#amproofreading

[alternativezen]

The Departing Tale of Christopher & the Hereafter: Chapter 2

The tree was a bitch to climb with all his stuff weighing him down, but David somehow managed. He didn’t have a build for athletic feats but reached the branch to the kid’s window even so. The branch wavered under his weight, but it didn’t worry him much. Christopher gawked with his mouth wide open, staring at this man in dark clothes standing on a branch. The man who claimed to be the Grim…

[lllilybooks]

Thank you #WritingCommunity for trusting me to polish their manuscripts! As I get this question a lot, here's my current schedule an am open for reservations on the following dates (subject to change): September: Any day from September 14 - 25. The week of Sep. 28 is already reserved. October: Oct. 5 to 31 Nov. & Dec. ARE OPEN. Check out the link in my bio to learn more about my proofreading service. I offer a #Free consultation on the first chapter (min. 5,000 words) I posted a submission guideline on my website for those interested in FREE Consultations. I will only do this to your FIRST CHAPTER ONLY. You can contact me via email (in my bio) RATES: I charge 0.002 cents per word, however I may make a slight adjustment to meet your budget (this is geared more towards students) 25,000 words + Free Beta Reading Service: $50 50,000 words + Free Beta Reading Service: $100 75,000 words + Free Beta Reading Service: $150 100,000 words + Free Beta Reading Services: $200 Beta Reading (Stand Alone Service, regardless of genre & word count): $30 Priority Edits or Beta Reading (4-7 days): Additional $15 #AmProofreading #ProofReader #HireAProofReader #ProofreaderForHire #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity #WritersOfInstagram #InstagramWriters #SelfPublishedAuthors #IndieAuthors #AuthorsOfInstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CEyEo3yg7F6/?igshid=1r57j310bdk0r

[coralmccallum]

The imminent arrival of Book Baby 6

The imminent arrival of Book Baby 6

Last week the proof copy of Book Baby 6 aka Long Shadows arrived. Look isn’t it pretty? Now I’m scrutinising it for errors- inverted commas that are the wrong way round, spacing errors in the text, spacing errors in chapter headings, spelling mistakes, grammatical mistakes, continuity errors…. and, of course, those evil commas that move around pages when your back is turned! The list goes on…

[hearns]

Finally got the editing and proofs done of my friend’s book. It was submitted to the publisher today through Amazon. Now, for the hard copy to be printed and for me to get back to my writing. Check out the book: LEGEND IN LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE: ARCHETYPAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN WORKS BY ESTANISLAO DEL CAMPO, ALBERTO GERCHUNOFF, JOÃO GUIMARÃES ROSA, CARLOS FUENTES, AND JAIME TORRES BODET By. Ollie O. Oviedo #amediting #amwriting #amproofreading #nonfictionbooks #nonfiction #nonfictionreads #ampublishing #amdone #amazon #amazonpublishing #kindlebooks (at Portales, New Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQ8cf6DgYo/?igshid=1wq7qlmg6nqkr

[hopeprose]

“Everyone feels better with a cup of tea... “AND with finished proofs!! . . . I treated myself to all the cliche writer experiences today. For the first time, I spent an entire morning proof-reading in a coffee shop, while sporting my rarely worn glasses and a fab hat! It was brilliant and somewhat surreal to enjoy a London Fog while reading about Thea and Khi’s coffee shop encounters. Oh I can’t wait to share this story!! . . Beyond a few minor changes, FADE TO WHITE is ready for the masses! . . Stay tuned for the cover reveal next week!!! Oh and there is still time to get in on the reveal and all manners of launch team twinkle light fun! You could read their story like today and you could also help with a couple of last minute tweaks, the play list and the pre-release swag packages!! And it’s gonna be so shimmering! Check out the link in my profile to join! . . . #amproofreading #yanovels #fadetowhitenovel #roaring20sdebut #yaread #yaauthors #debutnovel #mentalhealthawareness #earcs #coverrevealsignup #writersofinstagram #bookbloggers #yabookstagrammer https://www.instagram.com/p/B8y-CEngKzj/?igshid=1eoac88kikplj

[jessica-lucci]

“The crystals connect in a connective grid throughout Subton.” THIS is why proofreading is so important! 🤦‍♀️ #connected #amproofreading #watchcitytrilogy #julesverne #nikolatesla #steampunknovel #steampunkfantasy #crystals #thedarkcrystal #patsnation #watchcity https://www.instagram.com/p/B04Pdj0grm-/?igshid=138uzhfwprsl0

[cdgorri]

Lesson of the day: always proofread and remember to hug your editor! 😂😂😂 #amediting #amproofreading https://www.instagram.com/p/BwLZurrg3Lh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qc17cfv7jf48

[irishauthor3]

National proofreading day. #amwriting #amediting #proofreading #amproofreading #writing #writer #author #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #authors #nationalday #nationalday #nationaldays #nationalproofreadingday #2018 (at Elgin, Illinois)

[andreakleine]

Proofs!!! #eden #amreading #amproofreading #amwriting #instabooks #bookstagram #writersofinstagram

[chknyght]

It’s finally empty again. *faceplants* you can read it next week! . . . . . #proofreading #writer #editor #freelance #author #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #english #bookstagram #editing #authors #writingcommunity #writers #amwriting #bookworm #copyediting #proofreader #proofread #amreading #writerscommunity #amproofreading #edit #indieauthor #indieauthorsunited via @hashtagexpert https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt9lkDIAh2V/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1w1bp2u3b8gd0

[alternativezen]

The tree was a bitch to climb with all his stuff weighing him down, but David somehow managed. He didn’t have a build for athletic feats but reached the branch to the kid’s window even so. The branch wavered under his weight, but it didn’t worry him much.

Christopher gawked with his mouth wide open, staring at this man in dark clothes standing on a branch. The man who claimed to be the Grim Reaper. The one he knew about from television, movies, and old fables that Mom told him. But the old drawings depicted the Grim Reaper differently than this guy. For he was dressed in modern, cool clothes.

“You don’t look like the Grim Reaper.” Christopher challenged David.

“I get that more often than you’d believe,” he said, adjusting his coat as the branch moved with his weight. “However, I can prove it to you.”

“How?” Christopher asked. This David guy was making a big claim, and Christopher needed proof. He watched the man claiming to be the Grim Reaper reach into his coat.

David pulled out a mobile device. “Here, take a look,” he said while holding the device’s screen in Christopher’s eye line. Christopher leaned over the window sill to make out small pictures of his mom. There was some text, but it was difficult to read it. “If you can’t read it,” he said, but the boy raised an eyebrow. David had to think quick. “Let me in, and all will be clear. Plus, you have a document you have to sign.”

“What was this mistake with my mom?” Christopher asked in a monotone voice. What kind of place would Heaven be if they made mistakes like taking his mom away? God and Heaven were perfect. The facts about them were shaken inside Christopher.

“Yes, that, uh,” David stumbled to find his words, all the while balancing on the branch. “Okay, so we reap souls. Before you ask, yes, there are more than one grim reaper. We’re assigned to different areas of the world. Sometimes, depending on the location, the area could need more than a few, but that’s neither here nor there. So, your mother was scheduled to die. I was assigned to bring her in, but later, I found out there was a clerical error, and she wasn’t supposed to pass away.”

“What does that mean?” Christopher asked. “Does that mean she’s coming back?” Another chance with his mom filled Christopher with hope. This mistake would be a funny memory he and his parents would reminisce about later.

“Okay, whoa there!” David stopped the boy from assuming further. “There’s the complicated part of the whole thing. Once the soul leaves the body and crosses through the veil from the Living World to the Departing World, that’s it. A one-way ticket for the most part.”

“That’s not fair,” exclaimed Christopher. Although you wouldn’t tell from his monotone voice. Who was this David to say such a thing?! There were powers higher than him! If someone like Lazurus could be resurrected, then why not Mom! Christopher glared at David, but the expression didn’t seem to match. 

“I know, boyo. Life sucks, and I get that. But the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can all move on. Could you let me in?”

“I can’t let strangers into my house, and why not bring this to my father.” 

“My seniors at the top said you had to sign it. Also, I’m not a stranger because I told you that I know who your mom is.”

“Saying you know my mom is something a stranger would say.”

“Yeah,” David’s voice trailed off. “They would, wouldn’t they. . .” He adjusted his bag’s strap under his coat.

“Can’t you just come closer to my window, and I’ll sign it?”

“Uh…” David looked down toward the end, gauging the effort necessary to reach the window. He’d have to jump toward the window and grab on. “Okay, stay right there,” he said. He assured himself that he could do it and started for the window. Just get this done, he thought.

Christopher turned around and headed for his desk to grab a pen for this whole thing. What else could be done? Mom was gone. She crossed into Heaven as David pointed out to him. Just sign the stupid thing, he thought. The sooner we can get this done, the sooner he could move on with his life without his mom. He sniffled, returning to the window. He heard a yelp followed by sounds of something hitting the roof. It finally ended with a painful grunt that struck the grass below.

He looked over toward the window to see David was missing. Dashing over his window, he peered down at him lying on the ground. David moved his arm back and forth, trying to get back up, but all the wind knocked out of him. “Mr. David,” Christopher asked. “Are you okay?”

“Yep,” David said, the pain from the fall strained his voice. He held his hand against his head that bumped into the roof. “I’m just… I need a minute.” Being a cosmic entity meant one didn’t die in the most earthly conventional ways. They still felt pain, and this fall hurt. “Oh crap!” He grunted as he sat up erratically, patting his body. “Oh crap! Where is it?!”

“What is it?” Christopher asked, watching David fumbling on the ground. “Are you hurt? Do you need 9-1-1?”

“That’s not it! I can’t find my mobile device. Ugh, could you help me find it? Another pair of eyes would be helpful.” David threw off his coat to go through his satchel. “And it would not hurt if you could also bring a flashlight.”

“Okay,” said Christopher. He turned away from the window while shoving the pencil into his pocket. As slow as he could, he opened the door. The door still creaked as it opened in such a way as if it was asking Christopher where he was going. Ignoring it, he tiptoed downstairs, where he found a flashlight in a drawer. He flicked it on to see if it worked and turned it off.

Christopher came outside and saw David on his hands and knees. He was searching for his thing. Christopher knew how difficult it was to look for something in the grass. Especially when it was dark. He flicked on the flashlight and shined where David was looking. He appreciated the help and kept combing through the grass.

“Perfect!” David thanked him. “So I fell over here,” he pointed to a spot, “And my mobile was in my coat pocket just before I fell.” He and Christopher started searching through the grass. The flashlight revealed David’s device near the tree’s base. “A-ha!” He picked it up and gasped when he saw it was cracked. “Oh no,” he rubbed his eyes and groaned.

“What’s wrong, mister?” Christopher asked, turning off the flashlight.

“My screen is cracked!” David yelled. “Sorry, that’s not at you. I’m mostly upset with myself.”

“Well, could I at least sign your thing?”

“Yeah, that’s the thing. The document was gonna be signed electronically, and I forgot to bring a hard copy.” David stared at Christopher. He saw the boy, who had a blank look on his face. “Yep, that happened.” He groaned at his stupid mistake.

“So what does that mean now?”

“It means now I have to go to the repair shop. And they bugger me with offers about newer models. Although, I could hear them ou-”

“I’m talking about my mom.”

“Yes, that. Yes.” David rubbed at his chin strap facial hair, going deep into thought. What was left to do at this point? 

“I could go with you,” Christopher suggested. 

“No. No. Maybe. That could be. . .” David trailed off. He looked at Christopher deep into his sunken expression. “What are you gonna get out of this?” He held up a finger.

“Just a chance to get Mom back is all I ask.” Christopher fiddled at the end of his shirt. “Just a chance to speak to your boss.”

David rubbed his forehead, frustrated with how things played out tonight. “Okay,” he said, holding his hand up. “Let’s get some things straight. Rules, if you will. First, stay by me the entire time. Second, anything I say goes; we go by my lead. Third… are you okay with walking?”

“Yes.” Christopher’s tone came off as more of a question than an acknowledgment. “Couldn’t we just appear in heaven?”

“Uh… no. You see, my device was a portal key back and forth between worlds. That being said, we now have to travel through the Hereafter.”

“The Hereafter?”

“Yes, the Hereafter. The Power that Be made some changes.”

“God?”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, boyo. Let’s go.” David picked up his coat. He started walking with a direction in mind as Christopher followed him.

They walked for a long time past all the Fall Festival setups. There were empty tents, stages, games, and rides that weren’t moving. The town seemed so devoid of all life. Felt like something out of an apocalypse or a scary movie. Those movies he and Dad watched when Mom was out of town. Christopher remembered the one where a monster terrorized a group of friends on a farm. It gave him nightmares until he told his mom. She chewed out Dad so bad that night.

They came to the Timberlake Fields Memorial Cemetery’s front gates, which were locked. Mom’s final resting place was here, too. Christopher sniffled as he pictured his mom being put to rest here under hollow grounds. “Why are we here?” he asked.

“It’s our way into the Hereafter,” David said, pulling out a key from his bag to unlock the gate and pushing it open. “Okay, let’s go.”

“How do you have a key for the gate here?” asked Christopher, following behind David’s footsteps. The tombstones, trees, and how the wind moaned through the graveyard unsettled his nerves. He hugged himself.

“I have a key that lets me in anywhere, so long as my permission settings allow it. Before you ask, I couldn’t use it with your house because there wasn’t a soul to reap there. At least not now, so I must be invited in like a vampire.”

Given what’s happened so far, Christopher guessed that made sense. Although he surprised himself that he had followed this guy so far. He seemed harmless up to this point. 

They came to an unmarked mausoleum near the far end of the graveyard, with trees surrounding it. David pushed on the door, but it stayed in place. “Damn it,” he cursed. “There should be something that unlocks this thing.” He padded around the door. “Like a button or something.”

Christopher eyed a nearby stone with one side covered in moss. He picked up the very light stone as if it had no substance at all. He turned it over, and it revealed a button. Without a second thought, he pressed it down, and the stone door opened. 

David snatched the stone from Christopher’s grasp and gawked at it. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he scoffed, putting the stone back in its place. The door opened, and inside, there was a staircase that impossibly led past the mausoleum’s roof. “Look at that,” he said, impressed with the fancy stone door. “It’s like TARDIS rules.”

“Like from Doctor Who,” said Christopher. He used to watch the show with Mom. David snapped his fingers and pointed at him for catching the reference. He followed David up the stairs into the unknown. Into the Hereafter. For Mom.

[lllilybooks]

Thanks Deion! 🙏 Beta Reading & Proofreading Requests are closed for the months of February and April. I'm not accepting priority edits/beta reads for these months. If you want to reserve a spot for a beta read/proofread [IN ADVANCE 🏃‍♀️💨⏳] these months are open: ��� May 🗓 June 🗓 July 🗓 August 🗓 September 🗓 October 🗓 November 🗓 December Shoot me an email or click on the link in my bio to make a reservation 😊 #AmBetaReading #AmProofReading #AmReading #AmReviewing #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity #WritersOfIg #IgWriters https://www.instagram.com/p/CK22ZcPAcYm/?igshid=sqqjmzouemdm

[mollylooby]

When you've been fiddling with a sentence for over and hour and you're just like, 'what even are words?'

[jomichaels]

Contract Considerations

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Well, the kids are back in school and not a moment too soon. While I enjoy having the little nose-miners at home, it's not productive to have them pulling at my skirts while I'm trying to work. I've been busier than a one-armed paper-hanger! Anywho, today we're gonna talk about contracts! I know you're all super excited about that. I'll tell you what to expect, what to avoid, and what you should be looking for. Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Yesterday, I talked about finding a good editor and what you should be looking for when you vet them. If you missed that post, take a look at it here. Tomorrow, we'll talk a little about the different kinds of editors. But, for today, let's discuss the contract. This applies to proofreading, editing, and any other service you have done by an outside source (book design, cover design, etc...).

What you should expect:

A contract outlining exactly what your editor will do for you.

Dates things are due back to you.

The ability to read over the contract before you're expected to sign it.

Clauses that prevent you from defaming your editor (and your editor from defaming you).

A very straightforward clause that releases your editor from any claim to your work.

Something that says your editor is allowed to refuse your work at any time.

An out clause for you that states the contract is allowed to be terminated if you choose to do so and at what point it becomes null and void.

An informational page that details the book to be worked on.

Something stating when payments are due and when the contract is settled.

A clause that states you're required to display the editor's name on the copyright page (this is pretty standard).

What you should avoid:

Anything stating the editor has claim to any part of your manuscript once work is completed.

An editor who doesn't use a contract (this is HUGE).

A feeling of unease. If your editor seems shady, listen to your gut.

Anyone who doesn't answer you in a timely manner.

Someone who changes the price on you EVER. Once you get the job quote, that's what should be on the contract.

An editor who's known to slander other authors.

Someone who doesn't give you a final, signed copy of your contract.

What you should be looking for:

Someone who has lots of references and is well spoken of.

An editor who has a backlog of books they've worked on you can check out/read.

A person you feel you can trust once you've talked with them.

Someone with a good knowledge of the English language (yeah, go read their blog).

A copy of the contract as soon as your inquiry is responded to so you have time to look it over.

Everything should be spelled out in black and white on your contract. It should include:

Prices (fees section)

Dates things are due (goes in the services section)

Termination details

A detailed list of what you're going to get for your money (services section)

Slander clauses that go both ways

A release of claim by the editor to any part of the work's copyright (ownership of work)

Your editor's full name and address

Details about the book (title, genre, word count, author, format)

A spelling out of all prices (watch out for editing contracts that only contain numbers - these can be changed)

Something that releases the editor of guarantees (sales, etc...)

A clause detailing how the editor won't talk about your work to any third party

Non-transfer clause (this is so the editor can't send the work to anyone else to be completed)

Something detailing how additional changes will be handled (outside what's agreed upon in this contract)

If you read your contract and it's full of legalese, be sure your editor/proofreader/designer answers all your questions in full before you sign. Don't go into anything not understanding exactly what it is you're getting (or signing).

  If you find an editor who doesn't use a contract, run away. Please.

I hope this helps you all in some way.

If you have contract questions, pop them into the comments or shoot me an e-mail. I'll be happy to answer anything.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

[irishauthor3]

National proofreading day. #amwriting #amediting #proofreading #amproofreading #writing #writer #author #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #authors #nationalday #nationalday #nationaldays #nationalproofreadingday #2018 (at Elgin, Illinois)

[chknyght]

Omg. Apparently i got stuck on this body language. It’s bad enough i’ve set shoulder aside as a search word to correct in mass. *sigh* . . . . . #proofreading #writer #editor #freelance #author #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #english #bookstagram #editing #authors #writingcommunity #writers #amwriting #bookworm #copyediting #proofreader #proofread #amreading #writerscommunity #amproofreading #smallbusinessowner #edit via @hashtagexpert https://www.instagram.com/p/BtzsonGA66O/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=y8dydsx5arxk