Erin Brenner's Blog, page 4

Sales Funnels for Editors: Be Where Clients Can Find You

“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half.”

John Wanamaker (1838–1922)

That quote from marketing pioneer John Wanamaker describes a truth every marketer deals with. Sometimes more frustrating is that credit for a sale is often given solely to the last touch point—that last contact the buyer has with the seller.

For example, you see an ad on Instagram for a pair of fancy running shoes because Instagram knows you are a hard-core runner. You n...

“The Design of Books”: An Insider’s Guide for Authors and Editors

If you want to learn how to design books, don’t read The Design of Books by veteran book designer Debbie Berne. This is not a how-to book.

If instead you want to learn more about book design, this is the book for you. As the subtitle declares, it’s “an explainer for authors, editors, agents, and other curious readers.” Perhaps unique in its topic, it’s a gem of a book for those of us who work adjacent to book designers.

When I worked with the University of Chicago Press on my book, it was ...

The Design of Books: An Insider’s Guide for Authors and Editors

If you want to learn how to design books, don’t read The Design of Books by veteran book designer Debbie Berne. This is not a how-to book.

If instead you want to learn more about book design, this is the book for you. As the subtitle declares, it’s “an explainer for authors, editors, agents, and other curious readers.” Perhaps unique in its topic, it’s a gem of a book for those of us who work adjacent to book designers.

When I worked with the University of Chicago Press on my book, it was ...

Modernize Your Writing: The Case for Refreshing Your Style Guide

Last week, I reviewed the latest edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) and talked about how to absorb all the changes in this mammoth manual.

Many editors are now wondering when their clients or employers will make the shift to the 18th edition. Those clients and employers, though, may be asking a more basic question: Why should we update?

The Dilemma of Updating Style Guides

Editors and others passionate about the nuts and bolts of writing will update just because. But for the ...

CMOS 18: A Deep Dive into the Latest Edition’s Updates

The print version of The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition (CMOS 18), doesn’t come out until September 19, but the new edition soft-launched on the manual’s website last week. Editors are already digging in and sharing their reactions anywhere editors gather.

A new edition of a style guide is always an event. Although no one wants to read every word of the 1,000-plus page behemoth that is CMOS 18, we tend to geek out over changes to our most-used rules and guidance.

Overview of Changes...

Why Freelance Editors Should Write a Business Plan

Although I’ve been a freelance editor for two decades, 2018 was the first year I had thought about a business plan—never mind trying to write one. My plan was simple: Sell writing and editing services to businesses and collect the money. Track and report my business expenses, and pay my taxes. That’s it.

But in the previous couple of years, my marketing plan had gotten stale, and I had felt more than a little burned out of social media. I wanted to reinvigorate my marketing so that I could ke...

The Copyeditor’s One-Reference-Work Challenge

Here’s a challenge for you: You’re new to editing and can only afford one reference book. Which one do you purchase?

A reader recently asked me that, and I’m afraid I might have disappointed her by not naming a specific book.

An editor’s two most important resources are the dictionary and style manual required by the job or client. Bless the dictionary makers, the major American dictionaries are available in some format for free online.

That leaves the style manual. If you’re lucky to o...

Why Editing Matters: Investing in Your Book’s Success

As a self-publishing author, you’re faced with a daunting number of decisions. How do you choose the right professionals to work with? How can you ensure your book’s quality while staying within budget and meeting your timeline? 

It’s all a bit overwhelming.

In my previous post, “Dear Indie Author, You Are a Publisher!,” I explained how you’re a publisher and outlined the steps involved in publishing your book. Today, let’s dive deeper into one of the most critical decisions you’ll make: s...

Dear Indie Author, You Are a Publisher!

Dear Independent Author,

Thank you for contacting Right Touch Editing. Your book project sounds interesting and we’d love to work with you on it. There’s one thing, though, that we really want you to understand:

You are a publisher.

Of course, you’re also an author. That’s likely how you think of yourself, and that’s okay.

But if you’re going to self-publish your book, that means you’re also a publisher.

That seems obvious, doesn’t it?

What’s not as obvious is that self-publish...

Righting “More Wrong” and “Wronger”

When my boys were in elementary school, they came to me with a grammar question, “Mom, we’re having a grammar argument. Is it wronger or more wrong?”

The boys had picked up on an exception to the rule for grading adjectives, that is making an adjective comparative or superlative, and found it something to argue about.

The general rule is that words of one syllable take one of the inflectional suffixes, either –er or –est:

Slow—slower—slowest

Words of more than one syllable can take e...