Ostensibly I wasn’t the only telecasting syndrome surviving unskilled recreation critic with an eye on the repugn. Added suspicious spirit Googled the label of a guy who had received an undue confine of votes within hours of the transmitting of his recording. It rotated out that a linkage to his humbleness, along with manual to balloting for it, had been posted on a general cyberspace blog. And so it went as the repugn progressed. Talent began to enumeration for cipher. Existence networked to a franchise generating organisation was all that mattered. The touch was reminiscent of Florida during the Statesmanlike election of 2000, save for the ornament chads.

The AMC TV simulation “Mad Men” has condemned television by kerfuffle. Now in the midst of its back mollify, the Book Weiner created flashback to the early-sixties continues to grow in both popularity and severe plaudits after having won both a Gilded Orb and Educator Grant in its opening assemblage. But late, as a ending of AMC’s own shenanigans, hatred toward the take and its mesh has begun to arise among the ranks of its most fast fans.

The brain trusts at AMC had definite to host a oppose for its direct’s burning supporters, commencement in July, in which the winner would be specified a “walk-on” role in a forthcoming film. Expected entrants to the rivalry were educated to appeal themselves performing on video, a photo from any of pentad provided scripts. The submitted videos would then be posted to a repugn webpage to be voted on by opposite fans of the exhibit, with the top eighteen vote-getting submissions forward to a examination cumuliform. According to the publicized guidelines of the competition, entrants were encouraged to be innovational in their interpretations of the scenes. The mortal would be choson based on “creativity and/or compelling nature of the performance, quality of fattened quantity and popularity among the AMC territory”, with Levi Weiner himself chiming in on the unalterable excavation actors to hockey Moms set near parading their talents in hopes that their videos would promote their change into the forage of the paparazzi. Existence both a large fan of the lead and a productive identify, I threw my hat in as comfortably. Submissions consisted of everything from entrants reciting lines into low-quality webcams to expand productions with overladen sets, props and activity casts. Many were actually quite safe, others, healed…

As the repugn began to undo and the votes started propulsion in, a peculiar abstraction seemed to be occurrence. Most of the many originative and compelling entries got relatively few votes, spell others, few of which were quite inferior at unexceeded, were engulfed with phenomenal numbers of votes within a matter of hours. Granted, I’m no talent expert, but I cognise a programme job when I see one. And I sure wasted sufficiency of my youth, despite my parents’ perpetual warnings, within tercet feet of a video set to be able to retrieve an amusing production. Something rum was current on planet AMC.

A naïve bravery mightiness acquire suspected that AMC would be up in accumulation over much finagling of the voting performance. After all, they had touted a contend for their fans based on creativeness, creativity and compelling nature of performance. Tempers had begun to shine and speaking propagate throughout the contest blogs over the iniquity of what was occurring. I modify took it upon myself to flame off scorching emails to those flying the oppose as recovered as to AMC headquarters, detailing my feelings regarding how corruptly the entrants who were deception their way to the finals had been behaving.

And then it hit me same a action enhanced Mike Gladiator mitt habituate. Was what was occurrence just what the goober heads and dirty mucks at AMC had hot all along? Had we all been so gullible as to consider that their “contend” was active anything another than generating packaging by exploiting its faithful fan unethical?

They weren’t hunting for talent to put on the appear. They could grow that a lot quicker and easier than dragging out a contend for nearly an entire season. It was never nigh appreciated the liege fan with the compelling performance or the most imaginative recording. That was all tobacco and mirrors. The brobdingnagian eld of contestants had never stood a seek, irrespective of the calibre of their submissions. Granting a walk-on part was righteous their way of throwing a remove to one of the highly networked stooges who could designate their pretence for them by granting AMC right to their scheme. Rumblings in the blogs advisable that the competition had lost all believability. Contestants had begun to search duped by their honey exhibit.

I yet got an email from AMC in response to my rantings. They thanked me for expressing my concerns and hoped that I would hold my “passionate concur” of those who had made it to the terminal stave. Speaking of the closing perfect, I patterned the Mad Men website and launch this advice for the competition finalists regarding their submissions: “Linkup to it on Facebook or Myspace and move emailing as some friends as workable.” It seems that confident types of bloodsuckers never motility their work.

I estimation we all should human famous improve. Specified is the happening of those who succeed a contend crafted by the producers of a lead near unprincipled men who create in advertising.

So you have found the perfect ensemble to wear for your evening party, the glossy skin from a salon visit and that perfect pair from Jimmy Choos. What you didn’t figure into this style calculation was that your lovely locks would grow exponentially to the heat and humidity and turn into a mass of frizzy unruly curls. Before you cringe with mortification as you look yourself in the mirror, here are five ways to manage your mane this summer and brush in the trendy factor.

1)      The messy bun look – The easiest thing to do with frizzy hair is a slightly messy bun with a side part. Look into your bag for a few hair clips or a hair band and a hairspray. Scoop up some hair straightening cream and run it through your locks, slowly gathering them together into a low ponytail. Twirl the ponytail, make a loose bun and fix it with bobby pins. It’s great because it does not have to be perfect and keeps the hair out of the way.

2)      The braided look:  The hottest this season is the milkmaid braid. This is not only simple and practical, you can carry it off with almost any wear. Part your hair down the middle, create two braids on each side, and lock them with hair pins or elastics. If you have long enough hair, you could cross the braids at the top of your head and then twist them into a low bun at the back. Coat your hair with a hairspray if you want no flyways.

3)      The slick black curly ponytail: If your straight hair cannot hold a curl then you might need a styling product combed in. Slick it back with a gel, gather the mane at the nape and tie it with an elastic. Separate the ponytail into two or three sections and use a double barrel curling iron to get three strands of soft curly hair.

4)       The headgear: Sometimes the only thing needed to add the cool element is a headgear. Wrap your head with a bandana or a scarf or a straw hat if you are planning to go out in the heat and don’t want to tie up your locks. If you have really short hair, then look out for the cute hair pins – the bobby pins and barrettes of all kinds. Try pinning a flower or tucking one into the locks for that chic summer look.

So I went back to page one, and asked myself some more questions: questions for every scene, every paragraph, for almost every sentence. Where are they now? Have I added the five senses to each scene…sights, scents, tastes, sounds and touch, to make each scene vivid in the reader’s mind (I cannot stress enough how important this is to make your book come alive!)? Is the pace correct—too fast, or too slow? Has it got enough action? Why is my character doing this, and have I made sure the reason is compelling? Can I show, through his/her past or present emotions, why this act has come to pass? Will my editor understand what they’ve done and why, or am I taking liberties by knowing my characters too well, taking for granted my editor will, too? Do I need to clarify an action and by that, I mean by adding character depth, not “telling” after showing?

For example:

She slapped him, hard. “You disgust me!” She’d never been so angry with any man in her life, or so appalled. How could he believe she’d do that…unless her past had caught up with her again?

Let’s face it, most of the final two sentences are unnecessary, aren’t they? You’re not going to slap a man unless you are furious, or appalled. So this is not depth, it’s an explanation in case the editor or judge is too dumb to understand that a face slap means anger—or it’s a “filler” sentence for a writer who’s short on words and taking the quick way out.

So, how to add depth while avoiding fillers? Ask the questions.

Okay, I’ll re-write that one paragraph now, asking the questions and hopefully answering them, to give life to an act that is seen as passé these days, and make it compelling instead.

She stood before him, all five-four of her squaring up to his looming strength as he towered over her in the quiet of the dusky garden, and, without warning, she slapped him. Hard. “You disgust me.” His quirky, confident smile faded; his cheek reddened while the rest of his face grew hard and cold, concrete resisting the jackhammer. She dragged in a harsh breath, sucking air in till her lungs felt ready to explode. The gentle jasmine scent was almost obscene in her nostrils as she waited for the words to come, the mocking ridicule of a man unable to believe he wouldn’t be the next in line. So it was back again, the reap-what-she’d-sown consequences of one stupid act. Damn it, she’d been all of seventeen, and it still dragged behind her like a road ganger’s chain.

The first paragraph was two lines. It showed an act, and told how she felt. My version is six lines longer, but I think (hope!) it answers the questions, and, in one paragraph-just one, in a whole book-I’ve gone from 37 words to 135. In my version I’ve added subtle touches, like an artist’s paintbrush, to make this scene live. Sights, sounds, scent, action and reaction…and I’ve gone right inside her mind for her emotions, not just told how she felt. I gave the past without delving into a flashback, and set up a whole new avenue for a storyline. What secret is in her past? I don’t know yet, but I do want to find out what act has ruined her life-don’t you? To me, this is emotional depth, showing, not telling. I have answered the questions I need to, and hopefully opened the way for more questions, leading the reader on to find out what has happened to this girl. Instead of just one act, you create a world within a world, a scene with a life all its own, with its own tension and emotion, and giving dept to a heroine who is really performing an act that is seen as outdated. A paragraph that could just be a lazy “filler” for quick drama now becomes a bridge for the emotional roller coaster to continue.

This is an example of how I work. I usually do this as a complete draft: I “seatz” the first draft, writing the bare bones of my story. Then I use another draft to cut down repeated stuff or adverbs or tags (he said, she said, etc, when an action can be used instead), then I do this draft, and in my opinion, the most vital of all: the beautifying draft. This is the life-giving draft, the most essential part of my work, to lift a plot from the everyday to the living, breathing story I want to present to my editors. This is my kind of emotional depth.

Does the phrase “corporate newsletter” conjure images of a fuzzily mimeographed “office rag,” left in heaps at every mailstop? Forget such relics; today’s interoffice newsletter may be delivered via fax, e-mail, or even posted on a corporate Intranet. It may also include snazzy computer graphics, multi-colored inks, and scanned photos. Yet no matter how hi-tech corporate newsletters become, their basic needs are the same: Good writing and good editing. Since many companies have “downsized” their editorial staff, these skills are often sought on a freelance “outsourcing” basis.

Freelance newsletter development can bring anywhere from $25 to $50 per hour (or more), or a flat fee of several hundred dollars per issue. Since most newsletters are produced monthly or biweekly, income is steady and checks are regular. The job can also be challenging: While some newsletters are admittedly dull, others involve skillful writing and reporting. Most of all, managing an effective newsletter means making decisions and gathering information on three vital areas: Content, Audience, and Authority.

Defining Content

Corporate newsletters still tend to follow traditional patterns of “front page” news, “inside items,” and “back page announcements”—even when no physical pages are involved. While content may vary widely, the following categories usually apply:

Front Page News. These items focus on company-wide achievements, successes, or changes that affect the entire company. You may cover the winning of a major contract, the successful completion of a project, the opening of a new office, the development (or launch) of a product, or the hiring of a new vice president. “Front page” items usually offer the most opportunity for creativity; readers will appreciate an editor who can do more than just list figures and names, but who can dig deeper for quotes, examples, anecdotes, and anything else to “flesh out” the bare facts.

Departmental News. The second “tier” of coverage focuses on keeping various sections of a company informed about what other sections are doing. These items cover achievements by individuals, projects, or departments—including updates on projects, announcements of new management hires, and any other “department-level” news. You may also have an opportunity to write articles recognizing staff members for personal achievements, such as the publication of a book or a community service award. Keep in mind that while all departments like equal time, some will be more aggressive in providing material; try to “rotate” features to cover all sections of the company.

Company Updates. Newsletters are often used to provide updates on policies or procedures, announcements of new equipment or training, or similar information. If you find nothing new to report in this area, consider running a general information piece, such as a roster of “who to call” on administrative issues.

Support Staff News. A good newsletter will cover not only issues of interest to (or about) management, but also articles on members of the support staff. This is the place to report that Mary Smith received her 25-year company pin, or that Joe Davies won the turkey raffle. You may find less leeway to report on non-company achievements, however.

Calendar Items. Newsletters are the best place to announce company-wide events, such as holiday parties, ski trips, picnics, raffles, etc. If a company is divided into many small, far-flung offices, try to include only those items that will be of interest to the company as a whole (i.e., a ski trip at the Colorado office won’t be of interest to staff in the Florida office).

Employee Announcements. When space permits, many newsletters offer announcements of job openings, new hires, transfers, promotions, departures, employee anniversaries, and similar events. Some even include birthdays, marriages, babies, etc.

Filler. When news is scarce, don’t hesitate to insert copyright-free cartoons, art, or humorous items. (One corporation saved incoming mail that had been amusingly misaddressed — such as “Mr. XYZ Corp”—to use as filler.)

Bad News. You may never see this category: Most corporations don’t care to publish news about lost contracts, failed projects, or internal problems. This often leads to accusations of “ignoring” or “glossing over” problems—but it’s a policy editors can rarely change.

Ideally, a newsletter should offer a blend of these categories—but not all newsletters are ideal. Content is often dictated not just by news, but by who is reading that news.

Defining the Audience

Corporations invariably declare that a newsletter is “for the whole company.” Unfortunately, that isn’t always true. Some newsletters are, in fact, designed to be read primarily by upper and middle management. Consequently, such newsletters will focus primarily on items of interest to that audience—which usually means items about that audience. Such a newsletter will typically cover individual and departmental achievements and activities, including completed projects, successful products, new contracts, important meetings and briefings, and even business trips. Names are important: You’ll be expected to list all the key figures involved in an event (e.g., everyone who attended a briefing). Personnel coverage may mean writing a bio sketch of a newly hired project director—but not of the new clerk in the mail room.

Other newsletters focus on support staff issues—the interests of people who don’t make the decisions or attend important meetings. This type of newsletter will focus on company news, announcements, policy changes, calendar items, employee news, and coverage of events of interest to support staff. (For example, you may write an extensive article about the employee picnic or ping-pong tournament—items which might get only a one-line mention in an “upper management” newsletter.) “Staff” newsletters may also be more open to employee contributions (such as poetry, essays, or personal accounts).

Some corporate newsletters are distributed to external audiences, such as clients, customers, or suppliers. In this case, only items that place the company in the best possible light will be published. As a writer, you may find that you must have every article triple-checked not only for style, but also to ensure that it contains no proprietary, sensitive, or “secret” information. (Even information such as how many employees have been hired to work on a particular project can be considered “sensitive”—and therefore censored—as it could give a competitor information on how the company is handling a contract.) Policy, calendar, and support-staff items are minimized, and may disappear entirely (or be moved to another venue).

Again, companies may not always be “honest” about a newsletter’s intended audience. If your point of contact won’t give you this information, find out whether the company has produced newsletters in the past—then ask what changes should be made. For example, in some cases a company may wish to make a “support-staff” newsletter more technical and professional; in others, it may wish to make a “management” newsletter more “staff-friendly.”

Defining Authority

As a freelance editor, you may find that the most challenging aspect of preparing a newsletter is not gathering information or writing articles, but negotiating the maze of review procedures and approvals that must take place before your newsletter sees “print.” Before you take on such an assignment, be sure that you have clearly established the lines of communication, procedures, and “authority issues.” Before you start, you’ll need to know:

* Who is your primary point of contact? Who gives you assignments? Whom do you answer to? Whom can you approach with questions or problems?
* Who determines the content of each issue, and how much input will you have in determining content? Will you generate ideas yourself, choose from articles contributed by employees, select from a list of suggested topics, or cover a list of topics provided by management?
* Whom can you talk to? Must you go through your point of contact for information, or can you talk to anyone in the company?
* What information will you receive? It is helpful to be on a “recipient” list for company memos, press releases, announcements, study abstracts, etc.
* How much authority do you have? If you must gather information from others, will management back your request? If not, you’ll find that people are often “too busy” to help.
* Who does the writing? Will you write (and research) all the articles? Or will you edit articles contributed by employees?
* Who may contribute? Can anyone talk to you or provide articles? (If so, encourage employee contributions, as this helps readers think of the publication as “their” newsletter. Give employee bylines whenever possible, even if you have to edit extensively.)
* Who has the final say over what articles are included?
* Who has the final say over how articles are written? It can be good to have someone check for accuracy (such as spellings of names, use of acronyms, and fact-checking). It can be annoying, however, if the entire review board decides to play “grammar editor,” or if you must include poorly written material just because it was written by someone in management.
* What is the approval process? Generally you must go through several stages: Approval of your preliminary topics, of the first draft, of the final draft, and of last-minute revisions. Each stage may involve several people, so allow plenty of time. Also, designate alternate “reviewers” in case a key person is unavailable.

The final stage of newsletter development is “production.” Once, it was easy to describe this stage: “Choose a nice quality paper, an attractive layout, and an appropriate color of ink.” Alas, it is no longer so simple. Today, you may be asked to produce a newsletter in print format, electronic format, or both.

Consequently, while desktop publishing skills are still helpful, electronic skills may be even more important. Your chances of getting the job are likely to improve if you can convert a newsletter into e-mail, present it in a faxable format, or provide an HTML version. (This ability may also persuade a company to hire you; many companies balk at the cost of printing a newsletter, but will eagerly embrace the idea of an electronic edition.)

Corporate newsletters are rarely exciting. However, they provide a steady source of freelance income—and a valuable resource for many companies. And who knows? Your editorial voice may be just the thing to bring that “company rag” alive!

———————

Copyright © Moira Allen

..is what’s supposed to happen when someone reads your books, stories, work in progress, or any other kind of fiction you write.

It’s a state of mind in which the reader says, “Okay, I’ll forget that this hotel doesn’t really exist, and for just a little while, while I read this story, I’ll imagine that the place is just around the corner.”

When a writer writes something like the following, no sane reader can maintain suspended disbelief.

The hotel lobby swarmed with uninvited guests. The mobster in the green suit stood out from the crowd. Under his arm, he carried a purple patent leather handbag, one given to him by his mother last year at Christmas.

He glanced at the bevy of middle-class, middle-aged members of the local readers group, before he let his gaze slide around the edges of the room, looking for the enemy. Only one young purple-haired fellow looked out of place. Rory watched the man pop a piece of bubble gum. No one to worry about.

If only…if only the group hadn’t descended upon the hotel at the last minute, everything would be going great. His plans wouldn’t be in total chaos.

He stepped up to the place where he had to sign-in. He didn’t have much time. Upstairs, Vinny would be growing impatient, ready to shoot him with his big gun.

What reader would want to keep reading something so unrealistic?

Not me, and I’ll read just about anything, including the back of the air freshener spray can.

The problems start at the beginning of this piece with the description of the mobster (who, by the way, would probably never refer to himself as a mobster). I personally don’t believe mobsters wear green suits, so right away I have a hard time sticking with the story. This is regardless of the fact that mobsters really might wear green suits. As long as I don’t believe it, I’ll have a hard time suspending disbelief. The image of a mobster in a green suit doesn’t fit my preconceived notions of what mobsters look like.

(I admit I’m picturing grass green here, so if you aren’t, you might not have a hard time imagining this. And that brings me to another point: Sometimes what one reader thinks unrealistic, another reader doesn’t think twice about.)

And who will believe any mobster would carry a handbag? Much less a patent leather handbag given to him by his mother? Again, not me.

As someone who rarely reads gangster/mobster books, I can’t say absolutely what a mobster looks and sounds like. Many of our beliefs and preconceived notions of how other people look and behave come from television and movies. Even if you’ve done your research, you have to be careful not to strain your readers’ beliefs. I know that sounds bad, like I’m telling you to keep propagating lies and misconceptions, but it’s a fact that if you write something in a book that goes against someone’s ingrained beliefs, you’ll have a reader who stops reading your book. If you must include something you know is correct but goes against common conceptions, be sure to include an author’s note at either the beginning or the end to explain. Really, it’s that important.

Then, “[h]e stepped up to the place where he had to sign-in” implies the writer didn’t even take the time to find out what you’d call the place where you’d sign in at the hotel. I must confess at this point that I don’t know the name for it–registration desk, maybe? That’s why I said what I said. If I were writing a story that involved a hotel, I’d have to find out.

And come on, Vinny is such a stereotypical name for a mobster. Not to insult anyone who is truly blessed with the name, but whenever I hear it I think of My Cousin Vinny, and therefore I remember Leo Getz from Lethal Weapon 2.

Here’s the last point I’m going to try to make with this particular piece: I’d want to know more about the gun. What kind is it? At least tell the reader if it’s a .22, a .38 Special, a Glock 9mm, or something else. Readers like details. Not too many, just enough to create vivid images of what’s going on. For goodness’ sake, big gun sounds like something a child would write.

Yes, I know I exaggerated this whole scenario, but the points I tried to make are still valid no matter what kind of story you write, whether it’s science fiction, true crime, or romance. You must keep your readers in la-la land. They must believe everything you write. They must think you know exactly what you’re talking about. Even if in reality you don’t know crap about what you wrote. (That’s generally not a good idea by the way, but that’s another article.)

If you want people to read what you write, you’ve got to make sure they believe what you write.

© Terescia Harvey

For many companies “information” is their most important product. Forget the myth of the paperless office; most offices are flooded with research reports, studies, white papers, marketing surveys, analyses, annual reports, reviews—enough paper to consume a small rainforest.

Ironically, despite the push to present information, many corporations have cut back on the staff needed to present it effectively. Editorial departments are often the first to feel the effects of “corporate downsizing”—and many corporations have found that it is far cheaper to hire freelancers on a part-time contract basis than to maintain a full-time, salaried editorial staff. That’s where you come in. With your blue pencil and an eagle-eye for typos, you can keep the information flowing (and even help make it readable). But first, it’s important to know how the corporate “editorial process” works.

In most companies, a document (such as a report) goes through several stages before it is published. First, a draft is circulated for management or peer review, after which the author may make changes or revisions. In some cases, that’s the most editing a manuscript receives; after incorporating management suggestions, the author may simply hand the piece to the nearest secretary to correct and print.

In an ideal world, however, the manuscript will then pass through several editorial stages, including:

Content Editing

A “content editor” addresses issues of content and style. To ensure that a document accomplishes the purpose for which it is written, a content editor usually reviews the material with the following questions in mind:

* Is the material accurate (to the best of the editor’s knowledge)?
* Is the material clear and easy to understand? (If the editor has difficulty understanding the document, a reader may have difficulty as well.)
* Is the material covered in sufficient depth? Does it adequately address the questions a reader would ask? Do some items need more explanation? Do some need less?
* Is the material presented in a logical, orderly fashion? Or do some items need to be rearranged or reprioritized?
* Are names and technical terms spelled correctly and consistently? Are the proper abbreviations and acronyms used (and used consistently)? Are technical terms and acronyms explained? (Often, a company may have its own style manual for acronyms, abbreviations, and technical terms.)
* Does the document conform to the company’s style manual, if any?
* Is the writing clear and effective? (The content editor may deal with grammatical issues such as awkward or run-on sentences, rambling prose, unclear phrases, etc.) Depending on company policy, the editor may rework sections, or provide suggestions for the author.

In some cases, you may be expected to have some background in the subject area of the document, so that you can determine whether material is presented effectively or accurately. In other cases, such knowledge won’t be required (though it’s always helpful!).

Content editors may work closely with authors—and many authors take exception to the notion that their work might need revision. Others are more than happy to dump a mess of incomplete sentences and half-finished ideas in your lap and say “Here, fix it!” Consequently, diplomatic skills may be as important as editorial skills!

Copy Editing

After the revisions suggested by the content editor have been made (or ignored), a document usually moves on to the copy-editing stage. A copy editor usually focuses upon:

* Spelling and punctuation (including hyphenation accuracy)
* General grammar issues, such as sentence structure, noun/verb agreement, parallel construction, etc.
* Correct word use (e.g., which vs. that, imply vs. infer, etc.)
* Consistent spelling (e.g., noting whether an author hyphenates a word in some cases but not in others, or uses different abbreviations or acronyms for the same term).
* Consistent use of numerical terms, numbers, dates, etc. (e.g., making sure that the author doesn’t say “11 PM” in one sentence and “12:00 a.m.” in the next.)

Whenever editorial changes and revisions are made to a document, a host of new errors may be introduced. One of the tasks of a copy editor is often to check the “original” against the “revised” document, to make sure that nothing has been inadvertently changed, omitted, or added. Similarly, a copy editor may review charts, graphs, and references for accuracy and consistency.

While it can be frustrating to copy edit a document that obviously needs a solid “content” editing, most companies don’t encourage copy editors to make substantive changes or suggestions about content or style. There are exceptions, but check before offering editorial comments.

A copy editor usually isn’t expected to have a knowledge of the subject matter. What is needed instead is a firm grasp of grammar—and the ability to explain (and defend) grammatical changes to the author. So brush off your grammar books, and be prepared to explain concepts such as “dependent clauses” and “sentence fragments.”

Proofreading

Proofreading is usually the last editorial stage. Unfortunately, it is also often the only editing many documents receive. Proofreaders are generally expected to check only for errors in spelling, punctuation, and format. Sometimes you may be permitted to correct blatant grammatical errors—but don’t count on it! Proofreaders also check charts and graphs—and since these are often re-keyboarded by someone other than the author, the proofreader may be asked to verify every number against the original.

A proofreader may also be asked to check a revised manuscript against the original, marked-up copy. Sometimes a proofreader will also be asked to compare two documents word-for-word (whether revised or not). Usually this task is unnecessary, being a holdover from the days when a typesetter would re-keyboard an entire text rather than simply reprinting a file—but some companies haven’t caught up with their own technology!

Proofreaders need no special subject knowledge, but an absolutely perfect command of spelling and punctuation, and a keen eye. You may also be asked to check spellings of technical terms. (If the terms are unfamiliar, try to obtain a relevant dictionary; fortunately, many scientific and technical dictionaries are now available online.) You will also be expected to be familiar with, and use, standard proofreading marks.

The Corporate Mentality

Editing for corporations is not the same as editing a book or magazine manuscript. In business, “quality” writing may not be nearly as important as conveying a particular idea, message, statistic, or product to a selected audience. Often, corporate editing means making tradeoffs in priorities, such as:

* Quality vs. Deadlines: Being “well-written” often isn’t nearly as important as being on time. Documents must be delivered to the client on schedule, or accompany a product shipment, or be on hand for the next board meeting—and nothing, including editing, can be allowed to delay that process. Unfortunately, documents are often written at the last minute, which means they may be handed to an editor at the 11th hour. At this point, a content editor may not have the luxury of rearranging ideas or paragraphs, a copy editor may not be able to correct stylistic flaws, and a proofreader may not be able to change significant grammatical errors. If you’re a perfectionist, beware: Sometimes the only influence you may have over a document is to make it readable.
* Author Power vs. Editor Power: Who has the final say over how a document is written? In some companies, power rests exclusively with the publications division (or a public relations department), which may have the authority to cut, edit, revise—or even block a publication that doesn’t meet its standards. In others, the power rests with the author, who can insist that a document remain untouched—even if it is riddled with grammatical errors. The ideal working relationship lies somewhere in between—but few companies are ideal!
* Soothing Egos vs. Getting it Right: Corporate officers often fail to understand that titles, degrees, and high salaries are no guarantee of writing skill. In addition, no one (especially someone in possession of those titles, etc.) wants to be told that they can’t write. The last thing you want to tell a hiring agent, therefore, is that you’re there to “fix” the work of a company’s top professionals. Instead, you should present your role as a “value added” benefit: You are there to make the already brilliant work of a company’s researchers, analysts, and experts shine even more brightly thanks to your polishing (and your willingness to handle the “menial” tasks of copyediting that those brilliant researchers shouldn’t have to worry about). Rates for corporate editing vary widely, depending on the size and geographic location of the company. Rates may also depend on whether you are offering your services as a content editor, copy editor, or proofreader. When pricing your services, therefore, keep the local rates and type of company in mind. Typically, pay begins at $18 to $25 an hour—and some companies don’t hesitate to budget thousands of dollars for a large proofreading job.

Keep in mind as well that financial officers have interesting ways of looking at hourly rates. For example, if you are a fast, efficient worker who charges $50 an hour for five hours, you may be considered “more expensive” than an editor who charges $40 an hour for ten hours. One alternative is to charge by the job instead of the hour, or by a more “tangible” measure, such as “per page.”

Facts don’t speak for themselves. They need someone to speak for them-and, quite often, someone to edit the words of that speaker. Once you convince companies that you can make them shine by making their prose shine, you’ll be on your way to developing a loyal customer base—and an excellent source of freelance income.

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Copyright © Moira Allen

I came across a great set of articles on writing today as I searched for some inspiration. I’ve read them all before, but rereading them has been inspiring. I’m still not sure why, but reading how-to’s still get me going. I never want to write more than when I’m reading someone else’s ideas of the perfect writing method. It’s all baloney of course, but nevertheless, I love it. (Not the articles, but the idea that there are any two writers who ever do the same thing to produce their written work.)

Each of us has to focus on the methods that work for us. When I read advice about the writing process, I want to believe that it will work for me. But most of the time it doesn’t. Most of the time it’s not going to work for you either.

My own method is a hodge podge of all the advice I’ve read and been given over the years. Some of the things I do go against some very common writing advice. Take the first draft for instance. For me, there’s no such thing. Despite all the people who swear by it, I absolutely can not write an entire book without editing it as I write it line by line.

Of all the books I’ve completed, the only thing they have in common is that I edited as I went. I mean heavy editing. I got my scene down and I got it down solid before I moved on to the next scene. For me this is the only way I can complete a book.

Zipping through to the end creates an uncontrollable panic in me. I’ve made it so far as a few thousand words from the end, but looking back at the mess I’ve created–I become overwhelmed at the work it’ll take to shape it up into a readable story. I lose my way and the story loses its appeal. I abandon good ideas and some solid writing, because I can’t bear to look at it and think about the undone threads. How can I ever trace them all back and pull it together into a cohesive blob? OVERWHELMED just scratches the surface of my feelings.

Pleasure is my motivator for writing, and I find pleasure in molding my story as I go. I have no problems adding plot twists or weaving threads into my books, but I have to do it in the moment, not some weeks or months down the road when I’ve forgotten all the implications of those changes.

I did have a point when I started this piece. My point being only that just as each of our brains fire differently, our writing methods do the same. We’re all different, and how we write reflects that basic truth.
Read articles and tips on writing, apply them and then stick with the ones that work for you. And don’t be afraid to ignore good advice, because my good advice could be your next book’s downfall.

© Terescia Harvey

Writers have many different ways to organize all the paper that comes with writing a book. My way isn’t better than anyone else’s, I’m sure, but it works for me, so I thought I’d share it.

It’s simple and inexpensive and an excellent way to keep everything that belongs with a certain project together in one place where you can find it when you need it.

The first thing I do is buy myself one of those big, fat 3″ binders at Wal-Mart (or anywhere else that sells ‘em cheap). Then I get a packet of tabbed dividers. I like the color coded kind that are kind of thick, because I reuse them when I finish a project. (In reality, I have several of these binders going at one time.)
I have several standard categories that I use the tabs for:

* Characters
* Scenes
* Research
* Notes
* Synopsis
* Manuscript

These categories are just starting points, so if you have needs for different categories, by all means create your own. I have a friend who did just that. Her binder has twice as many categories as mine. That’s good, because she’s making it work for her. She’s not a slave to any method.

What do you put in these categories? Really, whatever you want. But here’s what’s in mine:

Characters

I have cut-outs from magazines showing how I see my characters. It gives me a visual cue about how my characters look. I usually use these more at the beginning than I do later on, because once I really get into the story, I know by heart how my characters look.

This is also where I keep my character charts.

Scenes

In this section, I keep snippets of scenes that I’ve written down, sometimes scene outlines, and even phrases that I consider to be the beginnings of scenes that I’ve not yet explored.

Research

Ah, the title says it all. Anything that I look up for my work-in-progress, I make sure and keep a copy of it in my project binder. I learned my lesson the hard way. I repeat: Keep a copy! You don’t want to have to redo time-consuming research.

Notes

For anything that doesn’t fit elsewhere. Yep, that’s about it.

Synopsis

For my working synopsis.

Manuscript

No computer is fail-safe, let me tell you. So this section is for that paper copy you know you should have. Besides, I like to get away from the computer to do my editing sometimes. It’s nice to be able to make changes that aren’t permanent. I’ve found that I edit better when I do it twice. On paper I can go crazy cutting things, slashing through words, lines, even paragraphs, and then when I get to the computer I get a chance to rethink those changes.

Trust me on this, the delete key is way too easy to use. I mean, yes, you want to get rid of dead language, useless prose, and all that, but I have a tendency to rip through my stuff, leaving nothing behind but dialogue. For some reason, when I’m editing, I think everything else is worthless. Who knows? Maybe it is.

Finally, my project binder may be too big to lug around with me, but that isn’t really why I have one. I use it as a tool to organize my work-in-progress. Maybe you’ll find it helpful, maybe not, but I’d urge you to try it. I wouldn’t do without mine.

© Terescia Harvey

Many requirements of a good critique partner vary from person to person, but some are important enough that you should always look for these characteristics in anyone with whom you are considering becoming partners. Building a good relationship with your critique partner is vital to maintaining a productive relationship.

What makes a bad critique partner?

* Is that her husband you hear laughing in the background when you ask her what she thought of your latest efforts?
* It takes two months to get back a 5 page scene you sent her. And even then the remarks are sketchy.
* Okay, let’s clear something up: Critique partners should make suggestions, not demands.
* And of course, when she demands you make changes, and then gives an example for you to follow, you fight an irresistable urge to laugh. Don’t all the how-to books say you shouldn’t use dialogue tags to describe character emotion?
* She can dish it out, but she sure can’t take it!

What makes a good critique partner?

* She never lets others see your work, even under the threat of torture. If you can’t trust each other, what’s the point?
* You read something she sends you and you are amazed. The witch writes twice as good as you do, even in your dreams.
* A basic grasp of grammar and punctuation never hurts, since one cannot always depend upon one’s own ability to tell a semicolon from a comma at three in the morning (one of the best times for writing, in my opinion).
* She is firm in her belief that you are a good writer, but she is never hesitant to point out ways for you to improve your craft.

Other considerations

Do you like this person? I mean, you don’t have to, and that’s a fact, despite what some people might say. However–and this is a big, big however–if you don’t like this person, the first time she (or he) gives you a critical analysis of your work that you don’t agree with, you will be tempted beyond belief to chalk it up to what you perceive as this person’s character flaws. So if you don’t like this person, think long and hard about taking her on as a critique partner. You have to really believe you will learn something from this person that you couldn’t learn from anyone else.

It doesn’t matter what genre or category your critique partner writes in. No, seriously, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what genres or categories your critique partner reads. You want someone who knows what your readers will expect, because let’s face it, romance readers have certain expectations, whether they’re regency period readers, romantic suspense readers, or Harlequin Blaze readers. If your story doesn’t meet those expectations, you aren’t going to have much luck (if any) finding a buyer for that book.

Don’t be afraid to try people out. No one (normal anyway) will mind if you want a trial period before you make a partnership official. It’s worth the effort and time involved to find the right person. When I found my current critique partner, the quality of my writing improved, and I started writing twice as much as I was writing before I met her–my competitive spirit kicked in (and having someone eagerly waiting for the next chapter sure didn’t hurt). And now, I can honestly say, my critique partner is one of the best friends I have.

Writing is hard work, and every good writer deserves one hell of a critique partner. So get out there and find one, and by the way, don’t be afraid to dump that critique partner from hell–just don’t forget to change your email address before you do it…

© Terescia Harvey

Wouldn’t it be great to quit the rat race? To leave bosses and timeclocks behind, skip the commute, ditch the heels or tie, and work in the same clothes you wear to weed the garden?

It’s called “taking the plunge,” and if you’re at all serious about writing, you’ve probably dreamed about it. But you may also have regarded that dream as, at best, nothing more than an improbable fantasy. Writing may be the career you love, but chances are it’s not the career that’s keeping food on the table and a roof over your head.

I can’t tell you whether you can make that dream a reality. But I can offer a few tips on making the decision: To plunge or not to plunge!

When to Plunge—and When to Stay Safely Ashore

The first question to ask when considering “the plunge” is: Where is your writing career today?

If the answer is “just getting started,” stop right there. If you have only a few clips to your resume, or no clips at all, you’re unlikely to be able to support yourself at your craft.

I hear from many writers who say they would like to quit their jobs and “start writing.” To such writers, I say: “Start writing now. Quit later.” If you haven’t started yet—or if you’re just starting—you simply won’t know enough about this complex business to earn a living. So start writing. Get your feet wet. Find out what you can and can’t do, what you enjoy, what you don’t enjoy. Discover your strengths, and the areas that could use improvement. Find out whether you really wish to pursue writing as a business, or whether you’d rather pursue it as an avocation.

Writing can be a career or hobby or anything you care to make it. Writing for a living is a business, pure and simple. If you wouldn’t dream of quitting your day job to run, say, an auto repair shop without any training as a mechanic, then don’t dream of quitting your day job to become a writer without a comparable level of experience.

But how much experience IS enough? Should one have been writing for a year, or three, or five? Can writing experience even be measured in terms of “years”?

I suspect it can’t. The real question is “where you are,” not how long it has taken you to get there. The following checklist may help you determine whether you may be ready to consider “plunging”.

A Writer’s Checklist

* I write more than 5 hours per week, every week.
You have discipline. It’s tough to find five hours a week for writing when working a day job. You’ve already passed one of the biggest hurdles writers face.
* I submit at least one new query or article per week.
You have a high output. Clearly you don’t spend those five hours a week (or whatever) repolishing old material, or stuffing your work in a drawer. You’re already “in the marketplace.”
* More than 50% of my queries and/or articles are accepted.
You know how to target markets effectively, and you obviously write well enough to impress the majority of the editors to whom you submit. (With that kind of acceptance rate, there’s a good chance that your rejections aren’t due to poor quality.)
* More than 50% of my markets pay more than $100 per article.
You’ve found the guts to break out of the low-paying “ghetto”. You have confidence that your work is worth more. You won’t be held back by self-esteem issues.
* I have at least one “regular” market that has accepted several of my articles.
You have a steady source of income.
* I have at least one “regular” market that contacts me with assignments.
You must be reliable and dependable. You meet deadlines and produce quality work. Otherwise, editors wouldn’t come to you with ideas.
* I am familiar with the practices and terminology of the publishing marketplace (e.g., I know what “FNASR” and “SASE” mean and I know how to format a manuscript).
You know the basics, and won’t have to waste precious time “gearing up.”
* I own at least one current market guide.
You know the importance of obtaining the tools of the trade.
* I subscribe to two or more writing publications.
You keep current with your field.
* I know how to cope with rejection.
You won’t be daunted by the inevitable disappointments of this type of career.
* I earned more than $5000 from writing activities last year.
It won’t keep a roof over your head, but it’s more than many freelancers ever make in a year. It’s one of those invisible lines: If you know how to earn this much, you know how to earn more. Probably the only thing holding you back is lack of time.
* I currently report writing income for tax purposes, and know how to maintain proper business/tax records of income and expenses.
You know that “writing” isn’t just putting words on a page. It’s also a matter of records, accounting and good business practices.
* I keep a household budget.
You already have an idea of what it will take to support your household—which means you know how close you are to being able to go full-time.

While scoring 100% on this checklist is no guarantee that you’re ready to quit your day job, a low score is a pretty good indication that you need to build up more of a foundation for your writing career before attempting to rely on it for a paycheck.

Making a Plan

So you’ve scored a perfect 13, you’re totally fed up with your day job, and you’re sure this is what you want to do. What next?

For most writers, the answer is not “quit your day job today.” The answer is “make a plan.” Typically, if you hope to become a full-time writer, you’ll need to plan at least six months to a year ahead before actually “taking the plunge.”

What will you do during that year? Lots! Here are some of the steps you’ll need to take before saying farewell to a regular paycheck and “hello” to the joys and uncertainties of the freelance life.

1) Discuss your desire to become a fulltime freelancer with everyone in your personal life who will be affected by that decision (e.g., spouse, significant other, children). Presumably, your desire to write won’t be a total surprise. However, family members who supported your “hobby” may not be as enthusiastic about losing a significant chunk of family income. They may not be happy about making adjustments, such as providing extra income themselves or accepting cutbacks and lifestyle changes. Don’t be surprised if you encounter resistance or even sabotage. (I’ve heard of some wacky “conditions” imposed by spouses.) Don’t dismiss those concerns as unfeeling; if your decision will affect others, the needs of those others should be a part of the decision-making process.

2) Evaluate your household income requirements. If you don’t track your monthly expenses, this is a good time to start. Before you can make an effective plan, you need to know exactly where every penny of your income goes. Try tracking expenses on a simple spreadsheet, with categories such as:

* Rent/mortgage
* Groceries
* Utilities
* Insurance
* Auto (gas and repairs)
* Medical
* Household expenses (e.g., maintenance)
* Clothes
* Children’s expenses
* Meals and Entertainment (e.g., restaurants and movies)
* Miscellaneous

It’s also wise to break “miscellaneous” into more detailed categories, such as “books, CDs, videos, pets, crafts, subscriptions,” etc. A good rule of thumb is to establish a separate listing for every category that exceeds $50 (or even $20) per month.

If you’re never tracked your expenses in such detail before, you could be in for a shock. You didn’t know you spent $100 a month on books? Or that those twelve magazine subscriptions (that you never have time to read) cost more than $500 per year? Your budget may be a rude awakening, but it can also be a welcome one, as certain categories emerge as ripe for cost-cutting.

3) Create a projected budget. It’s “trim the fat” time. Go over your current expense list, and determine what you can cut and what you can’t. Be realistic: Don’t imagine that you can go a year without buying a new CD or book, or without eating out even once. (By resolving to buy those CDs or books used instead of new, however, you can immediately cut those categories in half!) Be sure to budget for unexpected expenses; you can bet that sometime in the next year, the car will need repairs, the dog will get sick, or the roof will leak.

4) Determine the difference between your projected budget and your current take-home income. If, for example, you can trim $10,000 in expenses, and you take home $30,000, you’ll need to earn $20,000—one way or another.

5) SAVE. Most writers suggest having a full year of income saved (or at least enough to cover a full year of expenses). You need a cushion to pay those regular bills while waiting for irregular checks. Savings will be easier once you trim the budget, however. For example, if you’ve determined that you can cut $10,000 in expenses, you can save that over the next year. You can also ramp up your writing (by producing more articles or seeking higher-paying markets), and bank every penny of that income as well. If your shortfall is $20,000, and you save $10,000 in expenses and earn another $10,000 in writing over the next year, you’ll have covered the difference.

6) Create a business plan. Determine your existing income sources, and explore ways to increase that income. Should you pitch more articles to your regular customers? Should you seek new, higher-paying markets? Should you focus on a specialty or expand your range?

7) Be realistic. Nothing will sabotage your dream faster than setting impossible or unsatisfying goals. One writer I know attempted to increase her regular workload AND double or triple her writing output. Needless to say, this didn’t work, and her “plunge” has been postponed indefinitely. Another common cause of failure is “plunging without a net”—with no savings backup. It only takes one missed rent check to get you back behind that hated office desk.

Your goal is to improve your life, not ruin it. Many writers take the plunge so that they can spend more time with loved ones—so don’t create a schedule that shuts those loved ones out of your life! Many also want to find more time to do what they love—so don’t create a plan that forces you to give up the types of writing you love in favor of higher-paying projects that bore you to tears. In short, don’t sabotage your plan—or your life—in your attempt to make that life better.

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Copyright © Moira Allen