#copy edit

Look, fellow indie authors, I get it. Finding an editor you can afford can be difficult. Which is why I not only offer a number of editing services, but I do so specifically priced for other indies.

Random House Copy Chief: Stand Tall, Wordsmiths! (But Choose Your Battles)

Random House copy chief Benjamin Dreyer is not a fan of the word "very."

"It's not a dreadful word," he allows, but "it's one of my little pet words to do without if you can possibly do without it."

"Very" and its cousins "rather" and "really" are "wan intensifiers," Dreyer explains. In their place, he advises that writers look for a strong adjective that "just sits very nicely by itself" on the page. For example, "very smart" people can be "brilliant" and "very hungry" people can be "ravenous."

Dreyer gets the final say over questions related to grammar, style and clarity at Random House. Now he's sharing his writing advice in the new book Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style.

1.        In my *ideas* notebook, I flip through what I’ve scribbled down in moments of            inspiration and see if something grabs me. If not, I ask myself “What if…”            until something gets me excited. 2.        Start writing the 1st draft, one scene at a time. 3.        Leave the finished draft for a week or two, then take it out and read it, making notes            on what…