Write Now Editing

5 Unique Gift Ideas for Writers

by Leave a Comment

It may seem early to bring up Christmas, but it’s only two months away so this is the perfect time to start planning your shopping list.

There are some pretty standard gift for writers that never fail—Amazon gift cards, journals, pens, subscriptions to Writer’s Digest. But what if you want to buy something different?

Here are five fun options for the writer in your life:

  1. A gel seat cushion. Writers spend a lot of time sitting. Make it easier and more comfortable with a high-quality seat cushion.
  2. An ergonomic keyboard. Wrist and arm problems are actually an issue for writers. Help alleviate that with a keyboard that takes the stress off.
  3. Coffee shop card. Even the most introverted writers like to get out of the house occasionally. Make it easier on them with a gift card to their favorite coffee shop.
  4. Noise cancelling headphones. A little more expensive than the other gift ideas but well worth the investment, these will make it easier to write during those trips to the coffee shop.
  5. Membership fees. Whether your writer is a novelist or a journalist, there’s a professional organization out there whose membership will benefit your writer.

If you have any other gift ideas—or you’ve received something that really wowed you—let us know!

Are you interested in learning more? Would you like to receive tips and special offers sent directly to your inbox? Sign up for my newsletter today, and receive your FREE copy of Simple Tips for Finding the Right Editor!

Get it Right – Look it Up!

by Leave a Comment

DSC01507

(This post originally appeared at KarinBeery.com)

It’s the new year! If you’ve decided to start the new year with a new career and are venturing into the publishing world, welcome! This is a wonderfully challenging, rewarding, and sometimes frustrating endeavor, but if you have a passion for the written word it’s worth the effort. If you’re writing for your own pleasure, there are no rules you need to consider as you type. If, however, your goal is publication, there are a few things you may want to consider – your resources.

What most people don’t realize is that the MLA standard you used in high school and college is not the standard used by publishing professionals. Not only are there different guidelines for grammar and punctuation, these guidelines differ between the book and magazine industry. If you want to increase your chances of seeing your works published, it’s important to know industry standards.

For Books:

The Chicago Manual of Style
Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary

For Articles:

The AP Stylebook
Webster’s New World College Dictionary

It’s important to note that these books are constantly updated, so you’ll need to find the most recent editions. Fortunately, most of them also have online editions to which you can subscribe – for a yearly fee you can access these resources from anywhere.

While these resources blanket book and magazine publishing, there may be some publishing houses with more specific guidelines. For example, many publishers of Christian books refer to the Christian Writer’s Manual of Style, and it’s not unheard of for a publisher to have its own publication-specific guidelines. That’s why it’s imperative that you check a publisher’s website for standards and guidelines before you submit anything.

Start the year – and your career – off right by making sure you have the right tools to do your job. Make sure you have these resources so you’re not simply doing your job, you’re doing it well.

Writing: The Right Resources

by Leave a Comment

Whether you’re writing a novel, blog post, or press release, there are guidelines that will help you get your work published and noticed. The foundation begins by knowing which resources to use for each manuscript. At the most basic level, here are the tools you need to succeed in your writing endeavors*:

*Most of these resources are available online for a yearly subscription. If you use the book versions, make sure you have the most recent edition.

Novels/Book Publishing:

CMOS

Chicago Manual of Style – The Chicago Manual of Style, the online version “provides recommendations on editorial style and publishing practices for the digital age. Now offering the full contents of the 16th and 15th editions, it is the must-have reference for everyone who works with words.”

MWCD

Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary – Believe it or not, different publishers use different dictionaries as their standard. Make sure you use the right one!

Periodicals/Newspapers/Magazines

APSB

AP Stylebook: The journalist’s bible. The stylebook releases an updated version every year, so make sure you’re using the most recent edition.

WNWCD

Webster’s New World College Dictionary: Slightly different from the Merriam-Webster dictionary. It may not mean much to you, but it’s an important difference in the publishing world.

Other Helpful Resources:

Market Guide:

WM

The Writer’s Market guide – a comprehensive list of every book and magazine publisher. This guide include contact information, submission guidelines, how much they pay, and more, including writing tips from seasoned professionals. There’s also a Christian Market Writer’s guide that focuses exclusively on those publishers in the Christian/inspirational market; some of these are listed in the general guide, but there are hundreds more listings.

At-a-Glance:

Proofreading Secrets

After decades of work as a freelance editor, Kathy Ide compiled a helpful list of the errors she sees most frequently in her book Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. Not simply her list of tips, Ide includes references to the Chicago Manual of Style and AP Stylebook so you can easily search for and find the rules yourself. There’s even blank pages for you to make notes of the rules you reference the most.

—

Each publisher may have a specific list of preferences, so make sure you check websites for submission guidelines. It truly can make a difference – before my agent was my agent, he agreed to read my manuscript because I not only submitted a well-written proposal, I also followed all of the guidelines.

Now you know which tools you need, so get to work!

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

Connect

Copywriting

Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

Editing

Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

Author Page

Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

Resources

Press Release Tool Kit Stop waiting and hoping for people to notice you and your organization! With this Press Release Tool Kit, you’ll learn to apply the step-by-step process I use to … [more]