Editing and Coaching by Robert Christian Schmidt

When words matter (or you just need a cookie).

Writing 101: Does Your Cookbook Measure Up?

Writing 101: Does Your Cookbook Measure Up?

This time of year, about 80% of what I do in the kitchen is based in tradition. Anyone who says the people get all of their recipes from the Internet these days needs to take look at my bookcase - or those of my friends. Most of the baking I do for the holidays is based in family favorite cookie and bar recipes. (I'll be honest: I don't do a lot of cooking around the holidays, it's mainly just baking.) The trouble with this is that old recipes (and a certain number of new one

Publishing 101: Know Thy Calendar

Publishing 101: Know Thy Calendar

I know that most of what I've talked about in here is the mechanics of completing a book, but I was having a conversation earlier this week about publishing deadlines, and thought I should at least mention something, here: Books take time. Not just the writing and editing and formatting and all that, but the printing, too. It all takes time. Sure, on some sites you can almost-instantly go from uploading your manuscript to someone being able to buy it, but whether you're worki

Writing 101: Retail Rhetoric, or Who's Your Dictionary?

As we get closer to the Holidays and survive the "every day is Black Friday" sales period, I'm constantly amazed by one phrase which has become more and more common in advertising over the past few years: BOGO. Technically, as I'm sure everyone knows, "BOGO" stands for "Buy One, Get One" - but what confuses me is: if you're buying one, then shouldn't you assume that you're getting one? I won't lie: since what they really mean is "Buy One (at full price), Get Another (at some

Editing 101: Is "Now" Good for You? - quotation marks revisited

A few weeks ago, we talked about questionable usages of quotation marks, and how they can really lend themselves to making otherwise normal sentences seem strangely magical - or just weird. What does it mean when the sign outside a butcher shop says: Our hamburger is ground "fresh" every day! Should we question the dealership if the sign out front promotes: Huge discounts on all "new" cars! Where do we go when the sign says: Turn "right" at the light. Yet, as I was driving la

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Editing 101: If the Shoe *Doesn't* Fit

Editing 101: If the Shoe Doesn't Fit

Publishing 101: Font Smatter

Publishing 101: Font Smatter

Why Should You Hire an Editor? One Word: Potential

Why Should You Hire an Editor? One Word: Potential

Editors—Helping You Answer Questions You Didn’t Ask

Editors—Helping You Answer Questions You Didn’t Ask

The Answer to the Editing Question You're Too Afraid to Ask

The Answer to the Editing Question You're Too Afraid to Ask

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