You’re judged by your spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
In their Facebook posts one week, several authors took issue with people they called grammar-shamers. They wanted to be judged by their online substance, not their delivery.
They’re missing the point.
If an error — of any kind — distracts a reader from your message, then you’ve failed to communicate clearly. Authors are judged … Continue reading
Make sure your submission is dressed for success.
Once glance at the manuscript told me the author was at best a hobbyist—not serious about the craft of professional writing.
All that without reading one word of his novel.
Even if the story were great, any literary agent or acquisitions editor would begin an evaluation having already counted several strikes against it.
A … Continue reading
Don’t save your best for later.
A few months back, I asked key people for suggestions of someone to write on an upcoming topic. One jumped at the opportunity to write it himself.
A few weeks later, he approached me with another piece.
I hesitated to place it in the same issue, but it fit perfectly. Both articles were right on target: … Continue reading