There are lots of things going on right now! Joseph Jammer Medina has written the second Dangerous Faces book and it's a good one! I expect to be done with the edits by the first week of October, and will let you know when it is available. If you like a good Western with a little bit of the supernatural thrown in, you will love these books! Volume 1: Saratoga is available now!

In other exciting news, Kae Elle Wheeler has completed the fourth in the Cinderella series, The Price of Scorn. Have you ever wondered why Cinderella's stepmother was such an, ahem, unpleasant woman? Read her story and find out! Available everywhere now!

On the home front, I am out of projects for the time being, and would love some new work! Please contact me if you need a little help with your writing, maybe some polish, or even just checking grammar and spelling! Holiday discounts are now in effect! 

I decided today that it was high time to update my projects list. I searched for cover art for some of the recent books I have edited. I could not list them all – the list is much too long! I did, however, add several new books to the page.

I discovered along the way that I have edited quite a bit of Women’s Fiction or “Chick Lit” as it is often called. I wonder if I am navigating to my own demographic! Whatever the reason, I want to thank all the authors who have chosen to use my services. I enjoy this work so much and working with amazing authors is just one of the perks!

I often come across something that is eternally annoying to me...the apostrophe used to make a word plural. This is NEVER a good idea. To make most English words plural, just add an 's' and be done with it. Some examples: flowers, oceans, cameras, books, words...get the picture? 

If a word ends in 'y' change it to 'ie' before adding the 's'. Like these words: company/companies, fly/flies, kitty/kitties, spy/spies, reality/realities, family/families, party/parties...simple, really. 

One exception to the rule is in the case of proper or family names. If I want to see the whole Murphy family, I would say, "I'm going to see the Murphys today." You never want to change the spelling of someone's name. 

Use the apostrophe to denote possession (Margie's blog) or a contraction (can't be beat!). This will make your apostrophe and your friendly copy editor very happy! 

I hope you are enjoying your summer! Please let me know if you need help with a project, as I am scheduling for the fall now. If you have a rush job, I can fit you in this summer, too!

Looking for more inspiration? Here are 24 Quotes from great writers to help you along!

I'm not trying to be conceited. You need an editor, a copy editor, at the very least, a proofreader. All writers do. I recently read a great article by Dick Margulis. Rather than reiterating his points, I'll just link you here. Dick has been editing for many years, and he really knows what he is talking about. READ HIS ARTICLE AND THEN TELL ME YOU DON'T NEED AN EDITOR!
I've heard it so many times before!

Just because you are self-publishing your book does not mean that it is a good idea to self-edit it. In fact, I would argue that self-editing is ill-advised at best, and a really bad idea at worst. When you have spent months, nay, years, writing, you can read your story in your sleep. Your brain will see your manuscript as complete and perfect every time. But your brain is wrong! That's where I come in and fix all the little things that your brain skims over...Punctuation? Check. Spelling? Check. Subject-verb agreement? Check. Comma splices? Check. Incomplete clauses? Check. Dangling modifiers? Check. Shall I continue?

The best reason I can give you for hiring a second (or third, or fifth) pair of eyes to go through your manuscript is money. It is so much easier to sell books when your readers are not completely distracted by typos and other errors. Everyone can see them, not just grammar queens like me. Would you rather give away 500 free books, just to get reviews that say, "Nice story, but you need an editor," or would you rather sell 500 more books because the freebies introduced a professional writer with an intriguing story to tell? The difference between a professional writer and just a writer is an editor. I'm here when you are ready! (Now I'll let my proofreader look this over before posting.)

I'd like to take a moment to wish all my clients -- past, present, and future -- a very happy and prosperous 2015. I thank you all so much for your business and your confidence in me. It really means a lot. I hope to hear from all of you and some new clients, too, very soon!

Before an author hires an editor, whether developmental or a copy editor, there are a few basic rules she should know. This is an interesting article by Brian Klems about working with your freelance editor. 10 Things Your Freelance Editor Might Not Tell You -- But Should.

I found this great article and had to share! Self-Publishing:Overcoming Fear

I have been a member of the EFA for over a year now, and I love being a part of this group. Just once I need to tell you a little about the Editorial Freelancers Association. This non-profit group helps authors find the right editors for their work. But they do so much more for their members.
There is a terrific discussion list where members can post job opportunities, questions, even rant about grammar. I know that doesn't sound like much fun, but for an editor -- sheer bliss! I even got to go to New York to the Writers' Digest Conference because of the EFA. Their courses aid in my professional development and help me to understand the ever-changing world of editing, but more on that later.

If you are writing, you need an editor. I will just keep telling you this, so please listen. If you don't want to use my services, at least go to the EFA website (link above) and find someone who fits your needs. We all need work, especially at this time of year, and the best way to get it is through networking and personal connections. The EFA helps freelancers find work and connect with each other for professional development throughout the year.