Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
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The Editing Blog: for Editors, Proofreaders and Writers

FOR EDITORS, PROOFREADERS AND WRITERS

Writing screenplays and novels: With Rich Leder

1/1/2021

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk to Rich Leder about writing screenplays and novels. Rich has worked with some of the biggest names in the movie industry. He shares what he's learned about Hollywood, TV and novel craft.
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​Listen to find out more about
  • The differences between writing a screenplay and novel from scratch
  • Cooking for Cannibals: Being edited and receiving feedback
  • Converting film to novel, or novel to film
  • Primal, and why Nicolas Cage makes the perfect Frank Walsh
  • Stage direction during the screenplay-writing stage
  • Character descriptions, noise and environment, and writing a screenplay
  • How does the editing process differ for screenplays and novels?
  • How much is the author involved in the making of the movie?
  • How long does it take to get a movie made? From treatment to option to production
  • Impactful career moments, including how working with Sidney Poitier changed his life

About Rich Leder
Rich has been a working writer for more than three decades. His credits include 19 produced movies—television films for CBS, Lifetime, and Hallmark and feature films for Lionsgate, Paramount Pictures, Tri-Star Pictures, Longridge Productions, and Left Bank Films—and six novels for Laugh Riot Press.

He’s been the lead singer in a Detroit rock band, a restaurateur, a Little League coach, an indie film director, a literacy tutor, a magazine editor, a screenwriting coach, a wedding guru, a PTA board member, a commercial real estate agent, and a visiting artist for the UNCW Film Studies Department, among other things, all of which, it turns out, was grist for the mill.

He resides on the North Carolina coast with his awesome wife, Lulu, and is sustained by the visits home of their three fabulous children. 
​
  • Website 
  • Amazon 
  • Good Reads
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pre-order Cooking for Cannibals here
​
Music Credit
'Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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Editing short-form content

21/12/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk about editing short-form content such as newsletters, letters, blog posts, short stories, essays and reports.
Editing short-form content
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Listen to find out more about
  • The different types of content that fall into the short-form category
  • The benefits and challenges of short-form content editing
  • Advice on the remit: client expectations, the brief, ethical issues and practical responsibilities
  • Consistency and style
  • Scheduling issues
  • Pricing
  • Marketing​
​
Music Credit
'Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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Accountability groups for editors and proofreaders

14/12/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk about accountability groups, and how they can help editors and other freelance editorial professionals emotionally and practically.
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Listen to find out more about
  • Taking plans beyond the planning stage
  • How an accountability group can help you
  • How you set one up.
  • How many people to include in a group
  • How often an accountability group meets
  • Online or in-person works
  • How long a meeting should be
  • What tools are useful
  • What you might contribute
  • Accountability and what can go wrong​
​
Music Credit
'Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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Sensitivity reading: Tips from editor Crystal Shelley

7/12/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk to editor Crystal Shelley about sensitivity reading.
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​Listen to find out more about
  • What is sensitivity reading?
  • What types of topics do people read for?
  • What does the sensitivity reading process look like?
  • Why should an author hire a sensitivity reader?
  • What type of feedback does a sensitivity reader give?
  • How does someone become a sensitivity reader?
  • Some authors are hesitant to work with a sensitivity reader because there's concern about censorship or having books pulled. How do you address those concerns?
  • Is sensitivity reading only useful for fiction? 
  • How do authors find sensitivity readers?

Discover more about Crystal at Rabbit with a Red Pen.

Mentioned in the show
  • Find a sensitivity reader: Binders for Sensitivity Readers
  • Conscious Style Guide
  • Editors of Color
​
Music Credit
'Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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The Editing Podcast: 3 ways to tackle editorial marketing overwhelm

30/11/2020

1 Comment

 
The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle discuss marketing for editors and proofreaders, and offer 3 tips on how to overcome the fear.
3 ways to tackle editorial marketing overwhelm

Listen to find out more about
  • Giving yourself permission to be an imperfect marketer
  • Concentrating on your own marketing rather than comparing yourself with everyone else
  • Following your own path and developing a strategy that’s appropriate for you, even if other people are doing things differently

Dig into these related resources
  • Book: Marketing Your Editing and Proofreading Business
  • Books: Business Skills for Editors series
  • Blog and booklet: Overcoming marketing paralysis: How to turn overwhelm into action
  • Podcast collection: Editorial business tips​
  • Blog: 2 business mindset tips for new editors​
  • Blog: Why you MUST market your editorial business. Part I
  • Blog: Why you MUST market your editorial business. Part II

Music Credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
1 Comment

Creative writing tips: With thriller writer Andy Maslen

23/11/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk to thriller writer Andy Maslen about the creative-writing process.
Creative writing tips: With thriller writer Andy Maslen
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​Listen to find out more about
  • Writing a series vs standalone novels
  • Tips on developing a coherent series
  • Starting afresh with a new set of characters in a new environment
  • Top creative-writing tips for beginner author
  • Recommended writing-craft resources
  • Back-cover blurb and Amazon blurbs
  • Cover design

Here's where you can find out more about Andy Maslen's thrillers.

Dig into these related resources
  • Author resources
  • Book: Editing Fiction at Sentence Level
  • Blog post: 3 reasons to use free indirect speech in your crime fiction
  • Blog post: Crime fiction subgenres: Where does your novel fit?
  • Blog post: How to write dialogue that pops
  • Blog post: Playing with sentence length in crime fiction. Is it time to trim the fat?
  • Blog post: Writing a crime novel – should you plan or go with the flow?​
  • Podcast episodes: The indie author collection​

​Music Credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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The Editing Podcast: From the printed page to audio book: With author David Unger

16/11/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk to author David Unger about transforming a novel from print to audio.
From the printed page to audio book: With author David Unger

​Listen to find out more about
  • Doing your own narration vs hiring a pro
  • How to find a professional voice artist
  • Which qualities are important
  • The process of working with a professional narrator
  • Obstacles to creating audio books
  • Costs and time frame

Here's where you can find out more about David Unger's books.

Dig into these related resources
  • Author resources
  • Book: Editing Fiction at Sentence Level
  • The Editing Podcast: 6 ways to use audio for book promotion
  • ​Booklet: How to narrate your own audio book
  • Podcast episodes: The indie author collection
  • Blog post: Why editors and proofreaders should be using audio
  • Blog post: 5 ways to use audio for book marketing and reader engagement
  • Blog post: How to go mobile with audio: Book-editor podcasting on the go

Music Credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/​
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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The Editing Podcast: Story creation and revision. With mystery writer David Unger

9/11/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, ​Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk to mystery writer David Unger about story creation and revision.
Story creation and revision: With author David Unger

​Listen to find out more about
  • What made David want to start writing and who inspired him
  • Writing an alter ego
  • The revision process
  • On being edited

Here's where you can find out more about David Unger's books.

Dig into these related resources
  • Author resources
  • Book: Editing Fiction at Sentence Level
  • Blog post: 3 reasons to use free indirect speech in your crime fiction
  • Blog post: Crime fiction subgenres: Where does your novel fit?
  • Blog post: How to write dialogue that pops
  • Blog post: Playing with sentence length in crime fiction. Is it time to trim the fat?
  • Blog post: Writing a crime novel – should you plan or go with the flow?​
  • Podcast episodes: The indie author collection

Music Credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/​
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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The Editing Podcast: Zombie rules we can do without, part 1

2/11/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, ​Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk about zombie rules, and why they have no place in a professional editor's toolbox.
Zombie rules we can do without, part 1
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Listen to find out more about
  • What a zombie rule is
  • Why split infinitives are not grammatically problematic
  • Why it's okay to start a sentence with a conjunction

Dig into these related resources
  • Blog post: Fiction grammar: Is it okay to start a sentence with ‘And’ or ‘But’?
  • Blog post: What are expletives in the grammar of fiction?
  • Blog post: Should I use a comma before coordinating conjunctions and independent clauses in fiction?
  • Podcast: How to manage the grammar police
  • Resources for proofreading your own writing
  • Podcast: Linguist Rob Drummond on grammar pedantry, peevery and youth language
  • Blog post: What's the difference between a rule and a preference? Advice for new writers

Music Credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/​
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
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The Editing Podcast: ​Why editors and proofreaders should use audio

25/10/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, ​Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle talk about why audio is such a great medium for editors who want to build brand trust and grow their businesses
Why editors and proofreaders should use audio

​Listen to find out more about
  • The popularity of audio content
  • Stability during playback
  • Native hosting on websites
  • Voices as unique brand identifiers and trust builders
  • Audio as an accessibility tool that allows communication with a diverse audience
  • Why it's a less intimidating option than video
  • The kit you need
  • Options for recording, editing and hosting
  • Editorial goals, and how audio helps us achieve them

Dig into these related resources
  • The blog version: Why editors and proofreaders should be using audio
  • Free booklet: How do I do my own audio-book narration?
  • Podcast: 6 ways to use audio for book promotion
  • Blog: 4 good reasons to edit your author podcast transcript

Music Credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/​
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

The Editing Podcast: Moving from traditional to indie publishing, with John A. Connell

22/6/2020

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In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise and Denise talk to Barry Award-nominated thriller writer John A. Connell about moving from Berkley (Penguin USA) to independent publishing.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 12
  • RATE AND REVIEW

Listen to find out more about:
  • Being a Hollywood camera operator ... Jurassic Park, Thelma and Louise, and NYPD Blue
  • Getting a publishing contract with a major press
  • The Mason Collins series
  • When publishers are no longer invested
  • Moving to independent publishing
  • Clawing back book rights
  • Using movie experience to craft a novel's scene
  • Beyond writing: what indie publishers need to do
  • Challenges and benefits of indie publishing
  • Being edited
  • Useful organizations
  • Writing a series versus standalone novels
  • Future projects

Top tips From John
  • Build a mailing list
  • Offer a free short story or novella
  • Develop a series
  • Use Facebook ads
  • Craft a great website
  • Engage with your audience
  • Get your business head on
  • Invest in appropriate editing

Contact John A. Connell
Subscribe to John's newsletter and get a free book:
  • Website: John A Connell: Gripping Thrillers With a Historical Twist
  • Email: john@johnaconnell.com
  • Facebook author page
  • John's books on Amazon US and UK

Editing bites
  • Stephen King (video): Masterclass, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2012
  • Joanna Penn: Video marketing for authors
  • Mark Dawson's Self-Publishing Formula
  • International Thriller Writers
  • Mystery Writers of America
  • Mark Dawson's Self-Publishing Formula
​​
Ask us a question
The easiest way to ping us a question is via Facebook Messenger: Visit the podcast's Facebook page and click on the SEND MESSAGE button.

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

The Editing Podcast: 6 ways to use audio for book promotion, S4E9

1/6/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise discuss the growth of audio in the book world, and how using sound creates reader engagement and helps build a fan base.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 9

Listen to find out more about:
  • Narrating a sample chapter
  • Creating free audio content that's usable
  • Host a live sound event
  • Broadcast an interview
  • Encouraging sign-ups with your voice
  • Starting a podcast
  • Captivate: podcast hosting, stats and audience growth

Editing bites and other resources
  • Write to be Published, Nicola Morgan, Snowbooks, 2011
  • Twitter chat #indieauthorchat hosted by Tim Lewis
  • Captivate
  • Libsyn
  • Soundcloud
  • Music Visualisation Video Creator
  • Audio-book Production (free booklet)
  • ‘How to turn YouTube subtitles into blog posts and transcripts’ (blog post and video tutorial)
  • Cleanfeed
  • Zoom

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

The Editing Podcast: Do you need a specialist editor?

25/5/2020

1 Comment

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise and Denise discuss whether working with a specialist editor is necessary for all books and every type of editing.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 8

Listen to find out more about:
  • Fiction versus non-fiction
  • The type of editing
  • Subject/genre

Editing bites and other resources
  • Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing), Jack Hart
  • ‘The Secrets of Story Structure’, KM Weiland
  • The Editing Podcast, S1E1: The different levels of editing
  • Switching to Fiction (online course for aspiring fiction editors)
  • Research tools for crime and thriller writers (blog post)
  • Consulting Cops
  • The Art of Firearms in Fiction is a free 45-page primer featuring Steve Allen, a soldier-turned-editor who specializes in military particulars, with additional material from Aden Nichols, an editor and Special Forces veteran.

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
1 Comment

The Editing Podcast: 18 writing-craft blogs for editors and authors, S4E7

18/5/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise and Denise chat about 18 blogs for authors and editors that offer guidance on various aspects of writing craft.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 7

Listen to find out more about:
  • ALLi blog: Alliance of Independent Authors
  • Ann Handley blog
  • Articles: The Writer’s Digest
  • Articles: Tim Storm, Storm Writing School
  • Bacon Editing blog: Claire Bacon
  • Bookbaby blog
  • Clarity: Lisa Poisso, Editor and Book Coach
  • Denise Cowle Editorial Services blog: Denise Cowle
  • Helping Writers become Authors: KM Weiland
  • Jane Friedman blog
  • LibroEditing blog: Liz Dexter
  • Liminal Pages blog: Sophie Playle, Fiction Editor
  • The Creative Penn blog: Joanna Penn
  • The Editor’s Blog: Beth Hill
  • The Itch of Writing: Emma Darwin
  • The Editing Blog: Louise Harnby, Fiction Editor
  • The Radical Copyeditor blog: Alex Kapitan
  • The Subversive Copyeditor blog: Carol Saller

Editing bites and other resources
  • ​Cult Pens
  • Stein on Writing, by Sol Stein, Non Basic Stock Line, 2007
​
Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

How to run and grow an editing and proofreading business. Q&A, Part 2: The Editing Podcast, S4E6

12/5/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise answer more questions about how to run and grow an editing and proofreading business.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 6

Listen to find out more about:
  • Increasing organic lead generation
  • Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) and the impact on freelancers in California
  • The benefits of working with publishers, packagers and project-management agencies
  • Content marketing: Solving clients problems
  • Facebook marketing: Ads, chatbots and website pixels
  • Google ads and sourcing professional expertise
  • Managing impostor syndrome
  • Attracting indie genre-fiction authors: content marketing and branding
  • Getting work with publishers
  • Ethical promotion to a primed audience
  • Technical writing and copy-writing
  • Choosing a business name
  • Building an editorial business on a tight budget
  • Using career expertise as a foundation for an editing specialism
  • Choosing the right training course
  • Building a marketing strategy
  • Starting an editing business when we care for young children
  • Scaling a business: Passive income streams, price increases, training, and premium services
  • Researching markets and audiences
  • Making a website visible

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.​​
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

How to run and grow an editing and proofreading business. Q&A, Part 1: The Editing Podcast, S4E5

11/5/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise answer questions about how to run and grow an editing and proofreading business.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 5

Listen to find out more about:
  • When editorial projects don't arrive on time ... how to manage it and how to prevent it
  • Dealing with burnout and procrastination
  • How to get fiction work with indie authors
  • Making time for marketing
  • Increasing efficiency
  • Contracts, and whether email is sufficient
  • What to tell publishers when we're asking to be placed on their freelance lists
  • How to link up with other editors
  • Billing in different currencies
  • What to include on an invoice
  • Starting an editing business, and the best order for tackling branding, website creation, social media networking, marketing, and investing in productivity tools

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with independent authors of commercial fiction, particularly crime, thriller and mystery writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

How to save money and time with book coaching: The Editing Podcast, S4E4

11/5/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise chat with book coach and editor Lisa Poisso about honing story craft before embarking on expensive structural and line editing.
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Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 4

Listen to find out more about:
  • Story basics: the Plot Accelerator 
  • Why developmental/structural editing comes after book coaching
  • Genre, viewpoint, tense, character motivation and conflict, plot and subplot, and character arc
  • Book mapping, and avoiding drinking and thinking!
  • Super critiques on steroids: making a story solid
  • The dynamics of book coaching
  • Most common problems authors face
  • Super-critiques

Contacting Lisa Poisso
  • Email: lisa@lisapoisso.com
  • Website
  • Blog
  • Facebook
  • Twitter: @lisapoisso
  • Instagram: lisapoisso
  • Clarity newsletter
​
Editing bites and other resources
  • Moniack Mhor, Creative Writing Centre, Scotland
  • Start writing fiction: Free Open University course

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

How to use exclamation marks! The Editing Podcast

27/4/2020

7 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise discuss how to use exclamation marks, and why more than one is too many.
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​Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 2

Listen to find out more about:
  • What exclamation marks look like
  • Functions: Surprise, emphasis, volume
  • How many to use
  • Social media use
  • Reasons to omit them: web, business academic copy
  • Balancing use and abuse

Editing bites
  • How to Fix Your Damn Book, by James Osiris Baldwin, CreateSpace, 2016
  • Purdue OWL​

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
7 Comments

How to manage the grammar police: The Editing Podcast

20/4/2020

2 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Louise and Denise discuss the grammar police, how to manage them, and why they're nothing to do with professional editing.
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​Click to listen to Season 4, Episode 1

Listen to find out more about:
  • Who are the grammar police?
  • Social media and the grammar police
  • Pedantry versus professional editing for style, preference and flow
  • Writing style: Business, academia, web copy, creative non-fiction, fiction
  • Conventions and standards versus rules and errors
  • How and when to tell a writer about an error
  • Dealing with the grammar police

Editing bites
  • Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, by Jane Straus
  • TextExpander

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
2 Comments

Constructed languages (conlangs) in fiction, with Sea Chapman: The Editing Podcast, S3E10

15/1/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, ​Denise and Louise talk with guest Sea Chapman about constructed languages, or conlangs.
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​Click to listen to Season 3, Episode 10
Listen to find out more about:
  • What is a constructed language, or conlang?
  • The different types of conlang
  • Tips for writers who want to include conlangs in fiction
  • The rules of play
  • Base languages sometimes and conlang creation

Resources mentioned in the show
  • Email Sea Chapman (sea@seachapman.com) for handouts from her ACES 2018 presentation, ‘Conlangs: Languages with Stories to Tell’ or to request additional resources
  • Language Creation Society
  • Conlangs on reddit
  • Constructed Languages on Facebook
  • ConWorkShop forum
  • Conlangery podcast
  • Iain Banks talks writing, world events and Mastermind (video)
  • ‘A few notes on Marain by Iain M. Banks’
  • Fabulosa!: The Story of Polari, Britain's Secret Gay Language
  • ‘What’s Polari?’

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

​How to use em dashes: The Editing Podcast, S3E9

10/1/2020

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise discuss em dashes, or em rules, and how to use them in fiction and non-fiction writing.
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​Click to listen to Season 3, Episode 9
Listen To Find Out More About:
  • Parenthetical use
  • Indicating a new speaker
  • Indicating omission
  • Profanity
  • Showing faltering speech
  • Conveying end-of-line interruptions

Editing Bites
  • The Magic of Fiction, Beth Hill
  • ‘Start here: How to self-publish your book’, Jane Friedman

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

What is a comma splice? The Editing Podcast

1/1/2020

2 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise explain what a comma splice is, why you should usually avoid it, and how it can add clarity.
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​Click to listen to Season 3, Episode 8
Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

​
What is a comma splice?
When two independent clauses – which could stand on their own as sentences and make perfect sense – are separated by a comma, the sentence is said to contain a comma splice. For example:

  • I love tomatoes.
  • Red and yellow ones are my favourites.

Those two sentence above could be separated by a semi-colon, a dash, or a full stop and no one would be breathing grammar rules down your neck:

Standard punctuation 
  • I love tomatoes; red and yellow ones are my favourites.
  • I love tomatoes – red and yellow ones are my favourites.
  • I love tomatoes—red and yellow ones are my favourites.
  • I love tomatoes. Red and yellow ones are my favourites.

However, if you use a comma to separate them, that heavy breathing will come from some quarters:

Non-standard: comma splice
  • I love tomatoes, red and yellow ones are my favourites.

Why comma splices trip up readers
Some people don’t know what a comma splice is and don’t care. But plenty do, and even if they don’t know what’s it called, they trip up. For those in the know, comma spliced sentences (sometimes) scream off the page for precisely that reason.

That's because when readers see a comma they're inclined to think, This is the start of a list.

A standard method for showing a reader that they’re coming to the end of a list is to incorporate a coordinating conjunction such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘though’ and ‘or’. It acts as  shorthand for One more item’s coming. Then there’ll be a full stop.

And so when only two items are separated by a comma, the reader’s expecting at least one more item in that list. When that third item doesn’t appear and the sentence finishes, the reader is jolted because they've placed the emphasis in the wrong place. Try reading these examples out loud:

  • Let me tell you about fruit: I like apples, I hate pears but I think oranges are okay. Are we clear now?
  • Let me tell you about fruit: I like apples, I hate pears. Are we clear now?

Your intonation likely changed as you read the words 'but I think oranges are okay' because you knew you were finishing a sentence. In the second example, you were left hanging after 'hate pears' and likely hadn't placed the stress correctly.

These kinds of stumbles are a distraction that, even if only for a split second, pulls the reader out of the writing. Now they’re thinking about where they placed the emphasis, not about our fabulous learning tool, enthralling plot line or groundbreaking academic research.

When comma splices can work: fiction
Comma splices are probably more prevalent in published fiction, and more acceptable. Sometimes, and with good reason. The comma doesn't always trip up readers.

The key is to allow splices to stand when they serve a purpose.

Narrative and rhythm
Take this example from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity’ and so on.

This prose is an experiment in rhythm. The splices work. But something else is going on too – the anaphora.

Anaphora is a literary device that uses repetition for rhythmic effect. In the Dickens example, the repetition of 'it was' pulls us along on a beautiful booky wave. Editing in semi-colons or full points would destroy the rhythm and would qualify as an example of editorial hypercorrection.

For a more detailed examination of anaphora, read: What is anaphora and how can you use it in fiction writing?​

Dialogue and mood
While a comma splice will stick out like a sore thumb in a piece of academic research or an education textbook, that’s not always the case in dialogue. 

If the speech is truncated, or there's anaphora in play, a comma might well work. Imagine this scenario in a novel: two characters are having an argument. One says, ‘It’s not me, it’s you’.

Strictly speaking, that's a comma splice. There are two independent clauses with a comma. Would it bother you? Probably not. The speech looks and sounds natural to the mind's ear. Changing the comma to a full stop would slow down the rhythm of the character’s speech and affect the emotionality in the dialogue.

But most important, readers won't trip up; they'll place the emphasis correctly. And so while emotion and mood have been respected, this hasn't been at the expense of clarity. 

Summing up
  • Understand what a comma splice is. Only then can you make an informed decision about whether to let it stand or fix it.
  • Read the sentence aloud, tor ask someone else to. If you or they stumble over what you’ve written, so might your reader.
  • Just because Woolf, McCarthy and Dickens use comma splices doesn't mean every writer should. There may be other literary devices in play or narrative motivations affecting their choices.
  • There is a grammatical standard for how commas are handled between two independent clauses, but even so, we can’t prescribe for always right or always wrong. Sometimes it’s about style, rhythm and flow.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
2 Comments

The Editing Podcast S3E7: How to use en dashes

25/12/2019

2 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise discuss en dashes, or en rules, and how to use them in fiction and non-fiction writing.
Picture
​Click to listen to Season 3, Episode 7
​
Find out more about ...
  • Parenthetical use
  • Indicating number spans
  • Placement in dialogue interrupted by narrative description
  • Linking in adjectival compounds
  • Showing faltering speech
  • Indicating a relationship/alternative
  • Profanity

Editing bites
  • Masterclass
  • The Conscious Style Guide ​

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
2 Comments

Sophie Playle on developmental editing and critiques: ​The Editing Podcast

18/12/2019

0 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise chat with editor Sophie Playle about developmental editing and critiques for fiction authors.
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​Click to listen to Season 3, Episode 6

​Listen to find out more about ...

  • An overview of what developmental editing includes
  • Critiques as big-picture evaluation
  • Who benefits from developmental editing and critiques
  • Where developmental editing and critiques fit into the editing process
  • Whether an author needs to hire a specialist editor for developmental editing
  • Writing coaching versus developmental editing
  • The difference between story and plot
  • Story structure – planning versus revision
  • Story structure – conscious deviation from traditional three-act structure
  • Story structure – momentum
  • Narrative style
  • Subplots – when they work and
  • How theme can hold a story together

More about Sophie
  • Sophie Playle, Liminal Pages
  • Sophie’s editing courses
  • Email: sophie@liminalpages.com
  • Twitter: @sophieplayle
  • Facebook: facebook.com/liminalpages
  • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sophieplayle

Resources mentioned in the show
  • How to Write a Query Letter – Everything You Need to Know’, Sophie Playle
  • ‘How to Write a Synopsis – Everything You Need to Know’, Sophie Playle
  • Write a Great Synopsis: Nicola Morgan
  • Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors and Publishers: Scott Norton
  • Poetics, Aristotle
  • Masterclass: David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
0 Comments

Tim Storm on editing unearned writing: ​The Editing Podcast

4/12/2019

2 Comments

 
In this episode of The Editing Podcast, Denise and Louise chat with Tim Storm about the concept of unearned writing, and how to craft prose that's authentic and plausible.
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​Click to listen to Season 3, Episode 4
​
Find out more about
  • The writer’s responsibility to the reader and the story
  • Story events and character reactions in relation to plausibility and authenticity
  • Salvation events
  • Unnatural character realizations
  • Contrived plot turns
  • Thematic insertions or digressions
  • Turning unearned writing into earned prose
  • Idea flow in non-fiction

Resources related to the show
  • Title Case Converter
  • The Allusionist podcast
  • Storm Writing School
  • Free course from Tim: The Gold Standard Scene: Analyses of Near-Perfect Scenes in Prose Fiction
  • Storm Writing School on Twitter
  • Storm Writing School on Facebook
  • Storm Writing School on Pinterest
  • Writing resources from Louise

Music credit
‘Vivacity’ Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Visit her business website at Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader, say hello on Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, connect via Facebook and LinkedIn, and check out her books and courses.
2 Comments
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