January 26th, 2010
A literary agent is the person who will champion your story and get it into the hands of the right people at a publishing house. But while literary agents are always looking for a great story, it’s important to remember they receive many, many manuscripts – and they can’t represent everyone. Their stack of query letters and synopses is called the “slush pile”, and you need to make sure yours finds its way out of it.
The first step is to make sure your manuscript is in the best condition you can possibly make it. This means you have redrafted it, asked friends or a critique group to read it over, and finally given it to a professional editor, such as those at Firstediting.com, to repair any grammar problems, inconsistencies, or structural issues.
Now that your manuscript has been reshaped and in near perfect condition, the next step is to write a killer query letter and synopsis. Maybe you’ve been working on these alongside your manuscript, or maybe you will hire a professional to help you. These are vitally important – and they are the only way you will entice an agent to request a sample of your work. In addition, most agents have assistants who read the submissions for them, and only the best queries will actually get seen by the agent.
Begin your research for the perfect agent by creating a list of those who have worked with books that are a similar style to yours, and preferably books that you admire. Learn as much as you can about each agent, because finding the right person for this role means you will have someone who will fight to get your book into the marketplace and provide the vital link between you and the publishing house. If you send your work to a poor agent, your manuscript may never find its way to a publishing house.
Once you are satisfied with your list, check the agents’ submission guidelines very carefully. Like publishing houses, agents receive many manuscripts, and each may have specific requirements. While the merit of your story is the most important thing, don’t let yourself down by sending in your work in the wrong format or full of typos or awkward grammar. Contact by the method they request (i.e., do they prefer phone, email, or post?), and then send them only what they have requested; no more, no less.
If your query letter, synopsis, and sample pages shine like a diamond in the slush pile, you may just find the literary agent you always dreamed of.
Tags: editors, literary agent, Professional Editing, query letter, synopsis, writers
Posted in Book Editing, Book Editors, Fiction Editing, Manuscript Editing, Novel Editing, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
May 22nd, 2009
Now that your paper is done or your novel written, you want to make sure it’s as perfect as possible before turning it in or submitting it to a publisher. Obviously, the first step toward that goal is to proofread your work.
“Huh? My word processing program includes a spell checker and it even checks grammar, too—why should I proofread my document?”
Elementary, my dear Watson: spell/grammar checkers don’t always catch all the typos your work may contain. To prevent (or maybe just lessen) panic at the notion of proofreading, below are some easy steps to guide you through the process:
- Use your word processing program’s spell/grammar check for basic proofreading; it’s a good place to start and usually catches the most egregious errors.
- Don’t blindly accept all the suggestions that spell/grammar check recommends: for instance, in the paragraph above (you know, the one beginning with the Sherlock Holmes cliché), my spell-grammar check recommends a semi-colon rather than a comma between “proofreading” and “below.” Ummm…nope, sorry. That’s not an appropriate place for a semi-colon, but the comma works just fine, thanks.
- Read through your work slowly and carefully—you’ll be surprised at the number of errors a human proofreader will catch that were totally missed by a spell/grammar check program.
- If you have the time, now read your document from end to beginning as part of the proofreading process. Why? Because reading your work backwards focuses your attention on the spelling and grammar; when you read from beginning to end, it’s just human nature to unconsciously fill in missing words and see the correct spelling, even when words are missing or spelling is incorrect.
- Have a friend or family member proof your document. Is it a subject they know little or nothing about? Even better: then their focus will be on grammar and spelling, since they can’t really help you with content!
If all this still sounds too daunting, why not just save yourself the frustration (and possibly your friendships and family relationships, as well), and hire a professional editor from a firm like FirstEditing to not only proofread but also edit your work?
Tags: Professional Editing, professional editor, Proofreading
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May 20th, 2009
It is important for your writing project to be consistent, which can be defined as accepting a style guide appropriate for your type of writing, (e.g., APA, MLA)* or by adopting a style of your own and using it throughout the project.
Examples of using consistency in writing include adopting:
- one font style and only a few font sizes (body font and title font)
- set margins, paragraph style, (e.g., justified), tabs, and bullets
- similar numbering, lettering and grammar for lists and bullet points
- terminology
- spelling style, (e.g., U.S. versus U.K.)
It is very difficult for a reader to look at multiple types of fonts, and mixed uses of italics, bold and underlined lettering. It is distracting, contributing to the view that the manuscript is disorganized and unclear. Headings, titles, and bullets or numbered lists should be consistent within the manuscript. The statements in these sections should be parallel (consistent in how they are presented in terms of the use of a verb tense or descriptive phrase). As an example, the list above uses a noun in each statement. The list below uses an action verb. The manuscript will appear to be well organized and readability and clarity will be improved.
What other steps should the writer include to ensure consistency?
- use an appropriate verb tense throughout the project
- incorporate one style for footnotes, citations and references
- develop spacing rules for sentences, paragraphs, and lines (single versus double-space)
- use one person style, (e.g., first versus third person)
- include a hierarchical system for titles and headings, (e.g., centered, flush left, capitalized, italic)
Being consistent in your writing and editing professionalizes the project whether it is a fiction or non-fiction manuscript. Two good references for font readability include: The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst and The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web. Italicizing book titles and putting a hyperlink in blue and underlining it are examples of a style that you would incorporate every time you include similar references.
The best way to ensure consistency is in the editing of the project. If you are using a style manual, most of the rules are outlined and the major task is to follow the guide. However, if the writing style is unique, the professional editor (or writer completing the editing) should keep a log as the project is reviewed to keep track of the different styles incorporated. The styles can be applied later on in the project. For example, note that your first use of a book title was underlined, and use this similar style each time a book title is used in the manuscript.
Style consistency is a characteristic of a serious and excellent writer. It also demonstrates to many of us who write and read and edit, a love of writing and the appreciation of a well-edited manuscript as an art form.
* APA is the American Psychological Association
MLA is the Modern Language Association
Tags: Add new tag, professional editor, Submitting for Publication, Writing for Publication, writing tips
Posted in Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
May 17th, 2009
The font of your text says a lot more than you might think. In addition to being a creative way to present your text, various fonts convey various ideas and attitudes. For example, Times New Roman, the most popular font in the United States and the preferred font for printed books and magazines, is known to convey authority and information.
When writing a manuscript for publication, it is important to use a non-proportional font, a font with each character having the same width. This includes Times New Roman and Courier, the most common fonts for manuscripts. Non-proportional fonts make the text appear to have been typed on a typewriter, and the publishing industry is known for being anti-computer. This is changing and will change, but for now it is still important to submit your manuscript in an acceptable font if you plan to have your book printed.
Ebooks are another story. In an ebook, fonts can be used very creatively. The trick is to use restraint and balance. Do not use more than 4 fonts, as this can be very obnoxious for readers. Be consistent with fonts too—use the same font for all headings, even if you use a different font for the body text. You might use one font only for the cover or title page, or one font for one section, depending on the subject matter.
Font size is also worth considering. A traditional manuscript needs to be set in 12pt font, while an ebook can use another size, usually larger because the text is designed to be read onscreen. The same rule goes for font size: do not vary the size too often. Yes, headings might look better in a larger font in your ebook, but do not change the font size of the body text from paragraph to paragraph.
For a traditional manuscript (for your novel for example) should always be in all black. Ebooks may use other colors. The reason a printed manuscript must be in all black is mainly because there is no point in using color—the manuscript is designed to be easily read by a potential agent or publisher, and odd colors can make it hard to read. Also, the manuscript you turn in for possible publication is no the same as the printed manuscript which goes to press, so your color choices will not be reflected in the final copy or the actual book if it is published.
Of course, there are always exceptions to these rules, and some vanity publishers have no regard for the “old school” guidelines, but it is better to be safe than sorry. Some publishers will not read your manuscript if the fonts are wrong. Some will. It’s your choice ultimately.
Often, writers do not have time to care for all the nuances of manuscript preparation, and a professional editor is hired to format the manuscript. In addition to proofreading your work, professional editors are available to properly format your manuscript. Therefore, if you don’t have time to go back through and correct all the odd fonts and varied sizes or colors, you can simply enlist a professional editor. I have done this work many times, and it is always satisfying to maximize the potential of good content by ensuring it is properly presented.
Tags: Font, professional editor, Submitting for Publication
Posted in Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
May 12th, 2009
I am always checking my style and grammar books to ensure that I am capitalizing words properly! It is not easy to remember all of the rules and regulations regarding capitalization.
But, a helpful way to remember when to capitalize (in most cases) is to use this phrase: Proper nouns and words derived from them are capitalized. Common nouns are not.
Here are some examples:
Weekdays, holidays and months are capitalized:
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Labor Day
- An exception is the Fourth of July. You would use the fourth of March.
Seasons, directions and events are not capitalized:
- summer
- north
- northwest
- my birthday
- my anniversary.
Titles are capitalized when used with a name:
- Example - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
But, it is not capitalized in this example:
- The hearings for the secretary of state appointment begin today.
Capitalize the first, last and all major words of a title:
- “The Long Hot Summer”
- “Frannie and Zooey”
- “The Red and the Black”
Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins an independent clause: This may depend on whether you are using MLA Style or APA Style.
- I found myself in an unusual position: My husband was not the man I thought he was. (APA)
- I found myself in an unusual position: my husband was not the man I thought he was. (MLA)
Here are some other examples:
- God (when used as a name)
- god (when used as a description)
- Aunt Judie
- my aunt
- English, French
- history, mathematics, physical education
- The World Wide Web and Web Site
- a home page
- Work War II
- the war, a war
- a Republican, a Democrat
- an independent (but a member from the Independence Party)
- I went to the game with Father.
- His father was often at work on Saturdays.
- The South (as an area)
- the southern point
- a southern state
If you have a question about capitalizing a word, look in the stylebooks in the index for “capitalization.” Most stylebooks provide exceptions.
You can also use a search engine on the Web to help you reference these types of questions. I have one site I like to use as well:
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/capital.asp
But you can also go to the APA and MLA Websites for good information.
http://www.apastyle.org/
http://www.mla.org/
Tags: capitalizations, Capitalize
Posted in Editing Skills & Services, Proofreading, Writer's Tips | No Comments »
May 4th, 2009
Hyphens, En Dashes, and Em Dashes have their places in a sentence. Often times, they are used interchangeably and they are not intended to be used that way. They each have a specific purpose. Most people use hyphens and dashes quite often in writing and they can be somewhat confusing. Most writers are very familiar with using hyphens since they are the most frequently used dash. It’s the smallest of the three with the en dash slightly longer and the em dash slightly longer than the en dash. If you’re using Word, you can find the en dash and the em dash under the “Insert” tab under “Symbols.” From there, you can make a shortcut to those symbols so you can just use your keyboard the next time you need it; this is what I prefer to do. That way when you are typing, you can just use your shortcut on the keyboard instead of going to the symbol menu each time you need it.
Hyphens
Hyphens are used in compound words and for dividing words. They are also used to separate numbers like phone numbers and social security numbers. See the following examples:
1-800-123-4567 (phone number)
123-45-6789 (SSN)
“The way I spell that is F-E-R-G-U-S-O-N.”
He lives in a middle-class neighborhood
She has a three-year-old boy
(Please note that there are several different rules for compound words and whether or not to use the hyphen.)
En Dashes
Typically, en dashes are used to connect numbers. Rarely, are they used to connect words, and that is usually only with connecting two compound words.
1950–1960
Romans 10: 9–10
Refer to pages 12–24
a hospital–nursing home connection
Em Dashes
Em Dashes have several different uses. Most frequently, they are used to amplify or set apart aspects of a sentence.
“She walked away—or rather, ran away—from the laughing crowd.
“Is he—will he—accept the position?” (You could also use ellipses here)
The em dash can also be used to indicate sudden breaks in dialogue.
“I’m sorry; I tried to—”
“Trick me?” she demanded.
Tags: Em Dashes, En Dashes, Hyphens
Posted in Proofreading, Writer's Tips | No Comments »
May 1st, 2009
As an author, you will, at some point, have someone critique your writing; that is, if you plan on having it published in some way. Someone’s going to read it and give their opinion about your writing. Most authors are very protective of their writing and find that any negative feedback is either a direct reflection of their writing abilities or an attack on their story. If you want an honest, unbiased critique of your story, then you will have to loosen the reigns and step back away from the story and see it from the eyes of the reader. For some, this is very difficult to do and so most authors will have to incorporate the help of an outside editor, versus doing it themselves. I personally recommend getting a professional editor to edit your story because as an author, you are often times too close to the story to see any flaws. It may be difficult, but it is important for you to take those editing notes seriously and not take it personally. If the editor is confused by your plotline or sees a flaw in one of the characters, then most likely, so will the reader. The positive feedback is good and necessary, but so is the negative; it could save you from embarrassment or more importantly, help you to have a more polished story that is ready for publishing. But there are always two sides to every coin and the editor has to take some things into account also.
As an editor, you must keep in mind that you are editing something that holds a lot of value to someone. With that in mind, you should edit with professionalism, care, tact, and honesty. It’s not your job to rewrite the story. However, it is your job to tell the author if you believe it should be rewritten. It is not your job to just be nice and agreeable and say, “This story is excellent,” if you know that it’s not. You’re not doing the author any favors by restraining the negative comments. On the flip side, your comments should not all be negative either, otherwise it will seem as though you are making a personal attack on the author and/or their work. If you happen to be reading an exceptionally poorly written story, it’s okay to point out what’s wrong with the story and how it can be better, but you can also point out something positive. Maybe the plot line is confusing and jumbled and some of the characters don’t make sense, but the author’s use of imagery is good; it is important to say both.
Accepting and giving critiques may not always be easy, but it’s a necessary part of the author/editor relationship.
Tags: Add new tag, Critique, critiques, professional editor
Posted in Writer's Tips | No Comments »
April 10th, 2009
Whether you’re a great writer or one who struggles, it is always important to improve your skills and take your writing to the next level. When it comes to writing an essay, there are 3 proven strategies that you can use to get ahead.
First, pre-planning and brainstorming is key. Although some people are able to write a great essay in one sitting or on the spot with a time limit, most GREAT essays took some time. Research your topic and write down or record any useful notes and facts. Plan out the order in which you will present your ideas in writing. It is not enough to just have a topic; it is just equally necessary to have a logical organization and presentation.
Secondly, streamlining your text can take a mediocre essay to a higher level. Simplifying your sentences and using precise grammar and structure can make your essay easier and more fun to read, more comprehensible, and more stylistically appealing. Although some people call those who have mastered these skills “professionals” or “naturally talented,” anyone can become a skilled writer with practice. Rewrite one of your old essays and see how much you can improve it. Remove any unnecessary words or phrases, change passive voice to active voice, and include more visual imagery or explanation. It is also great to utilize creative writing techniques to balance out the academic content of your essay-especially if you’re writing your essay for a magazine or website.
Finally, a surefire way to improve your essay is to hire a professional editor to go over your work and correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typos. You as the writer of your own work are unlikely to catch ALL the errors, and your word processing software’s spell/grammar check is no genius. At the very least, have a friend or colleague read and check your essay, and then revise accordingly. The advantage of using a professional editor comes in handy for those big projects-your college essays, a journal or newsletter article, a magazine or website article, or an important academic or work-related presentation. Editing can also improve your essay’s overall clarity, format, organization, and even content and style. If you’re ever in a hurry and you don’t have time to utilize the first two strategies, a professional touch can potentially make up for both.
So whether your goal is to become a better writer or to simply turn in or submit better essays, these 3 strategies will give you results. Often, all it takes to turn a good idea into a great essay is a little time. Fortunately, if you don’t have the time, you can still improve your essay by hiring a professional editor.
Tags: essay, essays, professional editor
Posted in Editing Skills & Services, Manuscript Editing, Writer's Tips | No Comments »
April 8th, 2009
It may be appropriate to use sexist (or gender specific) language in a novel or religious writing, but there are very few times when you can or should appropriately identify a character, individual, or subject using only a masculine form of the word. And, using a combination (him/her) is cumbersome.
In educational writing (course assignments or research papers), journalism, and in business, sexism in the use of language is discrimination. Style manuals, office policies and procedures, and employee handbooks and are excellent resources for using gender-neutral language. And, it is important to be gender neutral. Not being gender neutral can be a costly mistake. I know a manager who tosses resumes and job application letters into the “Do Not Interview” pile when she spies sexist uses of the language. It does not make a good impression in these gender-neutral times.
Use of sexist language most often occurs with third-person masculine pronouns (he, him, his, himself) or with job titles that include a gender preference (fireman, chairman, foreman) (Andersen, R. 1994). Words such as stewardess, waiter or waitress, actor and actress have been changed to a gender-neutral format: flight attendant, server, actor.
There are also sexist words that are not job titles but relate to a group of people: mankind, the average man, manned, all men. In exchange, words such as people, average person, staffed, and all people should be used. In technical writing, “ensure that the reception desk is manned 24 hours” should be replaced with “staffed 24 hours.”
After monkeys flew into space and we moved on to using astronauts, we had “manned spacecraft.” Certainly that wording is no longer appropriate.
What are some options for ensuring that your writing is gender neutral? First, adopt the titles that are in use today:
- Letter carrier
- Chairperson or Chair
- Spokesperson
- Flight Attendant
- Police Officer
- Server
- Firefighter
- Host (no Hostesses)
- Journalist, Writer
- Actor (no Actresses)
- Sportsperson
- And, don’t use male nurses to distinguish from nurses (female)
Most businesses and workplaces now use administrative assistant or word-processor or assistant rather than secretary as a position title.
If you are using female and male wording together, make sure that they have equal treatment. Examples include:
Ladies and Gentlemen or Men and Women
but not: Men and Ladies
Husband and Wife
but not: Man and Wife (Yes-change the wedding vows)
John and Mary Doe or John Doe and Mary Jones
but not: John Doe and wife Mary
If using a sentence where the subject can be he or she or him or her, try to find another way to write the sentence without using him/her or he/she. For example, the sentence:
Prior to giving a patient medications, make sure that you verify his/her name by checking their identification bracelet.
Change the wording to:
Prior to giving a patient medication, make sure to verify their names by checking the identification bracelet.
Or even better:
Check the patient’s identification bracelet to ensure that it matches the name on the prescription prior to administering medications.
Another example:
A researcher should submit his proposal by December 15 (Do not use he to mean both men and women)
Each physician must submit his patient reports within 24 hours.
Better examples are:
The proposal deadline for researchers is December 15.
Each physician must file patient reports within 24 hours.
Watch the use of the language especially in public relation materials, advertisements or job applications and in your speech. It is very easy to alienate new customers, clients or potential employees by using sexist language. Sexist language in your business writing (e.g. memos, emails, articles, technical writing) is not professional and may at times, be illegal, violate human resources policies and procedures and not meet style guidelines. So, in editing your materials, ensure that you use gender neutral language at all times.
An excellent example that illustrates that “man or he” cannot stand for both men and women is this sentence (Andersen, 1994)
“Modern man no longer pampers himself during pregnancy. He works almost up until the day of delivery and is back at work within a few weeks of leaving the hospital.”
p.48
Reference:
Andersen, R. (1994). Powerful Writing Skills. National Press Publications, a division of Rockhurst College Continuing Education Center, Inc.
Tags: gender neutral, gender neutral language, gender specific, sexist language
Posted in Business Editing, Proofreading, Writer's Tips | 1 Comment »
April 6th, 2009
You’ve lost sleep, skipped meals and as for a social life-what’s that? But you have that paper well-researched and have just put the finishing touches on the last draft. Now you want someone else, a professional, to examine your baby and make sure it’s as perfect as possible. After all, a course grade-maybe a degree-is riding on that sucker.
But what sort of editing do you need, standard or technical? What level of editing will ensure that the fruits of your labor are presented as clearly and accurately as possible?
For term papers, research papers, theses, dissertations and even journal articles, your best bet is technical editing. Why?
Well, let’s look at standard editing first: an editor doing a standard edit will check for subject-verb agreement and other grammatical gaffes, make sure verb tenses are correct in context, alert you to continuity problems and often suggest fixes, and so forth.
“But that’s what I need, right?” you ask, scratching your head in confusion.
Well, yes, you need that and more-and that’s where technical editing comes in.
When an editor does a technical edit, s/he does all of the above plus-and this is a very important plus-checks your citations/footnotes, references, captions, headings and subheadings for accuracy and adherence to the style guide required by your instructor, committee or journal, in addition to providing feedback on how the paper reads and alerting you to areas that might confuse the reader or that look as if they’re missing citations.
“Oh, nobody ever really looks at the citations and references,” you laugh, shrugging.
Trust me: they do. Profs can be almost insanely persnickety about things like margins and proper in-text citations, and if your content is amazingly well-written but you used the wrong margins or the wrong style guide, what you’ve written won’t matter: the prof will fail you, anyway. After all that hard work, your paper could be rejected because of easily-fixable errors that a professional editor could have caught and corrected.
This is where technical editing can be a lifesaver…and maybe a degree-saver, too. Take the time to have your paper edited by a professional, and be sure to ask for a technical edit. Professional technical editing by a firm such as FirstEditing can make sure your glowing content isn’t obscured by glaring technical errors.
Tags: citation, Professional Technical Editing, references, Standard Edit, Standard Editing, Technical Edit, Technical Editing
Posted in Technical Editing, Thesis/Research Writing | No Comments »
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