Mother’s Day or Mothers’ Day? Where should the apostrophe go?

πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ It’s Mother’s Day here in the UK. ❓ Did you wake up wondering where to put the apostrophe in your mam’s card? πŸ˜† βœ… Well, it’s your lucky day as I can confirm it should go between the ‘R’ and the ‘S’. Yes, more than one mum is celebrating her special day today, butContinue reading “Mother’s Day or Mothers’ Day? Where should the apostrophe go?”

What are the benefits of CIEP membership? (Chartered Insitute of Editing and Proofreading)

😁 I’ve just renewed my membership of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) for another year. ❓ What do I get out of my membership? – Access to forums to tap into the hive mind of my editorial colleagues – Opportunities for work from the IM Available list – Discounted training opportunities (*theContinue reading “What are the benefits of CIEP membership? (Chartered Insitute of Editing and Proofreading)”

Is it practise or practice? (UK spelling)

πŸ”Ž Quick bit of UK spelling advice. Practice vs practise. πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ If you don’t have trouble with advice and advise, then you won’t have trouble with practice and practise. Advise is to practise what practice is to advice. You give someone ‘advice’ (with the ‘c’, it’s a noun, a thing.) You ‘advise’ someone (with theContinue reading “Is it practise or practice? (UK spelling)”

Do you use Bookbub? Do you like it?

Happy World Book Day! πŸ’‘I’ve made an interesting discovery this week and that’s the website Bookbub. From what I can gather, it’s a site that lists 99p and free ebook promotions on Kindle etc. Books that are reduced for a limited time only. πŸ“š There are some big names on there. I saw Brick LaneContinue reading “Do you use Bookbub? Do you like it?”

The power of ‘no’? How about the power of ‘yes’? How I can help you in your self-publishing journey.

❓Are you someone who says ‘yes’ too often? We often hear that. The power of no. Remember to be in control. I’ve listened to that advice and tried to not leave myself open to *can you justs*… However, despite being mega busy, I decided to say ‘yes’ this week a couple of times where IContinue reading “The power of ‘no’? How about the power of ‘yes’? How I can help you in your self-publishing journey.”

Macro and micro edits: a workflow.

🌍 Zoom out. πŸ”ŽZoom in. 🌍 Macro. πŸ”ŽMicro. Sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees. If we are writing or editing, this can prove a real problem. Maybe we’re so concerned with the overall message that we forget about the nuts and bolts – so rogue apostrophes may escape our notice, or weContinue reading “Macro and micro edits: a workflow.”

Is it fewer or less? Countable and uncountable nouns.

❓ Confused about fewer or less? When people say there’s a rule about this, they are usually on about countable and uncountable nouns. πŸ”’ Something you can count? Like pens? Or dolls? βœ” I have fewer pens than you.βœ” You have fewer dolls than me. ⏳ Something you can’t count? Like time? Or information? βœ”Continue reading “Is it fewer or less? Countable and uncountable nouns.”

January 12th 2021. Post-apoc novel: top proofreading spots.

πŸ”Ž Grill vs grille. Puss vs pus. Feint vs faint. Had some cracking #proofreading spots this week in the post-apocalyptic novel I’m editing. Word did not flag these. But they did not get past me! I find these spots to be the most satisfying of all. ❌the car’s grill ➑ the car’s grille βœ” πŸ‘©β€πŸ³Continue reading “January 12th 2021. Post-apoc novel: top proofreading spots.”

Where can I get free books for homework and homeschooling?

Tip for UK parents. Borrowbox! The young un is doing a project on London this week. So I’ve been on my library’s Borrowbox app and have downloaded the Lonely Planet guide. Sumptuous pictures. Easy to navigate. Free. Not all homeschool projects need to involve Google. Books have been carefully put together so research can beContinue reading “Where can I get free books for homework and homeschooling?”

Present tense or past tense novels? What’s your preference? Editing a novel which has changed its tense.

⏲️ Are you a fan of novels written in present tense? Some find it jarring. πŸ•°οΈ This month, I’m proofreading a series of novels which have been reworked from present tense into past tense. The author enjoys reading present-tense narratives and didn’t think it would be a problem to write his post-apoc novels this way.Continue reading “Present tense or past tense novels? What’s your preference? Editing a novel which has changed its tense.”