3 Perks of Editing, Or What I’m Doing on My Summer Working-Vacation

My editing life has been busy lately, and my apologies for the infrequent blogging in recent weeks. Hugs to everyone who has written to make sure I’m okay—and yes, I’m fantastic! Working as a freelance editor isn’t without its challenges, but it has some real perks, too.

Perk #1:

Freelance editing has its pros and cons, but the biggest pro for me is the ability to work wherever I choose. As many of you know, I live in South Florida, which is a paradise in the winter . . . but in the summer? Not so much. But lucky me—I am in the Pacific Northwest as I write this, and until the middle of August, I can pretend I don’t know anything about hurricanes! I guess the best label for my time away from home is “working vacation,” with an emphasis on the “working” part. And I’ve had a wonderful time editing many different projects in the last several months! Before I get to those, I have to share about my recent fun afternoon meeting author and fellow blogger Sherrey Meyer. Sherrey and I spent a few delightful hours over coffee as we discussed writing, editing, families, and saving the world; my only regret is that we forgot to take a selfie! I loved learning more about Sherrey and the memoir she is writing, and I invite you to visit and follow her blog at http://sherreymeyer.com. She recently posted a two-part blog titled “Tips for Rewriting Your Manuscript” that is especially helpful for newer writers.

Perk #2:

What have I been editing this spring and summer? Some rather exciting projects! Another perk of freelance editing is helping someone realize his or her dream. I’ve had the good fortune to work with novelists, memoirists, and self-help authors to get their manuscripts ready for publication. The season started off with a bang when three of the manuscript I edited were recognized by the Houston Writers Guild:

• Memoir writer Chandi Wyant was awarded 3^rd place for Memoir/Nonfiction for Crossing to the Heart: A Forty-Day Pilgrimage in Italy, for which she is currently seeking representation;
•  1^st place in Romance/Women’s Fiction went to Heather Young for Too Hot to Handle, her darkly humorous novel of romantic suspense set in the quirky scenery of South Florida. She is currently seeking representation;
• Novelist Eva Lesko Natiello was the 3^rd place recipient in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category for her novel The Memory Box, which I am so excited to announce is now published! I was hooked the moment I read Eva’s log line:

“What would you do if you searched your own past and found something shocking?”

The Memory Box has already received rave reviews, and if you’re looking for an un-put-down-able summer read, this is it! Three other authors I’ve worked with have recently published their novels. I am always  excited to see these manuscripts published—I can only image how the authors feel!

• Kristen Otte has been a writing and publishing machine with the release of the second installment of The Adventures of Zelda (as well as preparing to publish the third installment later this summer), a short story titled The Final Hour (bring Kleenex), and her long-awaited debut YA novel The Photograph, a contemporary story that follows sixteen-year-old Rachel’s search for her mother through the backdrop of her basketball team’s quest for its first district championship in twelve years.
• On July 11, paranormal novelist Shonda Brock will release Eternal Burns, the sequel to her hot interracial/paranormal romance Eternal Traces. Check out her blog here for more about the book and the giveaway she’s holding to celebrate the release; you can also a selection from Eternal Traces.
• Christa Wojo published her novella The Wrong David on Kindle; this story of unrequited love and Americans behaving badly in the south of France is available for FREE to download through July 6—don’t miss it!

Perk #3

Editing requires careful concentration and attention to detail, so getting bored is not an option. That’s why I love alternating between fiction and nonfiction. When I edit nonfiction, I always learn something new about a subject that interests me. Recent editing projects included:

• Dorothy Sander’s Finding Hope: Quotes and Inspiration, now available on Kindle;
• A book proposal and manuscript for Sleeping Your Way to the Top by sleep health and wellness professional Terry Cralle, RN, and W. David Brown, PhD, for which they are currently seeking representation;
• Readying the manuscript for Dr. Patricia O’Gorman’s latest book, The Girly Thoughts 10-Day Detox Plan: The Resilient Woman’s Guide to Saying NO to Negative Self-Talk and YES to Personal Power, which will be published by Health Communications, Inc. in October 2014
• Working with Vincent Pedre, MD, on the proposal for his book Happy Gut: The Cleansing Program to Help You Lose Weight, Gain Energy, and Eliminate Pain, represented by Stephany Evans of FinePrint Literary and to be published by HarperCollins in 2015.

And that’s just through June! I’m currently working on another fantastic novel (details soon) that is so good, I dream about it at night! I’ll share more about it and other projects I’m editing at the end of my working vacation; hope you are having a great summer, too! If you’d like to know more about these and other projects I’ve edited, please click on the Recently Edited Projects and Published Projects tabs above. And if I can help you with your manuscript in any way, just email me at cyjohnson5580@gmail.com—I’m happy to answer any questions!

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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. Learn more here.

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