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Professional Proofreading Help: 21 Writing Mistakes You’ll Never Make Again

September 15, 2011 by Stefanie Flaxman

21 Writing Mistakes You'll Never Make AgainOnce upon a time, I decided to write an ebook. It was almost a year since I began my adventures as a freelance proofreader, and I wanted to create a product that would help my clients.

I spent the summer writing Revision Fairy Tales: 21 Writing Mistakes You’ll Never Make Again, and I released it on September 15, 2009—two years ago today!

If you want to improve your writing skills and learn how to stop making the same writing mistakes over and over again, help me celebrate the book’s two-year anniversary by downloading a copy.

I call the content “anti-grammar” because I think standard language rules are boring, confusing, and difficult to remember. Revision Fairy Tales contains straightforward, practical tips that help you write correctly without memorizing any grammar rules. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Freelance Proofreading, Online Proofreading Services, Productivity, Proofreading 101, Self-Publishing, Writing

Power Proofreading: The #1 Writing Tip When You Don’t Have Time to Proofread

September 1, 2011 by Stefanie Flaxman

Power Proofreading. Photo Credit – Flickr: purplemattfishThe writing process is an artistic balance of raw text and meticulous proofreading, copy editing, and revising. Your initial thoughts need to be crafted into clear language that your target audience understands.

Since school starts back up this month, I decided to dedicate each Thursday in September to copy editing and proofreading tips for specific writing situations.

Here’s the first installment of my Proofreading 101 series.

People like instant gratification and the accelerated versions of activities: power napping, power workouts, power lunches, etc. It’s only natural that you’ll find yourself in a situation where you need a power proofreading.

Sometimes you know that your writing is not up to par, but the clock is ticking and you need a complete draft fast. For example, you need to dramatically improve your copy within the hour, and you don’t have time to hire a freelance proofreader. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Freelance Proofreading, Online Proofreading Services, Productivity, Proofreading 101, Self-Publishing, Writing

Free Ebook to Help Your Small Business: ‘The Art of Blogging Debunked’ (from E-Junkie.info)

August 18, 2011 by Stefanie Flaxman

Small Business Ebook: The Art of Blogging Debunked. Photo Credit – Flickr: wicckedE-junkie is a popular tool for selling products online, but did you know that the company also has a blog about small business, self-publishing, and eCommerce?

E-junkie.info provides helpful resources and announcements for both online and offline entrepreneurs, and I wrote a guest post about writing online content for the blog in June.

Since I often discuss the importance of small business blogs, I was pleased to discover that the articles in E-junkie’s new free ebook, The Art of Blogging Debunked, support my belief that a blog isn’t necessarily a site for breaking news or a place to rant about what you ate for breakfast.

Consistently maintaining a small business blog adds a new dimension to your organization and can help you attract customers. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Productivity, Self-Publishing, Writing

Create a Custom Editorial Calendar for Your Small Business Blog in 3 Steps

August 4, 2011 by Stefanie Flaxman

Editorial Calendar, Small Business Blog. Photo Credit – Flickr: danaberlithWhat value does your small business blog offer potential customers?

It’s easy to create a blog for your small business, but its mere existence is not enough.

Your blog needs to be a regularly updated resource that gives insight into your business. Demonstrate that you have a solution that will help readers solve their problems.

The best way to manage your small business blog is to create an editorial calendar. WordPress has an Editorial Calendar plugin that can help you, but writing effective blog posts requires a special technique.

In three steps, you can transform your small business blog from a string of unfocused posts into a platform that will grow your business. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Productivity, Self-Publishing, Writing

20 Small Business Blog Ideas that Attract Customers

July 28, 2011 by Stefanie Flaxman

Small Business Blog Ideas. Photo Credit – Flickr: faith gobleIf you’ve started a blog for your small business but have trouble thinking of ideas to write about, it’s helpful to look at the blog like one of your favorite TV shows.

The show’s episodes could be scheduled daily, such as CONAN, or once a week, such as Glee. Either way, the series unfolds gradually. Between episodes, you chat with your friends about the show’s plot and/or content.

Keep readers engaged with your blog in the same way. Give them incentives to visit frequently, find out what’s new, and spread the word about you.

There are many topics to write about regarding your business, but many small business blog topics are too narrow. As a result, the blog is not regularly maintained and becomes outdated.

Don’t miss the opportunity to attract customers and show them what you have to offer.

To prevent “cancellation,” here are 20 small business blog ideas that reveal unique information about your business. Each idea can be used multiple times, in different ways, to make your blog a fresh and valuable resource in your industry. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Productivity, Self-Publishing, Writing

The Easy Way to Hire a Freelance Copy Editor

July 21, 2011 by Stefanie Flaxman

Hire a Freelance Copy Editor or Proofreader. Photo Credit – Flickr: Thomas Hawk The variety of businesses looking to hire a freelance copy editor or freelance proofreader is a lot like the different types of people who enter hardware stores.

Some hardware store customers know exactly what they need and go to the retail outlet to purchase the proper tools, accessories, or materials.

Other shoppers have projects or problems, but they don’t know what they need to complete their tasks. They need help.

Let me rephrase that: they need a solution.

They don’t want to learn about every drill or wrench for sale. They want the single product that will get the job done. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Freelance Proofreading, Online Proofreading Services, Productivity, Self-Publishing, Writing
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