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Why Freelance Editors Decline Manuscripts
It’s one thing to receive a rejection from an agent or a publishing house—few writers win the publishing lottery immediately. Your prospective agent may have hit their quota for urban robot romance, or maybe they’re just not buying what you’re selling.[i] But rejection from a freelance editor can feel worse: what does it say about…
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What’s a “Reasonable” Rate?
When I quote on a project, I prefer to offer a total package price. It’s easier for me, and it reduces surprise fees for the writer. That’s why a large part of my quote is based on word count. However, I find that it’s easier to explain costs in terms of hourly fees. How come?…
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Ask an Editor: Punctuation with Parentheses
Every Friday I plan on answering a writing or editing question I've received via social media—or submission on this site. Today's topic? Those lovely curvy marks known as parentheses. Can you provide a refresher on how to handle punctuation with parentheses? Sure thing! Parentheses function like a stronger pair of commas—or em dashes—and set off…
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I left my heart in ACES2015
It’s 9:00 a.m., and I’m standing on a corner where two empty streets intersect. It’s clear and sunny, but the wind gnaws at the exposed skin below the knot of my scarf, and my hands are warmed only by a cup of coffee. There’s no hustle. Walk signals and stoplights cycle endlessly for non-existent traffic.…
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What’s in a name?
Like many children of the 1980s, I grew up playing Nintendo. I started out with a small stack of mother-approved game cartridges that included Excitebike, Super Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, and Tetris. If left to my own devices, I'd spend hours parked in front of the TV until inevitably, my mother would appear and shoo me outside. I…
