I Don’t Need No Editor!

How many times have I heard that? I’ve even said it myself. But oh my, how quickly I learned better. Like surgeons, editors don’t operate on their own work.

Need some convincing?

When you “edit” your own work:

Do you look for missing punctuation? Periods at the end of sentences? Question marks at the end of questions? 

Do you look for missing commas? Do you know where to insert commas?

Do you understand “smart apostrophes”? And how to fix backward apostrophes?

Are you sure you don’t spell “envelope” the same way you spell “develop”? Is “backyard” one word… or two? And how do you spell that red sauce you put on hamburgers? ketchup, catsup, cetchup, katsup?

Are you spelling a character’s name the same way in Chapter 14 as you did in Chapter 3?

Which numbers do you spell out and which do you use as numerals?

 Do you recognize how many times you’ve used your favorite word (really, so, only, but…)?

Do you know if you’ve been consistent with verb tenses?

Just some things to think about when you want your manuscript to be as error-free as possible. Professional editors consider these and many other grammar/punctuation concerns when they edit. Oh yes, they also keep track of the time element in your story, the action locations, costuming, even the music of your words and the rhythm of your writing. 

How do I know these things? I am a professional editor.

Grammar In Your Pocket — just for you!

Heave a sigh of relief. Grammar help is on the way! Now you can find instant answers to your grammar questions by downloading any one of the 24 parts to the new series: Grammar In Your Pocket. Then pack away the information on your pocket electronics to keep it handy.

The series is available on www.kindle.com where you can search by subject. Order on amazon.com. There are 24 of them and each costs only 99¢. What? You say you don't own a Kindle? You can order a physical reader (so you can read in bed or on a bus), or you can download a Kindle reader FREE to your computer. Check it out! These are the subjects you can choose:

Parts of Speech: 
Introduction • Nouns • Pronouns • Verbs • Adjectives • Adverbs • Phrases & Clauses • Conjunctions • Prepositions • Articles & Interjections

Punctuation: 
Commas • Colons, Semicolons, & Periods • Parentheses, Brackets, Quotation Marks  •  Question Marks & Exclamation Points • More Dots & Dashes

Help For Writers: 
Putting It Together • Words • Sentences • Paragraphs • Spelling • Numbers • Unbiased Language • Writing Style • Grammar Glitches

You’ll never have to worry again about whether to say “between you and I” or “between you and me”. Plus, your spelling will improve enough for you to win any spelling bee!

Pick up one or more titles at a time until you have the entire series. And you’ll never need another grammar book to keep your writing and grammar usage impressive. Your friends, family, bosses, and business associates will swoon to hear you referring confidently to nouns, adjectives, semicolons, writing style, and even participles with confidence. And always keeping things between you and me!