Into every copyeditor’s life, a little rain must fall. Setting aside the literal rain that drives us back under the covers of a Monday morning, the metaphorical rain of a copyeditor’s career comes in the form of horrible manuscripts. We’ve all had to deal with them: The manuscripts that are so … [Read more...]
Blogging for Business Growth (Review)
Blogging can help raise your business website in the search rankings, but getting going can be daunting. Veteran copyeditor, proofreader and freelancer-trainer Louise Harnby has a plan for you, and she’s laid it out in a 13-part course of webinars and worksheets called Blogging for Business Growth. … [Read more...]
Why Freelance Editors Should Write a Business Plan
I’ve been a freelance editor for over 10 years, and 2018 was the first year I had thought about a business plan, never mind trying to write one. My plan was simple, I thought: sell writing and editing services to businesses, and collect the money. Track and report my business expenses, and pay my … [Read more...]
The Racist Origins of “Being Grandfathered In”
New rules and regulations don't always apply equally to all. In certain cases, people or corporations are grandfathered in, meaning they get to continue under the previous rules and not be subject to the new rules. Updates to building codes, for example, usually contain a grandfather clause that … [Read more...]
What to Do When Someone Asks, “What’s Your Rate?”
Imagine a scenario, if you will. You’re at a networking event for entrepreneurs and freelancers, and you start talking with someone in a different industry. They ask you what you do, and here's how the exchange often goes from there: “I'm a copyeditor.” “How cool! What kinds of things do you … [Read more...]
Make the Most Out of Speaking Engagements
Conference season is starting. Are you speaking at one? Whether you’re speaking to your colleagues or to potential clients, speaking at a conference is a great way to build your brand. It makes you visible to attendees and to everyone they talk to about it both online and in person. I have had … [Read more...]
Would You Like Proofreading with That?
“Would you like fries with that?” I uttered that sentence a lot as a teen. It was part of the script McDonald’s cashiers had to say to each and every customer. I couldn’t say “Would you like anything else with that?” either. I had to ask if the customer wanted to add something specific to their … [Read more...]
Wordoku Answer: Algorithm
In the April–May 2018 issue of Copyediting newsletter, we challenged you to solve the Wordoku puzzle for algorithm. Here’s the answer: Play more word games on our blog!This post is only available to members. … [Read more...]