Showing posts with label proofreading. Show all posts
Showing posts with label proofreading. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

MS Word 2013 Tips and Tricks - Grammar Check Solutions

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, I'm talking about a tool you already know and love but may not be using to its full potential. Please note! I haven't tried this on earlier versions of Word, but in the 365 suite, all these functions are available for you to exploit use. Are you ready to get your awesome on? You may need pen and paper, but you might wanna open your MS Word and be ready to follow these steps. Either way, grab some java and let's get rolling!

First, open Word by clicking on the icon and choose blank document.

Next, you'll wanna go to the menu item File. Click there and you'll get a screen that looks like this:


No, I'm not gonna show you my file list. *grin* You'll know what I've been up to soon enough. Let's move on! Please click on Options down at the bottom left (see arrow).

You'll get a screen like this:

Now, we want to click on Proofing (see arrow).

And we get this:

Under the heading When Correcting Spelling and Grammar in Word, there's a Settings... box to the right of Writing Style. Be sure Grammar and Style are selected from the drop down there, then move to the box. Click it (see arrow)!

Here's where the magic happens! Look at all the nifty check boxes! If you missed changing the drop down in the step before this one, you may do that now. You won't see all these boxes in one view; you'll have to scroll. I'm showing you here so you may have a nice overview. *grin* Are you all in grammar geek Heaven like I am?

Make your selections and click OK.

Now, open your manuscript and review everything Word magically underlines for you. Booyah!

Please keep in mind that Word doesn't "read" your manuscript. There are still stylistic choices you'll have to make, but most have an option to keep the program from pointing those out.

THIS DOES NOT NEGATE THE NEED FOR AN EDITOR. Yes, you can get a cleaner manuscript this way. No, it won't catch all your errors. Yes, it will create new errors if you blindly accept all suggestions. It's a program, not a human.

I hope this little tutorial helps you all in some way.

Did you know these options existed? Did you check it out? What did you find! Share with us!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Keepers of Arden The Brothers Volume One Re-release and Giveaway

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring to you an awesome re-release and a wonderful giveaway. If you recall, a few weeks ago I wrote a review of Keepers of Arden. Well, the author is re-releasing it and INDIE Books Gone Wild is doing a giveaway promotion! That's right, you'll have a chance to win one of two e-copies of the book. I hope you all have a clicking finger ready to go! I'm gonna start with information about the book, then move on to the Rafflecopter widget. Enjoy!

Title: Keepers of Arden (The Brothers Vol. 1)
Author: L. K. Evans
Genre: Fantasy & Sorcery
Length (print): Approx 459 Pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
"Slowly, year by year, day by day, hour by hour, the evil grew stronger while he grew weaker. It found ways around his shield, and, even as he sat in the sun on a beautiful spring day, he could feel the tiny nibbles
the evil bit off from his soul."

This is just the beginning of the Laybryth brothers' journey, to not only rid the lands of Arden of a vile evil, but for one brother to save the other from the darkness that lives within him.



Believe me, it's awesome. I read it and loved it, then the author let me do the proofread on it and I loved it again!

Enter away, readers! Here's your Rafflecopter widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, September 20, 2013

Book Giveaway - Sixty Days of Grace by Dorothy Ruppert

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Tomorrow starts the weekend! I heard that sigh of relief. I'm right there with ya! Today I'm sharing with you all a giveaway we have running on the IBGW blog. It's for a printed copy of a wonderful book. Even if you aren't a religious person, you'll find this book a much loved read. I know I did. Enjoy! Rafflecopter entry form follows!

Introducing:
Title: Sixty Days of Grace: Reflections on God's Sufficiency for the Journey
Author: Dorothy Ruppert
Genre: Christian Inspirational
Pages: 136 printed pages
Amazon link: Paperback $10.58
Kindle $3.99

Description from Amazon:
In today's world, women desperately struggle to meet the unrealistic expectations of others and of themselves. Society tells women they can do it all, and yet they instinctively know they do not have the resources to accomplish all the demands placed upon them. Drawing on their own strength is not enough; in order to survive, women must draw on God. Sixty Days of Grace shares sixty stories from author Dorothy Ruppert, who has struggled through life and succeeded, only because of God's grace. This grace is the prevalent theme of the Bible. From beginning to end, the accounts of the lives of biblical figures demonstrate His eternal grace. However, in modern society His grace is often overlooked. There are many challenges women face as daughters of the King living in a broken environment. Ruppert has been there, as mother, grandmother, working woman, and retiree. Thanks to His grace, she found her strength. All women can do the same, with the power of God. It's time to turn away from self-sufficiency and lean on God's everlasting arm, because His grace is sufficient for the journey; His power is made perfect in human weakness.

It's a book you won't want to put down. But rather than a one-sitting consumption, the author suggests you read one chapter a day for two months. Besides, that cover is just lovely, isn't it?

Without further ado, the rafflecopter entry form!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, everyone!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Things I've Unintentionally Learned From Books

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, we take a little break from writing to discuss reading. If you're a writer, you're a voracious reader (or you should be, because one cannot write without reading). I'm going to share a few things I've learned over the years through reading books, research when editing books, and proofreading jobs. Buckle in and let's go!

As any of you who've followed my blog for any length of time know, one of my favorite authors, who's now deceased, is Alice Bordchart. She's the author of The Night of the Wolf trilogy and a series she never got to finish (that ties in with the others) called The Dragon Queen. Because I love book covers, here's one of them:

What I learned from this series: Caesar was a vile man. His wife, Calpurnia, was a psychic. Why Greeks were sent to the Colosseum to fight. How Romans and Greeks interacted. What the land looked like back then. And oh, so much more!

From the other series, I learned: Guinevere was the one Arthur needed to save him from his mother. How wolves in the wild interact with one another. Much history about wars that erupted over Europe.

Now, not only was Alice an expert on Ancient Greece and Rome, she's also the sister of the famous Anne Rice. I didn't realize I was learning at the time. But when asked questions in World History I, I knew the answers because I'd read Ms. Bordchart's books.

Another one of my favorite authors is Rick Riordan. From his Percy Jackson series, I've learned a ton about mythology and Greek and Roman beliefs. A new book comes out in October in that series and I'm super stoked! From his Kane Chronicles series, I've learned about Egyptian gods and goddesses. You wouldn't believe how much of it is discussed even today!

Master of medical suspense Robin Cook has taught me about DNA alteration, how insurance companies are raping the consumer, and how medical professionals sometimes get around claim restrictions. One of my favorites by him is Chromosome 6.

This is one that's never hit the mainstream. He was the genius behind Contagion and Invasion, too!









From Cornelia Funke, I learned a little imagination can take you places you never dreamed, and that most readers actually fall into their stories (and I wasn't alone in this).

An Indie book I'm reading, titled Looping in Limbo, is teaching me so much about golf it's unreal! And I'm loving it!

Now, from some of my own writing, proofreading, and editing.

I learned more about Genghis Khan than you could shake a stick at when writing Yassa. Never one to care much about vicious tyrants, I found him to be extremely intriguing and unearthed a strange truth about his life: He had to fight hard to get what he ended up with, and it may have all been for the love of a woman.

When I edited Canopy, for Crystal Lee, I learned a lot about construction of buildings and what it was like to be in the head of a fifteen-year-old girl.

Inzared: Queen of the Elephant Riders, by Linda Leander, forced me to research the circus, the early 1900's, and Gypsies when I did the edit. I learned a lot about snack food and when it was invented. For example, did you know popcorn wasn't a popular treat until the Great Depression hit in the 1920's? Neither did I!

I've also learned about Japanese culture, what it meant to be a Samurai, and how the mind of men in that country work. Through the edit for Chasing Memories, I did research on Wiccans, Yellowstone park, and Colorado. And when I proofread Sixty Days of Grace, I learned a lot about raising a child with Bi-Polar disorder and how to be thankful for each and every day I'm given.

When I wrote The Bird, I found out there's a cool place in Pennsylvania called Ringing Rocks National Park where, if you hit the stones with a hammer, they ring.

My daddy always told me reading was a waste of my time. But, without books, how would I have had the chance to learn all these wonderful things? Sure, I could sit down and read the dictionary; but learning it through a story is so much better. Either way, I'm reading.

So, when people tell you to put down that book because it's rotting your brain, tell them you're studying and to stay out of it. After all, you never know what gems of knowledge a novel may unearth.

Besides, books like Pride and Prejudice tend to change us into the best versions of ourselves.

What have you unintentionally learned from a book?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, June 24, 2013

Editing vs Proofreading - What's the Difference?

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'd like to go over the difference between an edit and a proofread; including what you should expect from each. These are just a couple of the services we provide over on INDIE Books Gone Wild. If you aren't sure what services you need, this post will help you decide and tell you how to prepare for each one. So grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Editing

This is a service where you send your book to someone and they fix basic grammar and construction issues, punctuation, transitions, spelling, inconsistencies, and look to cut your word count. A good editor won't change your voice, they'll make it more legible.

Any editor you choose should give you a sample edit of your first chapter to see if you're a good fit. At IBGW, we use that first chapter to rate the quality of your writing and base our price from there. Why? Because if it doesn't take us as long to edit your book, you won't pay as much. You're paying your editor for their time and knowledge of the English language.

Be sure your editor uses a style guide so you'll know what changes to expect and have a reference.

An inline edit looks something like this:
Inline changes and notes in the sidebar are things you should expect. At IBGW, we strive to make you a better writer during our edits by providing education and noting things you should be watching out for. Every writer makes common errors; but if you know what they are, you're less likely to repeat them if you learn from your mistakes. This, I believe, is something every editor should do.

Proofreading

Different from editing, proofreading is all about looking for good transitions, proper use of punctuation, spelling issues, and redundancy. A proofreader should be able to speed-read your work and highlight issues without going into great detail. Your editor should be catching everything else. Many proofreaders will highlight things your editor may have missed and sling out a comment; but you shouldn't expect that. They're looking to give your manuscript a final once-over before it goes to print. All your T's should be crossed and your I's dotted after your manuscript is returned by a proofreader.

Your editor should never be your proofreader. They're too close to the work by the time the edit is done, and they'll miss things, just like you.

At INDIE Books Gone Wild, we use one person on our team to edit and another to proofread. Proofreading is included in the price of your edit. There's no need to shell out more money for someone else to do it. We even write it up in your contract and book your proofreading for you. That's part of the benefit of working with a team rather than a single person who tries to do it all.

No matter who you choose to work with, make sure you've read something they've written or edited and are comfortable with them as a person. Be sure you can respect their comments when your manuscript is returned. There's nothing worse than questioning every change someone makes. Trust is a huge part of the writer/editor relationship.

As a final note: Regardless of who you work with, be sure to have a contract. If your editor or proofreader balks at the idea of a contract, or won't let you read/look it over before you're expected to sign, run away. A contract is there to protect you both and shouldn't sway power one way or the other. Also, make sure it has an out clause.

I hope this helps you all in some small way.

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

INDIE Books Gone Wild

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! I'm happy to see you've made it through Monday. Today, I'm officially announcing the start-up of INDIE Books Gone Wild. If you haven't noticed the addition of the logo over on the right side of my blog here, I have to ask if your head has been under a rock the last couple of weeks. Wake up and smell the wonderful!


A little bit about INDIE Books Gone Wild:
We're a team of editors dedicated to helping Indie authors shine. We work individually and as a group to bring you the best edit of your manuscript money can buy. That's right, we charge for our work. But what you get for your money is two sets of eyes; one doing your edit and the other doing your proofreading. That's right, your proofreading cost is built into the price of the editing.

Our goal is for you to seek out the IBGW logo when you consider hiring an editor. If you see that logo, you know you'll get one hell of an edit on your book.

We strive to, not only teach you how to become a better writer as we edit your manuscript, but to help you produce the best book possible. Browse our About Us page and read a few of our blurbs!

As a bonus, we market every book we work on. That's like having a team of people helping you push your book for free!

Services we offer:
Our last item is something special. In the open critique service, you get a four-week writing class, complete with materials, that will give your craft a kick in the ass toward awesomeness. This is great for new authors or established ones. The price? Only $400; and it includes all the books you'll need.

So, if you haven't taken the time to check us out or like our Facebook page, please take a moment and do so now. We're gonna have an awesome contest soon. Here's the link:
http://facebook.com/indiebooksgonewild

So pop over and give us some love!

Do you use an editor? Why/Why not?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo