This past June, I launched a new digital tool for academic writers — my preferred clients — at writingwellishard.com. This tool enables academics to compare features of their own writing with the features of a writing sample of their choice. For instance, users could see whether they write sentences that …
Picture books: the artwork is so integral that it’s part of the name. But unless you’re working with an author/illustrator, editing a picture book usually means analyzing a text-only manuscript. For contemporary picture books, the illustrations are more than adornments; they’re a critical part of the storytelling. At the manuscript …
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. — Lao Tzu The mentor role is ancient and storied. Mentor, in Homer’s Odyssey, is the friend of Odysseus who tutors Telemachus, Odysseus’s son. Athena, disguised as Mentor, steers young Telemachus’s search for his father. Those ancient Greeks did spin good …
My name is Sue, and I’m a long-time, full-time freelancer. While most of the time I’m in the trees of my business, once in a while I zoom out to the forest and think about how different my way of working has been from that of other people. For 20 …
In March, the Canadian Labour Congress released findings from a national survey on workplace harassment. It was the first of its kind in Canada and revealed that 7 in 10 workers have experienced some form of harassment at work. The study’s researchers also found an increase in online harassment since …
In this series, experienced editors reflect on their Top 3 tools, rules and suggestions for clients and colleagues. Amy J. Schneider has been a full-time freelance copyeditor and proofreader of fiction and non-fiction and the owner of Featherschneider Editorial Services since 1995. Since 2012 Amy has written articles and presented …
Jen Campbell is a bestselling author, award-winning poet and disability advocate. She has written 10 books for children and adults, spanning nonfiction, poetry, short stories and picture books. She reviews books on BBC Radio, is the books editor for TOAST Magazine, has an iTunes top 100 podcast called BOOKS WITH …
Lorina Stephens didn’t start her career in writing and publishing. She has been a manager and bookkeeper for companies as diverse as a civil engineering firm, Faberge of Canada, and her own custom glass installation company. She has also created and sold historically accurate clothing patterns and has explored other …
A lot of creative professionals become freelancers because it gives them the freedom to work on projects they enjoy, make their own schedule and pursue personal goals. But life as a freelancer is stressful for some. Income and schedules can be unpredictable, and finding clients requires constant effort. These stresses …
In this series, experienced editors reflect on their top 3 tools, rules and suggestions for clients and colleagues. Ruth E. Thaler-Carter has been managing and speaking about websites for several years, for both her own ventures and those of her clients. Her in-person and virtual presentations about editors’ websites have …