Edit yourself like a pro. I'm a writer, editor, and book coach who has worked with more than 4,000 students, entrepreneurs, and corporate/institutional clients over the last 30+ years. You'll hear from me in your Inbox every other Wednesday at 2pm EST :) Reader Testimonials: "You're one of the cheeriest, funniest, most helpful writer-oriented people I know! Thanks for being out there!" "Love your newsletter, especially your light-handedness! Thanks :-D" "I enjoy your insights and style. Thank you for providing the newsletter!" "I am LOVING your newsletter and am very happy I discovered it 😊" "You're awesome—keep up the good work!" "Can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your newsletter. You uncomplicate things authors are puzzled about." "I so enjoy your writing and sense of humor. You make editing sound like fun!!" "I love everything about Editorial Notes. Keep up the great content!"
Define Source, Guaranteed Typo Finder, and Platform!
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Hiya Reader, A question for you. What do you make of a school teaching students that it's okay to use AI if they #1 disclose that they've done so, and #2 cite it as a source with both in-text citations and an entry on the reference list? Hit reply to give your opinion on this! Extra credit for explaining why you hold the opinion you do. Think a friend would appreciate Editorial Notes?Send them this link to sign up:
(And if you’re the appreciative friend, you can subscribe at the same link.) Example of the WeekSometimes this is a good example—or a great one. Sometimes this is a bad example—or just a funny blooper. Sometimes a combination. You never know. I'm a little stumped for an appropriate caption for this gem sent in by reader Michelle. What do you think? At first glance, it seems like a simple vocabulary mix-up. But the more I consider it, the more I wonder about the philosophical potential. Actionable Tip of the WeekA trick to add to your self-editing toolbox right now! When is the best, absolutely beyond a doubt guaranteed foolproof time to find typos in your writing? No matter how carefully I proofread, and no matter how many times, the optimal time for finding typos is, in my experience, hands down: as soon as I click "send." It's really no wonder we all long for a magic bullet to raise our success rate from 99.9999999999999% accuracy to 100%. One reader question (thanks Rick!) makes an excellent Actionable Tip of the Week, so I'm handling my expanded answer here. With all the AI swirling around us, is it reasonable to use the platforms not as a replacement for writing, but as tools to find mistakes and improve what we've written? Specifically, what about Grammarly? Reader Question of the WeekJenny wrote: How important is social media presence for a writer? Jenny! The short answer? It depends. The long answer... Want to Submit a Reader Question to Helene?Give in to the urge.
Link of the WeekNot to pile on to AI, but this week's link piles on. The Verge's You Sound Like Chat GPT explains how "document[ed] shifts in the way we speak and communicate as a result of ChatGPT" is evolving into a massive linguistic shift — including a word you might want to stop using if you want to sound like the actual human you are. I ❤️ Hearing from You!Comments? Just reply to this email or click this link. I respond to every email—that's a promise. Thanks for reading!~Helene, your writing sherpa P.S.Time to get some expert eyes on your writing? You know what to do! |
Editorial Notes
Edit yourself like a pro. I'm a writer, editor, and book coach who has worked with more than 4,000 students, entrepreneurs, and corporate/institutional clients over the last 30+ years. You'll hear from me in your Inbox every other Wednesday at 2pm EST :) Reader Testimonials: "You're one of the cheeriest, funniest, most helpful writer-oriented people I know! Thanks for being out there!" "Love your newsletter, especially your light-handedness! Thanks :-D" "I enjoy your insights and style. Thank you for providing the newsletter!" "I am LOVING your newsletter and am very happy I discovered it 😊" "You're awesome—keep up the good work!" "Can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your newsletter. You uncomplicate things authors are puzzled about." "I so enjoy your writing and sense of humor. You make editing sound like fun!!" "I love everything about Editorial Notes. Keep up the great content!"
Editorial Notes = clarifying information, additional insight, annotations Hiya Reader, It's a pretty divisive topic in my family, but I absolutely love Good & Plenty. I like black licorice of all kinds, but the chummy pink and white ovals of yumminess are my favorites. I like them when they are hard to chew. I like them when they are super soft. I really like them, Sam I Am! Recently, I saw the movie theater boxes on the store shelf and wondered, why do I never buy these any more? So I bought...
Editorial Notes = clarifying information, additional insight, annotations Hiya Reader, After much paperwork and many months of waiting, my proprietary Butterfly Blueprint® framework now officially carries the federally-registered trademark symbol! Clients who choose to work with me already choose me for a number of important reasons including the trust such a mark conveys, so in that sense, nothing has changed. But crossing this hurdle is nevertheless a big milestone for me and I'm excited,...
Editorial Notes = clarifying information, additional insight, annotations Hiya Reader, I have an inaccessible loft window in my bedroom, and a few years ago I ordered a custom shade with a built-in solar battery, to be installed. It took a scissor lift. The shade worked great until it didn't...the solar battery needed to be plugged in to be charged. Now, I'll be the first to admit that this may have been an eye dee ten tee error* on my part, but on the other hand, if that had been adequately...