I held two drawings last November for free editing: one winner was randomly selected from my blog followers and one from fans of my Facebook page.
The Facebook winner was author Maureen Francisco, whose first book, It Takes Moxie, was approaching the publication date. Because Maureen is a savvy author and a skilled marketer, she knows how important it is to get the word out about her book; she used her free editing to have me work with her on several articles she hoped would be picked up by major media outlets.
Sure enough, one of Maureen’s articles, “6 Ways to Improve Your Work Ethic, Get Ahead, and Learn the Secrets of Successful Immigrants” was picked up by Huffington Post, and Forbes.com published an article about her and her tips on “Seizing Opportunities.”
I’d like to share a short excerpt from “6 Ways to Improve Your Work Ethic” so you can see how a little tweaking here and there can make a BIG difference without changing the author’s voice. I’ve lined up the original followed by the edited version so you can see the differences:
(original) Work Ethic is a Muscle
(edited) Your Work Ethic Is a Muscle.
(original) The more you do things that aren’t sometimes fun, but you must do, such as, work or meet deadlines, the more it becomes “normal.” You noticed I didn’t say it will be fun or it will be easier. It won’t. It just becomes routine.
(edited) Sometimes the things you have to do aren’t fun, things like meeting deadlines, but the more you do something, the more “normal” it becomes. Notice I didn’t say it will be fun or it will become easier. It won’t. It just becomes routine.
(original) I’m not a morning person. The first few mornings, I struggled when my alarm clock went off where I would hit the snooze button. But that would mean, I would have to skip breakfast so I could make my morning appointment.
Then I just would get hungry during these calls.
(edited) I’m not a morning person. The first few mornings I began this routine, I struggled when my alarm clock went off, and I would hit the snooze button. But that meant I had to skip breakfast so I could make my morning appointment.
And that meant I would get hungry during these calls.
Maureen is a tireless marketer, and it is really paying off for her. Don’t miss her radio interview with Dr. Connie Mariano on The White House Doctor radio.
As a member of Maureen’s editorial team, I am thrilled to help her marketing efforts. I blogged about her book in my post, “From Humble Beginnings to Achieving the American Dream,” and I’ll be mentioning her media appearances here and on my Facebook page as they happen. Maureen is a great example of an author who is out there promoting her book, and I’m proud to be able to help her in my own small way.
Let me help you make a difference in your writing, too—as a professional editor, I know how a small change can make a big difference!
—Candace
Update 3.2.13: Read another article we worked on together at http://www.youngupstarts.com/2013/02/26/the-new-job-search/
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Candace Johnson is a professional freelance editor, proofreader, writer, ghostwriter, and writing coach who has worked with traditional publishers, self-published authors, and independent book packagers on nonfiction subjects ranging from memoirs to alternative medical treatments to self-help, and on fiction ranging from romance to paranormal. As an editorial specialist, Candace is passionate about offering her clients the opportunity to take their work to the next level. She believes in maintaining an author’s unique voice while helping him or her create and polish every sentence to make it the best it can be.
Nice job!