Tag: Editing

A Helping Hand…Punctuation Part 2 – Apostrophes

rainbow punctuation-787593_640Right! We did semi-colons in the last tutorial (see here). I thought I would tackle the apostrophe next. It’s another member in the punctuation cast list which has only a few functions but seems to cause an awful lot of confusion.

So, children, you’ve had morning break, please go back to your desks.

Stephen! Don’t try and carry the chair with Al still on it, dear.

Chris! Please don’t put that eraser in Carol’s ear. Pardon Chris? Yes, I know it’s soft, but she still doesn’t like it.

Sorry, Jim, what did you say? You want to put your raincoat on in case it rains? It won’t rain indoors, dear. No, Yvonne certainly won’t pour water over you.

Dan, please don’t fill Lois’s satchel with milk.

Kat!!!!!!………..Please don’t do that.

(In memory of the very wonderful Joyce Grenfell)

So, if we are all sitting comfortably…

Continue reading “A Helping Hand…Punctuation Part 2 – Apostrophes”

Good Help Can Be Hard To Find

The old adage is true. It can be hard to find good help. If you’re looking for editing, proofing, cover design, etc, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.

While lots of service providers have a great sales pitch, their quality doesn’t always match up. Recommendations from friends are sometimes helpful, but your mileage may vary.

Unfortunately, there is no substitute for doing your own homework when it comes to these things. However, as a jumping off point, here are a few folks you can check out:

Indies Unlimited does not endorse  any specific services, products, or organizations. Interested parties should always research a vendor before paying for services.

New Edition

An editorial service for writers, especially beginners. Low rates.

http://newedition.ca

 

Steady Hand Communications – JD Mader

Freelance: articles, ghostwriting, SEO content. Original writing. Fast turn-around.

http://steadyhandcommunications.blogspot.com

 

 

Laurie Boris

Copyediting and proofreading. Free beta reads and sample edits. Reasonable rates.

http://laurieboris.com

 

Be Write There

Providing people-focused proofreading, editing and copywriting services at flexible rates.

http://www.bewritethere.com

Jim Devitt

Freelancer specializing in healthcare articles, Sales/Marketing, Social Media, copywriting, SEO. Contact for quotes.

http://jimdevitt.blogspot.com/

Self-publishers: Buyer Beware

Yvonne Hertzberger, Author

It’s crunch time. My post is due and I woke at 3 am in a panic with no topic. (Sound familiar, Dan?) There is too much going on in my life. But then an idea I have been toying with for some time came back. I can share the story of my experience with iUniverse and use it as a cautionary tale for novice authors. And cautionary it is.

Let me preface this by saying that I do believe there are legitimate ‘self-publishing’ companies out there who deliver what they promise with integrity and quality. But let me also emphasize that such companies are few and far between and, to most of us, indistinguishable from the rest.

Continue reading “Self-publishers: Buyer Beware”

A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man.

I turned 40 this week (pipe down, I’m not fishing for B-day wishes, just pointing it out). In the grand tradition of turning the Big Four…Oh, it seemed like time to take stock, and to assemble a sort of personal inventory of the things I think I know about myself by this advanced age. The things I know about myself as a writer and reader, I mean. Who the heck wants to go down that dark path of a full-blown personal inventory, with the scratching trees and the slippery mud and what not? Continue reading “A Portrait of the Artist as an Old Man.”