Adam Blumer

How Can I Be an Editor Too? Part 6

By Adam Blumer November 1, 2013 English, Freelance Editing, Gadgets I Use, How Can I Be an Editor?, How to, Technology, Weekly Post No Comments
How Can I Be an Editor Too? Part 6

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5. In previous posts I discussed various aspects of what is required to work from home as a freelance editor. In this post I discuss the nuts and bolts of what actual editing looks like (at least for me) with a focus on some of the tools and technology I use. Tools and Technology So let’s say that you’ve got a degree in communications—maybe even a BA in English—and you’re great at spotting typos. Are you ready to start editing? Maybe. But I recommend you become equipped with a few essential tools first. Even though I had fourteen years of experience editing with two different companies, I wasn’t quite prepared when I made the leap from editing all sorts of stuff to book editing in particular. I knew how to spot typos and fix grammatical problems, but that’s only part of what…

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In Defense of Clean Speech in Christian Fiction, Part 8

By Adam Blumer December 14, 2012 Articles, Christian Living, Clean Speech Initiative, Current Events, English, Inspiration, Writing No Comments

See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7. Secondary Considerations: How Can We Know Whether Certain Words Are Vulgar or Profane? When I began this series, I mentioned participating in an online discussion about whether certain . . . ahem . . . words were ever okay to use in Christian fiction. One problem that hijacked the debate was the inability (or unwillingness) on the part of some to agree on the vulgarity of certain words. “Well, that word doesn’t seem vulgar to me,” they said. First, those in the discussion were all from the United States. Unless some of us grew up Amish, that we couldn’t reach some level of agreement doesn’t seem credible. Second, refusing to agree seems like a clever way to shift the debate. If the debate becomes about the vulgarity of certain words instead of about what God has said, then one need…

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