Published on June 30, 2010
Angela,
All I can say is “AMEN!” Maybe it’s because I’ve been around for a l-o-n-g time, but like you I grow increasingly weary of lazy mistakes made by lazy/uneducated writers and so-called editors. Is it too much to ask for sentences that actually make sense? That aren’t riddled with typos?
It’s sad to think that the public doesn’t care anymore, and continues to consume the increasing amounts of cr** being offered. Freelancers will go on pumping out trash if that’s what the publishers want. (I recall coming across an ad once on one of the freelance job boards in which the buyer wanted a large number of 500-word articles that “don’t have to be good or even grammatically correct. They just have to be unique.” I began looking at giving up the keyboard and becoming a greeter at WalMart.)
As always, keep up the great work!
Cordially,
Jeff Adams
Jeff Adams Copywriting
Handcrafted in small batches to ensure freshness
https://www.jeffcopy.com
—
When I sent my electronic manuscript to (a very large POD publisher) they added errors to it but they were common typing errors. That is what I find that is erroneous with some editors that re-type the manuscript when they do not have to and like (that large POD publisher), add errors and delete sentences that were not deleted before just to get me to pay to have the book edited. What happened is that I was blamed for those errors afterwards by some that read some if it, but not all of it. A suggestion that helped me out nine years ago, which I follow completely now, is no matter what you write, even email, edit it. Those things that do not seem important will plague the rest of your writing.
George Arnold Hall
https://www.georgearnoldhall.ca
twitter: @georgeahall
Business: George Arnold Hall’s Pen and Pencil
Writer / Developer
Works done or in Progress:
Series: Immortals of Scar (more info at georgearnoldhall.ca)
Published on June 30, 2010
Are you bilingual, or perhaps trilingual? Maybe you lived or studied abroad. Maybe you were raised bilingual. Whatever the reason, do you consider yourself fluent in your various languages? Can you jump easily from one to the other? If the answer to those two questions is yes, then you might be able to become a translator.
Published on June 30, 2010
I published my book with a company that offers “templates” for formatting an author’s book and cover. Can I just send you those files for you to print from?
Published on June 30, 2010
Newspapers have a number of characteristics that can benefit writers. They are published regularly and frequently. Their purpose is information dissemination through the written word. They are in need of good copy, which leads directly to a need for good writers.
Published on June 23, 2010
It seems like just yesterday that Mason, our youngest (and last!), was born after we fought for the right to have a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). Then, the doctor told us 12 days later, after several days of rapid breathing, that Mason might have a congenital heart defect, and may “expire” at any moment. We got a miracle that day!
Published on June 23, 2010
Increasing numbers of authors are putting books on the market with errors these days. Perhaps all the errors on the Internet are making people feel more lax about typos and grammatical and punctuation errors. Heck, we even frequently see typos on the major news stations’ news trailers on the screen. Don’t even get me started on the major news websites. However, just because ‘everybody is doing it’ doesn’t make it acceptable for an author to follow suit with their book.
Published on June 23, 2010
The headline “Dump That Content Mill” jolted me into reality. I’ve been writing for (a content mill). Recently received my first (payment) for $32 and change. My posts had been spotty all of those months (38 in 7 months), yet it’s still surprising that it took so long to earn money.
(The content mill) makes their (contractors) jump through all kinds of hoops. I was in denial about how foolish it was to work so hard for so little pay. I’m a freelancer who writes a column for a community newspaper. The paper can’t afford to publish more often than every other week. I write one column that typically runs 600 words and earn $30.
To compound the damage, I added the (content mill’s) info to my LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. Additionally, I placed it on my resume. Thankfully, many of my friends and colleagues don’t know about content mills but prospective employers might.
Sorry this got so wordy but felt I had to share my experience. When I can afford cable Internet service, I plan to start a blog and use Google ads.
-M
Published on June 23, 2010
Have you, as a freelance writer, ever considered taking an extended writing vacation? A holiday where you travel to a sunny, exotic, far off country, set up your writing shop, and continue to pound out your articles, stories, and books, while escaping the short, gray, rainy winter days back home. Sounds like the sort of thing Ernest Hemingway and R.L. Stevenson would have done, doesn’t it?
Published on June 23, 2010
I am confused about the whole content mill thing.
As part of my book promotion and research, I came across an article advising authors to send articles to content ezines as a way to promote a book. I took the bait. Seemed reasonable. I submit short pieces, include my bio and book info., and get more exposure.
Published on June 23, 2010
You are a complex person, and there are nuances to your personality that cannot be summed up in a few brief adjectives. Does ‘mother of two’ encompass the highs and lows with your children, the love you feel for them, or the rollercoaster of conception, pregnancy and birth? Does ‘Christian’ explain the midnight questions you asked yourself and the balancing of faith with the realities of the world? Does ‘British’ suggest your patriotism, your political leanings, your secret love of rainy days? Of course not! People are more than just a list of traits; that’s why personal ads are so tricky to write. But you as a writer are not the same as you as a person.
