Sunday, December 27, 2009

Should I advertise my website?

PaperPerfect has had a facelift; it now looks more corporate and beautiful. As far as editing websites go (some of them are stylistically pretty ugly) I like it. I've been waiting since the redesign for the business to explode, but it hasn't; I'm guessing because Google is unsure about all the site changes.

Meanwhile other proofreading and editing websites or online editing services are advertising aggressively on Google, which must mean they're doing well. Editage.com for example, looks very robust, but has spelling errors on the home page. Nevertheless - their 'premium' service (which is about as good as my regular everyday editing costs $16/page, 3x more than mine. No wonder they can afford to advertise.

It's a vicious cycle; charge much more, advertise much more... I'd rather change less and not advertise but the problem is your site gets buried.

Keep in mind, that if you're paying for editing and proofreading, you're probably paying for their advertising as well.

Save money at www.paper-perfect-editing.com

Friday, November 27, 2009

Avoid these common mistakes and double your website traffic in 3 days

I've been self-employed for over a year, and most days are pretty good. However, when my online editing business goes through a slump, my financial situation can quickly become dire. I was getting about 40 people a day to my site - not a lot, I know, but because my blog has very little extra content and focuses exclusively on offering online proofreading services, most of my traffic was targeted and I could usually get enough business.

Of course I knew that getting more traffic was a good idea. Even if people find and explore my site for other reasons (ie informational articles about writing and editing), the overall page rank would probably go up, meaning more natural search traffic for my targeted keywords.

Getting more traffic, however, is not always so easy... but I did discover that I'd been doing some things very wrong, things that were crippling my site's traffic. Fixing these things took a couple of days, was free, and has already produced double the traffic.

1) If you're using Wordpress or another blogging system, change your url format! I'd seen this advice before, many times, but didn't listen. I was afraid of screwing up all my links and making my site ineffective. Finally, I just went ahead and changed the default Wordpress url format to a 'blog post/month' format. This way the titles of your posts are in the url - which dramatically helps search engine results. I don't fully understand 'redirects' - and I've heard that doing this can mess up your site's ranking. I don't know. For me, after changing url format all my links automatically work, my site is still PR2 in Google, and I'm getting double the traffic. I can only assume that with time, the improved url's will generate even more traffic.

2) Use 'All in one SEO' or similar to change the meta title tags of your posts. Every post needs to have a catchy title that grabs readers attentions; but it also needs to have a different meta/html title full of keywords that people will search for. The way to get both on Wordpress is with the "All in one SEO" plugin. Take the time to do this for every post.


3) Make a specific page for anything related that people might search for. I run an online proofreading and editing site. Who are my potential clients? Students, academics or authors writing things in English. What are they going to be searching for? People don't search for general stuff like 'writing tips and tutorials'. People search for very specific things, like "How to write X". Knowing that, I've put up a series of articles, like "How to write a thesis statement for your dissertation". This is an article that is likely to be found and read, by people finishing their dissertation; and presto - they're already familiar with my site and services.

4) Make an event. I started a $100 writing contest. In just a few days, that post has attracted about 100 backlinks and lots of traffic. Of course these are not necessarily visitors who will need my editing and proofreading services.

However, the traffic (and backlinks) will help my site seem more relevant and thus rank better.

5) Give them something to do. I added a typing game on my site. It's relevant ("test your typing skills") to my site's content and, because people love tests and challenges, will probably get some people to stay on my site a little longer. This increases my site's 'stickiness' and thus I'll rank better.

6) I redid my site's theme/look. You shouldn't change your theme or look that often - and it's true people are looking for content and generally ignore the style of your webpage - but if it looks old, home-made, or outdated, people will probably click off it fast. I liked my old site; but it had a lot of content and different colors. It had a few small people pictures. My new site has a simple homepage with big pictures of smiling people (people like people...) see it at http://www.paper-perfect-editing.com.

7) A secondary blog. It's difficult to really explode my traffic because my site is just a 'services' site; it can never have mass appeal for lots of people. Therefore, I'm starting another blog full of writing tips, which will be easier to promote and get backlinks to; of course everypage of this new blog will point to the website I want to promote. Although it will take time to build up traffic, the project is worth doing.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Free online editing and proofreading services

Paper Perfect has a slick new website! In order to drum up new visitors, we're expanding our 'free editing program' - take advantage now! For a testimonial and link from your blog or website, or the right to use your paper as a sample on our site, we'll give you 1000 words free editing. Check out the offer here:

Free online editing and proofreading for papers, essays, English documents.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Essay Writing Competition, win $100! "If I ruled the world".

Have you ever had one of those days when you wished you were in charge? When you thought to yourself – “If I ruled the world, I’d do it differently…” Here’s your chance to express yourself! Let your brilliant writing and passionate ideas flow – and win yourself some much deserved recognition (and a little cash) as well. Introducing…Paper Perfect’s $100 essay writing competition, “If I ruled the world.”

In 1000 words or less, tell us what you hate about the world – what bothers you or ticks you off, and how you’d fix it if you were running things. How would politics/economies be organized? Would there be more freedom or less? New laws or rules? You don’t necessarily have to argue for a world that would be better for everyone – if you want to be a despot or tyrant, tell us why. We are looking for the best and most interesting writing; not necessarily the nicest.

Competition Details

  • Open to anybody who enjoys writing.
  • Essays should be persuasive – they should develop an idea, topic or argument and try to convince readers to accept an idea.
  • Essays should be well-organized, and if necessary, give evidence, examples, and logical arguments; but they should not be boring! Great writing will be rewarded.
  • Essays should be no more than 1,000 words.
  • The top essays will be featured on this site, and receive a free critical review.
  • Deadline is 2/1/10 – winner will be notified by 2/15/10 and sent $100 via PayPal.

Click here to enter the Essay Writing Competition!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Are Indians better English writers than Americans?

Awhile ago I posted about how you need an American copy editor or proofreader, rather than someone from India, because only an American native speaker can make your writing smooth, clear, and natural. Today I'm changing my position.

I've been reading through the articles on article databases (I'm on articlebase.com now). These are sites where writers 'dump' content in the hopes that other website owners will 'syndicate' or copy their article, providing a link back to whatever content or website the original author choose, thus helping their online business or affiliate sales.

I'm looking for articles about writing or editing to put on my main editing website. And I've been surprised. Most of the articles by Americans are mediocre at best and full of spelling mistakes. And some of the articles by Indian authors are amazing. Jaw dropping. I'm reading articles on 'loan applications' or 'property appraisals' and the writing is so freaking good, I want to put it straight into a literary novel masterpiece.

Listen to this:

Taming The Book Proposal, Author: Vishwajeet

Oh, that most maddening of documents! For so many of us eager to move forward with our nonfiction projects, it looms large like a guard at the queen’s castle, blocking the path to publication. Its perfection eludes us yet it stands there teasing, “Complete me, or your manuscript will never see the light of day, mwahahahaha!”

Is that great or what?! Ironically, I usually caution writers to keep it simple, take out their big words and long sentences - but this is only because the average American writer can't write well and is sure to mess it up.

Things are looking down for America; either because of poor education or laziness, writing skill have plummeted. Even people with the inclination and desire to publish a book write poorly! Most likely they're reading crap or online articles only while Indians are reading classics and philosophy; that's my bet.

I don't care either way; now I know who to turn to if I need really great writing done.

The Virtues of Writing - a fantastic essay on writing

**I found this rather strange article on writing by (I'm assuming) an Indian guy writing articles for pay. His 5 essays on 'articlebase.com' are mostly about loans and property. I don't know how much he charges, but he's a brilliant writer and there's something very literary about this essay. If you need very good, original content or articles, look him up. Personally, I'd like to hire him to ghostwrite a novel.**

Author: Shivanshu Bhugra

Writing becomes a necessity when the worthier elements of life like love and joy, become pursuits instead of possessions. Those who like to mouth ‘I love to write’ might as well have ‘loved to bungee jump’. So often, writing is an escape rather than a commitment, an alternative rather than a motive, a hobby rather than an involvement.


The difference between writing, when writing is the object of a desire, and writing, when it is the dearth of one, is similar to the difference between consuming food through your mouth or your nostrils. One is precise; the other is either foolhardy or deliberate.


A failure in one’s life is an achievement in one’s vanities. A hurt pride resorts to dissimilar paths of self-absorption eluding the one that confronts its vulnerabilities. Those who fail as intellectuals, rise as diplomats, but never cede to be individuals – because compliance with circumstances defeats the purport of the indomitable convictions of man, so likely, we forge more humane opportunities. Opportunities that are severely consistent, ripe and simple. Opportunities like writing.
Once again, take notice – Any man can breathe. Any man can disembowel liquid. Any man can write.


The object of scrutiny when two things are placed in contrasting contest is not spurious triumph, but progress through aptitude. Sometimes, it is essential to lose, and sometimes it is downright pivotal; it is forever substantial to remember that neither is success a construct of victories, nor is it a servant of one. Success lies deep in the path of experience and often, unknowingly, people who disembowel liquid, bungee jumpers, writers - pass it demurely. It is a fervent moment writhing within several unnamed others; it cannot be achieved, it has to be a yielding harvest.


In writing, there are no discoveries, only inventions – those, that either concoct interest or intrigue. If anything in the written connotation is a function of the former, it is languid and specious. If anything, at all, as it has been a rarity for so long, compromises with the latter, it is grand, unique, most welcome, and most awaited.
Uselessness is an innate, inherent part of writing anything. Futility, you see, is perfect and the only thing that is so. Those who master it are legends, those who come across it accidentally are writers, and those who tend towards it are fools. Those who come closest are renowned as professionals.


Precision in any sort of writing is a triviality and a widowed cliché. There is no ‘bull’s eye’ in perspectives, in predilection or in opinion; it is consequential to generalize. A thing that is meant to socialize with more than a single existent word should never focus or centralize acutely. It’ll fail to stand ground, and eventually fail to impress.
The diversity one writer inures to delineate himself from another is only in an unrealized, imperfect conformity of perseverance. Hard work is an unknown realm, a world within a world, a most secret horizon of each written syllable – when we expand these realms and horizons, when we free our worlds, we can hope towards hope… to be writers. A just and lively hope to be good writers, and if not, efficient in the least.


There is still a last truth to reckon with, again and again, until it is defunct and old and as gray as cement stripping off naked walls –
Any man can breathe. Any man can disembowel liquid. Any man can write.
Learn to survive it.

About the Author:

For more useful tips & hints, please browse for more information at our website :- http://www.adsence-dollar-factory.com
http://www.100earningtips.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - The Crusades Of Writing

Online dissertation writing services - BEWARE

In browsing articles on good writing for my site, I came across this fantastic article about online dissertation writing services. If you're writing your dissertation, thesis, essay or other big research project, it may have crossed your mind to just let somebody else do it. Hell, it's a lot of work and for most people, only a requirement to get a degree. While I sympathize, and have no ethical issues with paying for online writing services that can crank out your dissertation, the following article offers a severe warning against them. Why? Because, while promoting such services, the article is itself terribly written. It's almost indecipherable - which is, in my experience, what you may get if you pay for a service to write your dissertation for you. I've edited dissertations and theses that have been written by such services (the students want me to 'clean them up') however they were so filled with plagiarism it was nearly impossible. Read the following before you pay for a dissertation writing service.

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Why do students find theses services through the Internet Why are not students who can write a study on their ownWhy do most students rely on the internet works jobs for more titles Well just to answer all the above questions, they would reduce their workload, but they can be distinguished, but did not have enough time to write essays about their own writing, and online services provide an excellent dissertation dissertation help you achieve better grades.

To get help from online dissertation writing services is as easy as the answer, and it has become common practice among most students. Internet services, writing essay is often written, depending on your qualifications, and on this subject, which is suited to your attention. The whole thesis is written by professional authors and is a true cross-checking copy. This assistance is primarily a student, because they have different and creative essays, for which they must pay some reasonable amount as a fee. Specialist writers, working in a network of such sites have extensive knowledge and vast resources on any topic, and are capable enough to ensure that you really need.

The team consists of specialists from people from all areas in which these online research writing services can write on any subject offered with excellence and professionalism. They have the skills to move in the direction of their work, which are clearly reflected in the essays submitted. The expert writers start from the very start of zero, where they write a result and give a wonderful result. Students writing services who can not write the thesis on its own because of limited time, for example, a lack of talent or because of a hectic day can take care of theses services network, which offer greater assistance to needy students at reasonable fees.

You get a few of these works online services that provide you with high quality work, and long before that time, in order to help you to check your abstract carefully. I choose online dissertation writing service can be very difficult, as some may simply print already published dissertation, and thus you may encounter with a great embarrassment to your colleagues and teachers. To select genuine online essay service you want to check on money back guarantee and plagiarism Free Report, the next important point is the selection of online service services, which employs only well trained professionals who know all the facts on how to write a thesis.

If youre happy with both of the conditions, then you can freely choose what to write theses online service, and start with your work. With the entire in mind, the student will no doubt get help to write your essay on the fine and get level with advanced degrees. These networks are writing theses services not only provide you with impeccable dissertation, but also give you a firm support in the event of any arguments that may arise during the course. To get the power and creativity are well studied in the dissertation a few dollars, and your treasure trove.

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In his defense, the author seems to have been promoting the following websites; so maybe this content is 'keyword rich' but not meant to really represent a specific thesis or dissertation editing company.

http://www.adsence-dollar-factory.com http://www.100earningtips.com

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Is your writing mentally retarded?

Recently I've been editing some very bad writing. I'm patient, and caring, and meticulous; and I understand that the author has worked very hard, but at the same time I can't help comparing the writing to a historical trend of failing education and suffered grammar skills.

The vast majority of modern English speakers have very poor writing skills; and the vast majority of English speakers writing books also have very poor writing skills! Maybe this is because the well-educated, linguistically gifted among us have stable jobs and families and don't hunger so desperately for that American dream of writing a book and making a fortune in supplemental income. Maybe the recession is bringing out all the crazies from under the woodwork; who have the brilliant and inspired goal of educating mankind in the things that they themselves have come to realize like:
1) With hard work and passion, you can do anything.
2)....
That seems to be about all they've come up with so far.

In one book I'm editing, the author is using Abraham Lincoln as an example for his perseverance. During Abe's time (and about a century before and after his death) people who wrote for publication or wrote things that other people would read were nearly universally excellent writers and speakers. I mean, freaking fantastic. AWESOME.

If they got their hands on the book I'm editing now, they would have thought it was the product of a deranged man, an unlearned child, or an imbecile. A large part of the problem is that authors are recycling without reading anything for themselves (I'm guessing this author, while referring to the Gettysburg address, has never actually read it.) Although self-help gurus will use examples of superior men, they don't read the writings of these great men which they are recommending.

Is there a cure for mentally retarded writing?
Sadly no: for one thing, trying to write a book at all shows gargantuan effort and should be praised, regardless of the outcome (although I feel like they are in for a rude awakening when they try to publish). For another, the people with poor writing skills have (as demonstrated in their writing) poor logic skills and a lack of common sense. yes they can improve, they can learn, they can take classes... and they may get good enough to write a 'chicken soup for the soul' or a 'who moved my cheese?'.

If you are a struggling author who's not getting the feedback you feel you deserve - try this: go to the library and check out a couple "Norton Anthologies of Literature". Get the American and British anthology; that's about 300 years of the best English writing known to man. Read it, study it, practice copying it. (Read for 10 minutes, then write something similar trying to use the same style. There is simply no skipping history if you want to improve your writing, and I guarantee this will produce results for you.

Do you make these common writing mistakes? 5 steps to better writing

Along with the challenge of writing any type of document is the opportunity to make yourself look good (or very bad). Great writing speaks for itself and automatically bestows grace, good fortune and success upon its author; although we live in a world with very high literacy, the sad fact is that very few people can write well, and very many write atrocious garbage that is painful to bear. Follow the following tips religiously to go from mediocre to master.

1) Get educated! READ MORE

Humans are natural mimics: the easiest way to improve your writing is to read authors whose style you appreciate; read for at least 10 minutes and then write - your writing will automatically improve. But don't read garbage. Thomas Carlyle, Benjamin Franklin, C.S. Lewis, (his letters, not Narnia), and Plato are some amazing writers for non-fiction. For fiction, read Kafka, Dostoevsky, Isabel Allende...or even Tom Clancy and Dan Brown if that's the style you hope to imitate. Reading great writing will not only improve your own writing, but also give you reference material to name drop. "As Ben Franklin said in his Autobiography" or "As Plato described in The Symposium" makes you sound smart and well-read, and adds interest to your writing.

If you're an author with a non-fiction book, step one is extremely important! As an editor, I often get non-fiction books on a subject that have clearly not read relevant literature (self-help genre is the worst offender). If you haven't read the top 100 - or even top 10 - books on the subject your are writing about, what makes you think anybody cares what you have to say? There are hundreds of thousands of books in print, and some of them are fantastic; they don't need you to sum them up or dumb them down or recycle them. Reading a lot will help you to formulate an actually new idea or opinion and avoid becoming the pale shadow of better writers.

2) Practice makes perfect! WRITE MORE

A blog is a good way to get started. Write your opinions, emotions, short conversations you had, and post them on a blog. It doesn't matter if anybody read it; it only matters that it is in the public and thus you should feel self-conscious enough to clean it up and make it better than it would otherwise be. It's easy to write in 1st person "I think, I feel..." Shake it up by writing short stories (about yourself if you want) in 3rd person, writing essays, dialogs, poems.... practice makes perfect. Too many authors decided to write a book and that book is the first real writing they've ever done!

3) Simplicity is beautiful! TONE IT DOWN

Teenagers and aspiring authors love to use big, flowery words, run-on sentences, and a mashup of allegory, metaphor and allusion. Great writers don't. Yes, English is fun, and there are lots of things you can do with it. It's fun to feel clever and throw a lot of great words around and push and pull them... but picture this kind of writing like finger painting. Sure it's vibrant and colorful, but also messy and amateurish. Learning to write is the same as learning to paint - you focus on your skill, you paint a picture that says something, and captures more than momentary interest.

If a reader may have to use a dictionary to look up your word - delete it! Use words that people know. Nothing is worse than reading an other who likes to use the same, little used phrase or word repeatedly. It draws attention and by the 50th time it's physical painful to see that word or phrase again. Simple words disappear so that readers can see what you're saying.

The other huge mark of a terrible writer is mixing metaphors. References to sports, to economic terms, sea-faring terms, cliches etc all jumbled into the same paragraph is just ugly. Remember your purpose as a writer is to explain (an idea, or a story). You are telling readers what is happening. You are telling them how to react, how to feel. They are in your hands. Be clear, consistent, organized.

As a rule, always explain first and explain early. Show what is going on. Make your main points. Explain your concept (without a bunch of references or allusions to other things)! Examples or metaphors come after you've already explained as clearly as you can, and even then there should be two at most.

(I'm editing a book right now, where the author makes one unclear statement without defining his terms, and then supports it with about 15 examples, allusions, quotes by other people and metaphors. I never know what he's really talking about or what he's trying to say; and worse his examples are all contradictory or taken out of context.)

4) Readers hate to be confused! ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS

Don't be random, don't mix metaphors, don't give examples that don't fit, or quotes that don't fit. Don't allegorize without first explaining. Have a purpose for everything you do and say; an order your readers can figure out.

The easy way to do this is with an outline; an outline is equally important for both fiction and non-fiction writers. What happens first, next, and last? How does the first effect the second and so on? Have a strong beginning and conclusion to every topic, aim, goal, scene or chapter. Finish your outline in as much detail as possible. How does this paragraph fit within the chapter? How does this chapter relate to the whole manuscript?

Everything you include must have a reason for being where it is, or for being there at all. If it doesn't fit the theme, doesn't forward the plot, doesn't help readers to understand what you're trying to get them to understand, then it's a waste of space.

Readers are interested only in what you've promised to provide (the plot/story or the topic of the book). Extra information is distracting; readers won't willingly just go along - they aren't hungry for just any random text. Keep it strong, sharp and focused.

5) There's no excuse for 'dirty' writing! EDIT

Yes, you can edit yourself (although it's hard). Take some time and space first, work on some other writing projects or read a lot of books, so you can come to it with a relatively clear mind.

How to self-edit? Look for long, winding sentences that cloud the point, end abruptly, don't make sense. Read things out loud; you should always be able to clearly and easily understand the flow of the language, like tossing a ball in the air. If you get stuck, confused, or stumble, the ball is dropped. (Read it out loud and when you stumble or slow down, there's a problem with the text).

Read your quotes and dialogs. They should be clear and natural - as if they were really spoken. If they sound like "writing" rather than speech (something somebody would actually say) then change them.

Look for repetition, especially repeating the same uncommon words or phrases that you like but which draw attention; even 2 is 1 too many. You can repeat 'great' a thousand times, although it's boring. But say "AWESOME" twice in the text and you've defined yourself as a writer and a person.

Less is more: cut out 3 plain adjectives or adverbs and replace it with one perfect one. Yes, you can use a thesaurus. Yes, uncommon words are fine if they really fit and if you don't overuse them. Keep your sentences short and clean.

Derek Murphy is a writer, editor and fine artist (http://www.derekmurphyart.com). He's currently an editor with Paper Perfect editing company (http://www.paper-perfect-editing.com).

Friday, September 25, 2009

How to write a self-help book that sells

I've had a lot of requests recently to edit self-help books, spiritual manuscripts, etc... seems that a lot of people out there are writing self-help books; and so this post is going to help clarify the common problems most modern self-help writers make, and how to write a book that somebody is actually going to read.

In general, you can't go wrong with self-help. Everybody wants to be happier, richer, more successful, more confident... if you can promise these things up front, you'll hook readers. The problem is on deliverance. Sure there have been many best-selling self help books and there always will be. The secret? Simplicity!

Most of the self-help manuscripts I've edited recently have been monumental treatises. Moreover, the majority of them are riddled with repetition, poorly formed analogies, description and explanation (rather than anecdotes and examples). You need to realize, you're competing with books like 'who moved my cheese'. If you can't break your book down into one, or a handful, of very simple (1 sentence) maxims which can be explained in more detail, keep working!

Only the very intellectual/well read philosophers are going to read a lengthy manuscript about self improvement - and they'll probably stick with some erudite Greek philosopher or Benjamin Franklin; some of the greatest writers the world has ever seen have written self-help advice, and you are competing with them (so do yourself a favor and read them).

There's a lot to do right, but most people do it wrong; so here's a checklist to make sure your self-help project is successful.
1) Read more! If nothing else, some well placed quotes from famous historical writers and philosophers will establish your credibility.
2) Keep it simple! Each chapter should have ONE idea that can be reduced to a single, catchy sentence. Lots of big, clear text and big chapter heading, etc.
3) Pick a focus! The best self-help books I've gotten recently have picked one specific technique and explained why it works. Trying to write a book without producing any new method will be difficult.
4) People don't want theory, they want practice. Give them actual exercises, habits, rituals, that they can DO.
5) People don't need explanations. They need anecdotes. Stories of other people who were successful. Allegories are great, but as Aristotle said - only geniuses are capable of producing great ones (so don't be surprised if other people don't get yours)
6) Don't try to be funny unless you're funny! (Ok - you're not going to know whether or not you're funny. You're going to need some tough love her. Don't ask a friend or a spouse. Give a few strangers 10 of your 'best lines' and see if they like them.)
7) Read 'Think and Grow Rich' by Napoleon Hill. It's still one of the best-selling self-help books of all time. It's a little dated, the examples are old, but the style (and enthusiasm) is great! You need that kind of enthusiasm and conversational tone and confidence to be successful.

Questions? contact me at www.paper-perfect-editing.com

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Native English Editors from India

I'm going to blog about a controversial topic, but a) I think maybe my opinion is valid and useful for those seeking editing and proofreading and b) even if I'm wrong the topic may interest someone.

I just received a resume to edit from an editor from India; she says she's been working with a team of editors (she's also worked with a big publishing firm). Mostly she does type-setting. She seems to have a lot of experience.

I don't really mind editing the resume of an editor... you might think a skilled editor could do it herself but we all make mistakes and it's difficult to edit our own writing. There are a couple pretty bad mistakes (extra letters, poor spacing) that makes me wonder if she even gave it a quick once-over before sending it.

More to the point, the writing, although not terrible, isn't excellent. What does it matter? Well - maybe for her work, it doesn't. Maybe she's a very skilled formatter (I, myself, am not). Maybe most companies that contact her don't want to improve their writing; they just want it to be eye-clean. In fact, they probably do (if only because, it is very difficult for someone to realize that their own writing can be improved).

When people look for an editor or proofreader, mostly they want someone who will fix things, but not change things. That being the case, it's no wonder that there are a lot of proofreaders and editors from India (there's a lot of everything in India right now, but mostly in the services industries.) It's a skill with rules that can be learned and applied. Many of them are probably very good at proofreading and charge much, much less than similar services from Western Speaking Countries.

HOWEVER. Writing - good writing - is what makes any kind of document truly successful. A boring, poorly written paper, document, letter or even email, even if it is flawlessly clean, may still be ineffective. Anything written can be written better. And good writing shines, attracts, encourages and persuades. Good writing bonds with readers. Good writing is a product in itself...

I can't say that Indian people can't write. Of course not. Salman Rushdie is a damn fine writer. But I will suggest that many Indian people in the proofreading industry right now are applying a learned skill set which will fix, but not improve the text. This may be exactly what you want; but you shouldn't. Ideally you'd find someone really good at formatting, who will make it look awesome when printed, someone with a good idea for grammatical and punctuation details, and also someone who uses red ink liberally to rewrite clunky passages, get rid of redundancy, and improve word choice.

What you choose is of course up to you. For dry business manuals or reports, making it look good may be all that matters. But for anything where expressing your ideas, opinions and arguments is more important than how it looks, you need someone who can help you fix the writing.

Am I the greatest editor in the world? Maybe not. But I'm good, and my prices are very affordable.

www.paper-perfect-editing.com

Typos Matter! Edit your important documents!

I've just finished editing the portfolio of a business professional. Kudos to him for getting all of his writing edited and organized into a portfolio. HOWEVER: I assume that, as most of the portfolio included writing examples like school papers, interdepartmental memos, business letters, reports, etc... he used all of those documents without first getting them edited, which I feel is kind of tragic.

I read somewhere recently that some business execs argue that typos, mistakes in spelling and grammar in corporate text gives an 'organize sense' to a company; proving that it has a human face. I strongly disagree. Anybody who's educated enough to notice the typo is going to have a negative response to it, especially in a professional setting. The more professional, the more shocking it is to see a typo.

This particular business exec made lots and lots of mistakes in spelling, including the damnably easy things like "theirs/there's", "its/it's", "a/an". I can tell from his writing that he's a successful guy; good executive position of a large company, beautiful family, and I can't help wondering how he got so far in life making those spelling errors. Sure they're fine for a rough draft, for instant messaging and maybe even informal emails - but to turn in a college or postgraduate term paper with errors like that is both insulting and embarrassing.

It's hard to find an excuse. Ok, maybe his spelling sucks. Maybe that has never stopped him (he seems to have a strong personality) in getting ahead. Maybe the 'real men' of the business world all can't spell, but just drink whiskey and play golf and make obscene jokes and that's enough. I don't know.

For most people out there, I would strongly urge you to be more careful. Maybe you're not a gifted writer... but at least you can turn in a clean paper.

***side note: I wonder, actually, if I were a teacher, would I prefer the creative, well written but horribly misspelled paper, or the clean, nice, very boring paper. ??***

Typos Matter: Editing and Proofreading ads

I just finished making my first advertisements for my PaperPerfect editing website. I run a small business, so they aren't big and glossy. But they are cute and funny so - go watch and leave comments!



Sunday, September 6, 2009

Funny Job Application Typos

Thanks to http://www.economicshelp.org for the hardest laugh I've had in a long time. The following hysterical resume typos are the cream of the crop. Get an editor!

“I have a graduate degree in unclear physics.” (I never understood physics either)

“I worked for 6 years as an uninformed security guard.” (ignorance is bliss)

“My last role was a plumbing and hating specialists.”

• “The academic scholarship I earned came with a plague.” (the cost of university is really too high these days)

• “Most of my experience to this point has been as a blue-color worker.” (was it very cold)

• “As part of the city maintenance crew, I repaired bad roads and defective brides.” (I’m sure you had your work cut out)

• “My career goal is to shave my talents with a growing company.”

• “My hobbies include raising long-eared rabbis as pets.” (Good Luck!)

From: Funniest typos at this is us


Thursday, August 27, 2009

7 steps to publishing your book

I've been an editor for several years, and during that time I've written, edited and published two books of my own. So I have some small idea of what it takes to get published. For aspiring authors with completed manuscripts, or dreamers who are still making notes, keep these 7 tips in mind as you begin the publishing process.

1) Don't rush! Take your time, write a first draft. Then put it away for 3 months and come back very critically. Write it again, and again. Most authors are excited about what should be their 'rough draft' - get it professionally edited (which fixes the little stuff like typos when the big stuff is so much more important) and then send it out. If your amazing title/novel/non-fiction book idea gets rejected because you hurried the process, you won't be able to pitch it to the same people later on!

2) Look at the forest, not the trees. Look at the big picture. The timeline, the story, the overall message. Make sure your story matters; the story is important for readers - readers will stick with a good story even if the writing is terrible. Likewise, if your writing is GREAT but you make crucial errors in plot, timing, characterization etc... you will lose your readers. Don't worry about specific passages or words, worry about what happens, and why, and why it MATTERS.

3) Create conflict! Good stories are never be about nice, beautiful things. They are about challenge and growth. Even if you don't like the idea of a 'format' - you should have characters that face obstacles, enemies, hardships, challenges. These should GET WORSE throughout the book. Nothing should be resolved until the very, very end. Show readers the very worst possible thing that could happen - and then make it happen!

4) Have realistic characters. If you're writing a historical piece - research exactly how people talked during that time; don't guess. For anything modern or current, make sure the character sounds believable. When people talk to each other, we usually use very simple words. If you wouldn't say it to a friend while chatting online, don't have your character say it (unless you mean them to sound pretentious!) Also make sure your characters do things for a reason, and that whatever they are doing is very important to them.

5) Focus on your plot. Every scene needs to have something that happens to further the plot. No exceptions. Everything the characters see, do, say, touch or feel must be relevant to the final outcome of the story (it should lead to greater conflict, and then final resolution). Most writers have very pleasant or well-written scenes that break this rule. Once you've begun your story, readers are interested in what's going to happen with the main plot - subplots are only allowed if they are absolutely necessary for the conclusion of the main plot. If it doesn't bring the story into more conflict or closer to resolution, it's a detour and readers will hate it - I know it's tough but it must be cut out.

6) Make it marketable. This includes having a brilliant title, awesome chapter headings, electric openings and thrilling chapter conclusions. You'll also need a perfect query letter. There are lots of resources on the internet about these things. Before you even begin to look for agents or publishers, you MUST present a finished, professional final package. While your package will be of no use without a great book as well - having a great book without such a package is just as useless. A non-fiction book proposal is more demanding, but also easier to get accepted. The trick is research, preparation and diligence; not as much fun as writing but twice as important if you want to get published.

7) Agents, then publishers. There is no rule on who to submit to; but my advice is agents first, publishers later. Agents are only interested in potentially best-selling books, which will generate enough profit for them to make decent cut. Agents will help get your book into a bigger publishing house, for more money - and that's great. So by all means, contact all the agents in the world (that are reputable and deal with your genre or subject matter) and wait at least 1 month to hear from them. If they all reject you, don't fret. It can mean one of two things:

1) Your book isn't good enough. Triple check it, have an editor or book club review it and make it better.

2) Your book isn't 'mainstream' enough. If you know your book is brilliant, but you recognize that it isn't for everybody, then there's a reason agents don't want you. Look for a publishing house that has published similar titles. Any small publishing house is fine - getting it 'published' by anybody will carry more weight for your career later than self publishing it, it will also give you a huge confidence boost. Don't worry about the money for the first book. Concentrate on learning the business of publishing and getting your book in print; after you've succeeded once, you can do it again.

Never, never, never give up!
There is someone out there who wants to read what you want to write - but at the same time, make sure you learn your craft well enough to make it worth their time.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Self-help and personal growth book editing and proofreading

I've been noticing lately a huge number of new writing projects that involve self help or personal growth. That's great for me, because I love editing and proofreading these kinds of books. As a philosophy/religion major with an esoteric bent and interest in mysticism, I can't think of a better way to spend my day than perusing a self-help book.

However - unfortunately, many authors seems to be churning out self-help manuscripts intent on writing a best-seller and making lots of money, rather than actually saying something interesting. And so some of the books I'm getting are really about 100K of fluff - which is a waste of my time (and the author's).

Yes, self-help books can be very profitable. Everybody likes to read about how they can fulfill their dreams and get whatever they want, and will always be interested in learning new skills to make that happen.

But if you want them to buy your book, you need to provide them with something in return! Here are some tips.
1)You must teach some practical skill, tip or technique. Everybody knows the common "think positively" or "imagine what you want" or "never give up" bs. You need something more clever, something new. You need a principle, or a 5-step process, or 10 rules to live by. Something concrete, yet simple.

2) In the introduction, tell readers all about the book, what they will learn, what you will provide, you're 7 steps or whatever. Don't 'withhold' - give. Entice.

3) Every chapter should be about one thing and one thing only. Explain it (in your own words!!) for several pages BEFORE you get into analogies, examples, parables and anecdotes. I've seen self-help books that are ONLY analogies, examples, parables and anecdotes... without any content. Make sure your examples are uplifting, motivational, specific, and true - and relevant to what you are saying.

4) Be simple. Write in a clean, conversational tone. Many of the best selling self-help books in the world have been kid-stuff, like 'how moved my cheese' or 'the alchemist' or 'Jonathan livingston seagull'. (And if you haven't read those - you should).

If you have a you have a self-help or personal growth book you need editing and proofreading for, or if you have any other great project that you need edited, contact me at teosocrates(at)yahoo.com, or visit my website www.paper-perfect-editing.com for a free and instant price quote.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Novel and book editing and proofreading

I saved this post as a 'draft' about a year ago with very little content - since then I've edited about a dozen novels, books, fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, including several science fiction, fantasy, self-help, spiritual, and dissertations.

Whether you're a writer or an editor of any kind of book, you're going to be called upon to make it as good as can be. As a writer, you simply cannot avoid the task of self-editing. As an editor or proofreader, it is of course your job - your reputation is on the line.

This post will describe what I find to be the most useful, and most necessary, tricks and tips for properly editing a very large manuscript (50k+).

1) Focus on the forest, not the trees!! Far too often I've gone through a manuscript, fine-tuning every sentence, clarifying the writing, the spelling, the grammar and punctuation, only to find out at the end that the author has said very little, the organization is poor, the whole project, in fact, stinks. There's nothing at all wrong with this; many book ideas start out bad... the trick is how to make them good. But why waste time and money fixing all the little things - the big things are much more important!! Ask the author if they would be willing to undergo a 2 stage process, or at least warn them that the big things are in more dire need or attention that the little things.

The best way to edit a book or manuscript is to skim through for ideas and content, repetition, organization, main points, etc. Get a feel for what the author is trying to say; the story they want to tell; they idea. Is the book, in itself, successful? Why or what not? What needs to be fixed? Be very critical in addressing these needs, for if the forest doesn't work, the trees don't matter.

2) Once the author has been given time to reflect on these big ideas, has rewritten it several times, skim again and see if the book is in fact better. Ideally it should all hold together; it should 'hold water'. Individual words, bad writing, cliches, can all be fixed once the book is strong in itself. Hopefully, by now, it is.

The next step is simply to clean it up. If you've taken care of the big issues, this part should be time-consuming but also much easier, as you're dealing with simple things like spelling and grammar instead of major rewriting or content (proofreading, not editing).

3) Finally, and very last, polish it to make it look good visually. This means checking font text and size consistency, spacing, title headings, etc. If you're editing a manuscript to submit to a publisher or agent, keep in mind that they will have their own specific requirements (12pt Times New Roman, double spaced, etc.)

Following this order will produce a much more profound manuscript, guaranteed for success.

For more editing and proofreading tips or services, visit http://www.paper-perfect-editing.com.

Thesis and Dissertation Editing and Proofreading

Most people who contact with with a thesis or dissertation to edit are concerned with price and time. Thus is the nature of the game: theses and dissertations invariably have a deadline, and just as invariably, students and postgraduates will put off the work until just before the paper is due, and suddenly seek out an editor hastily.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with this; if you're an editor, you've got to be prepared to work long and hard on a moment's notice. I'll often be pleasantly surprised with 20,000 word paper that needs to be finished ASAP.

Even so - don't lose track of what's important in a thesis or dissertation. Sure, punctuation, grammar, spelling should all be flawless. However, at the same time and probably much more important is the content, that also needs to be checked. A few careful remarks by a capable editor can catch mistakes in logic or reasoning that would otherwise sink a thesis or dissertation.

Do it right! It's actually pretty simple.

1) The thesis or dissertation should have ONE main focus or topic, called the 'thesis statement' or main claim. It should be in the introduction, hopefully within the first couple of pages. It should be one sentence long, one paragraph at most. Often I've found bits and pieces of statements strewn throughout a dissertation - it must be all together, tight and focused, in the beginning. Find it, flag it, suggest a relocation if necessary.

2) Hopefully there will be a nice clean outline in the introduction, along the lines of "This is what we will argue. This is how we will argue it. First...then...next...after that...finally". It should be there; it's called the chapter outline and is usually required. If it's missing, flag it. It's easy to write, especially when the rest is finished.

3) Each chapter should have a focus. Each chapter should be introduced along the lines of "in the last chapter, we found/discovered/argued.... In this chapter, we will X, by A, B and C". Always provide a map. Tell readers what you want to do, how you're going to do it, and then DO it. This way your argument will be so much more powerful and convincing (even if it isn't really, it will seem as if it is.)

4) Include and cite references correctly, using the format you are required to use (tell the editor what it is; editors you should ask). MLA, Chicago, APA... they're all unique. Editors honestly don't have time to fix everything, so writers make sure they're pretty close to good - ie you tried your best. We'll catch little things, but can't completely rework everything.

5) CONCLUDE. Too many theses or dissertations simply die off quietly (probably because students secretly hope their advisors won't actually read the whole thing).

Even if they don't read your paper word-for-word, you can bet that they'll flip to the conclusion, which should recap your entire argument, paraphrase your main argument and evidences, and very definitively reiterate how and why you've actually proved what you set out to prove (or, been surprised by the results which suggested something you didn't set out to find.)

The conclusion is very important - a lot of the paper can be fluff. It's hard to be perfect everywhere. Make sure your very best and strongest writing is in the introduction and conclusion, make sure the rest sticks to the basic outline you proposed, and you'll be fine.

For thesis or dissertation editing services, visit http://www.paper-perfect-editing.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Editing embarrassing mistakes

I've been busy recently. I sometimes prefer to edit rough documents, because I feel like I'm really making substantial changes and my clients' are 'getting their money's worth'. However, there is nothing so satisfying as catching a mistake which would have been embarrassing.

In a publication on businesses in the EU - I just changed "Pubic region" to "Public region." That's pretty funny. Well worth the price of an editor to fix a mistake like that. :)

Saturday, March 21, 2009

How much should you charge/pay for proofreading or editing?

Editing is a fickle business. There are editors living in 3rd world countries that can live very well on $10 a day, who can afford to charge a very low rate. Other editors live in nice houses in expensive cities and need to charge more. Some editors are university graduates, some have PhD's. Some are very good, and some aren't.

As an editor - how much should you charge? As a writer, how much should you pay? Unfortunately there is no standard 'going rate' for editing; editors have unique styles and services. Prices can depend on level and depth of editing, on turnaround speed and other variables. Here are a few tips to make sure you're charging/paying the right amount.

For Editors:
If you're a freelance editor, you need to find a way to charge fairly and consistently. Your price has to reflect your quality and skill level, but also be competitive. A good strategy: Search through about 10 editing sites that you like and that are offering similar services; ie your competitors. Look at how they charge and how much - and then shoot for an average. If the cheapest is $10 an hour and the most expensive is $50, settle on about $25. Although everybody is searching for a bargain and a good deal, when it comes to editing people are already afraid that the service won't be good enough. They are paying for editing because they NEED their writing to be great, flawless, perfect. Therefore price is rarely the determining factor. They want the best editor, most experienced and most suited to their project. So as long as your price is reasonable, you're probably OK.

You should also look at how much you'd like to make per hour. There are many ways to charge clients - personally I prefer by word (or page, although that can be less precise) because it lets visitors check exactly how much their project will cost right away. But figure out how many words you can edit in an hour, and based on that, how much you need to charge per word. I think $15 an hour is a pretty reasonable rate for editing - although some editors make much more. Therefore - if I can edit 1000 words an hour, I could charge $.015 per word.

For Writers:
Now that you've gained these peaks into the business of editing, you writers should have a better idea of what to expect. Choosing a qualified editor can be difficult. Don't assume that the most expensive is the best, and also don't assume the the cheapest is untrustworthy. Read the editing services site, read the testimonials and see if they sound genuine. If it's possible (and it should be!) send them a 1 page sample and see how well they do.

Compare a few sites and get some price quotes - then you can set a reasonable budget for yourself; it should be a price that you feel comfortable with and that you think should be enough to get a qualified editor. If you want a bargain - email some of the more expensive sites and ask them if they will drop their price... many of them will.

You can also search freelance sites like guru.com or elance.com and get freelance editors.