Blog renaissance

The author and her family, 2015, by Rick Heit Photography

 

Back in March, I posted this blog renaissance mission. I have had a few guests and have plans for more. Would you like to be included? See contact info at the end of the post.

Blog history 

Years ago, I produced week-long, special-event, promotional blog articles in collaboration with others. 

Over those years, I featured artists, writers, bloggers, other editors and proofreaders, photographers, sculptors, potters, graphic designers, jewelry makers, furniture makers, chefs, cooks, crafters, and more. 

The good feels

I felt good doing that. I am doing that again.  

Any time I can lift someone’s spirits – show their art or photos or jewelry or sculptures and share their passion with others – it gives me a warm fuzzy. 

It also helped me grow – in my perceptions and with creatives around the country and around the world.  

Resurrecting these partnerships

I would like to resurrect those special moments. Not in week-long events (man, that was a lot of work!), but with special events for anyone who has a book, artwork, or food truck launch or for creatives who simply want to share their special talents with my audience. 

All these blog features will be shared to my FB, Twitter, and LinkedIn. 

Contact me

If you are interested in a special-event feature on my blog, use the Contact Form or send an email – karenrsanderson@midco.net.

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Links to a handful of previous collaborations –  

Emmett Russell – Furniture maker and metal sculpturist – from 2015

Chris Eboch – Myths about writing for children – from 2015

Photographer Rick Heit – Interview with Rick Heit epic photographer – from 2015

Editor spotlight with Darlene Elizabeth Williams – Editor Spotlight – from 2014 

My Main Street with Minot’s Main Street Books – My Main Street – from 2013

Darlene Foster – Darlene Foster, tweens author – from 2013

Elizabeth H. Cottrell – Tools for touching hearts and lives – from 2013

Shawn MacKenzie – You are your words – from 2013

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Note – One of my greatest pleasures is when I present a guest in the best possible light. I will take more care with your blog appearance than with my own. I reserve the right to edit your submission.

Rick Heit Photography

For more info on Rick Heit Photography in Minot, ND, click here.

Farther or further? Change one letter and puzzlement ensues.

I’m often confused by FARTHER and FURTHER, so I went to my fave online resource – Merriam-Webster – as a starting point. 

A quick and succinct explanation

“Farther is for physical distance and further is for figurative distance.”

You can see their full explanation here – Merriam-Webster Further or Farther  

To further (haha, see what I did there?) complicate this issue, both FARTHER and FURTHER can be an adverb, adjective, or a verb, and at times can be interchangeable.  

But, I’m gonna keep it simple. I hope. 

Examples – farther – distance 

Forrest Gump ran farther than any American.  

You can stretch your arms and legs farther than the pip squeak next to you. 

You will fly farther than D. B. Cooper who just jumped off the plane with a satchel full of money. 

Examples – further – figurative 

Here I am, standing in front of Congress. I have just provided three specific instances of sedition by a certain member of Congress. But I have one more point to make. I would say, “Further, Ms. Lime-Green demonstrates…” 

You could not be further from the truth. 

She would do anything to further her agenda. 

Kudos to Grammarly

For another fabulous and reliable source, consult Grammarly Farther or Further.

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*Note – This blog article was edited and proofread by Shawn MacKenzie. Any boo-boos that remain are mine. 

Proofreading Four Pack, Part IV

With self-publishing comes great responsibility. Whether you self-publish or go the way of an agent/publisher, you want to be sure your manuscript makes it to readers as cleanly as possible and makes sense from Chapter 1 through to The End.

Or perhaps you have an important corporate letter or a letter to the editor you want to send off? Maybe you are writing a school bulletin, family newsletter, or a web page for your new business?

Here’s a handy DIY – the fourth and final part in a four pack of proofreading and copy-editing tip lists.

Can’t afford a professional proofreader? 

Even with my more-than-reasonable proofreading rates, I’ve had several writers say they just can’t afford it. I can dig it! There are other options available for getting your manuscript proofread and edited.

Writers’ group – If you feel you can’t afford a proofreader, join a writers’ critique group in your area. A good writers’ group is invaluable! If you can’t find a group, start one!

Exchange services – With other professionals – I’ll read yours if you read mine. Or trade one service for another. I used to proofread a monthly newsletter for a published writer in New Mexico, and I got a free ad in her newsletter. This exchange was a benefit to us both.

Join Linked In – This is a great way to find other professionals in the publishing industry. There are literally hundreds of groups for writers broken down by genre, e-book vs. print, and a lot of in-betweens.

Join Facebook groups – On Facebook there are pages and groups galore!

Proofreading sites and blogs – Search for sites and blogs that share proofreading and copy-editing tips.

Dictionary Plus – It’s not enough to have a dictionary (or to use an online dictionary). You should have a couple other desk references for grammar and punctuation – like The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus or Diane Hacker’s Rules for Writers.

Subscribe – Pick one or two magazines that are geared toward writers like Writer’s Digest or The Writer. These periodicals can be worth their weight in gold. If you don’t want to fork over the subscription price, ask for them at your local library.

Proofreading Four Pack, Part III

With self-publishing comes great responsibility. Whether you self-publish or go the way of an agent/publisher, you want to be sure your manuscript makes it to readers as cleanly as possible and makes sense from Chapter 1 through to The End.

Or perhaps you have an important corporate letter or a letter to the editor you want to send off? Maybe you are writing a school bulletin, family newsletter, or a web page for your new business?

Here’s a handy DIY – the third part in a four pack of proofreading and copy-editing tip lists.

Hiring a proofreader/copy editor  

Planning – Start looking for a proofreader the minute you start your book or soon thereafter.  Don’t decide you need a proofreader on Monday and hire one on Tuesday. Shop around. Ask other successful writers for recommendations.

Ask for Specifics – Ask the proofreader to outline exactlywhat they consider “proofreading” and “copy editing.” These differ significantly throughout the industry.

Put away the hatchet, please – When I proofread and edit for a client, I prefer to suggestchanges; I do not make edits for the writer. You should direct how the edits come to you or be amenable and agree to how the editing process works. 

Research online – Look at the proofreader’s website, Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, and blog. Are they positive? Do they share tips and links? Are their online pages clean?

Stylebook – Ask them what style book(s) and references they use. If they hem and haw or say, “Oh, I don’t need those things,” run away.

Testimonials – Get testimonials or references and then look at the publications of the testimonials. Contact the people who have provided these testimonials.

Turn-around – Look at the turn-around time – if a proofreader says she’ll have your 100,000-word work of art back to you in two days, that’s just not gonna happen.

Contract – Sign a contract. I would caution that if the proofreader doesn’t use contracts, again, run away. Be sure you can accept the contract payment terms, turn-around time, cancellation terms, additional cost for phone consultations, etc.

NDA – Ask the proofreader to sign an NDA – non-disclosure agreement. You don’t want your hard work to end up in someone else’s book or in the proofreader’s e-book.

Have you worked with a professional proofreader or copy editor? What did you like and what did you NOT like about the experience?