbie like me learn the ropes in the scary world of editing books from home. She even referred some projects to me, which helped me earn income to support my family. I’m saying all this in the interest of full disclosure before I talk about her new book, Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. What Is This Book About? What a treasure this book is, especially for book editors like me. I refer to the online version of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) almost every day. If asked, my book editing buddies would probably agree with me that sometimes putting our fingers on…
When 2013 ended, yes, I’d finished a great year of making income for my family, but I’d fallen far short of my writing goals. I’d failed to complete the first draft of my third novel, which I’m tentatively calling Drone. I tend to get down on myself when I don’t meet my personal goals, but then I have to remind myself that I have priorities that must come before my writing—namely, supporting my wife and two daughters. So while I didn’t meet my writing goals, I kept food on the table—and really, what’s more important? That’s an easy question to answer. God doesn’t go soft on men who fail to provide for those under their care (1 Tim. 5:8). So yes, I do have a personal goal to finish novel number three in 2014, but I also temper that goal with an important truth. God gives us just enough time…
In Part 1 we looked at the skills and education necessary to be a professional editor. In this article we look at where to go next. Let’s assume you’ve passed the test—you’ve got all the necessary skills. (1) You have excellent English skills, (2) you love writing and words, (3) you understand how words work together (that’s not the same thing as #2), (4) you have a colllege degree in communications, and (5) you are constantly learning more about writing, editing, or both to stay on top of your game. Now where this article goes next and how it applies to you depends on who you are: whether you are (1) someone fresh out of college who is looking for an editing job and is willing to relocate or (2) someone who feels he or she has the skills needed to be an editor from home. Because those are two…
I’ve written a new eighty-thousand-word novel—except for the ending, that is. That’s where, I confess, I’m struggling right now. “What? Why?” you may ask. When faced with seemingly too many good plot choices, my default is to become indecisive. I’ve been there, done that—written an ending I thought was the best one only to later discover it stank to high heaven. Wasted words. Wasted time. Wasted life. If only I could get it right the first time. <See me banging my head against the wall?> Indecisive Me Maybe you’re not like me. Maybe with every life choice you know instantly what you want and which path is best. But that’s not me. Picture me at an ice cream stand. Okay, which flavor do I want? Mackinac Island Fudge? Chocolate? Black Cherry? Rocky Road? Mint Chocolate Chip? Um, well, I like them all. So the question isn’t, which ice cream do I like…
