Why Editing and Proofreading Matter

Event Details

  • Event Date:
    To Be Determined

Event Description

Seminar
Why Editing and Proofreading Matter

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Whether you’re writing to impress an editor, agent or publisher, your finished product should reflect the highest standards of professionalism. Whether you’re turning out autobiographies, corporate newsletters, or other writing projects, every professional endeavor requires editing and proofreading. Our two accomplished experts, editor and publishing consultant Monica Faulkner, and IWOSC President, PR consultant and proofreader-copyeditor Flo Selfman demystify the editing process, as well as the nuts and bolts of proofreading and copyediting.

A SAMPLING OF EDITING QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED:
How do you find the right editor for you? What qualities should you look for?
How much will it cost? What are considered typical business arrangements between an
editor and an author?
Is editing a one-step or an ongoing process? Do editors help writers to find agents and publishers?
Should I be my own editor? Will my agent edit my work? Or an editor at the publishing
company?
Can I trust an editor to retain my “voice,” yet still shape my material?
Why should I work with an editor if I’m planning to self-publish?
What’s the difference between an independent editor and one who works for a publisher? Between an editor and a ghostwriter?

PROOFREADING/COPYEDITING:
• Does the editor include proofreading and copyediting in their services?
• How important is proofreading? What kinds of errors should I be looking for?
• Are a computer’s spell check and grammar check enough?
• What kinds of errors should I be looking for? What are the most common errors
writers make?
• What are the best reference materials?

You’ll get answers to these questions and more from:

MONICA FAULKNER’S goal is to help writers solve every problem that may prevent their fiction, nonfiction, proposals, scripts, or other writing projects from reaching their greatest creative and commercial potential. She has been offering a complete range of editing services for a wide variety of specialties through her company, Faulkner Editorial Services, since 1995. A published writer with a journalism background, she co-authored “The Ideal Entrepreneurial Business for You” (Wiley). One recent editing project, author Stephen Altschuler’s “The Mindful Hiker: On the Trail to Find the Path,” was named best biography/self-help and book of 2005 by the Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR). Visit her at LAEditorsAndWritersGroup.com/Monica_Faulkner.html and at PublishersMarketPlace.com/members/MonicaFaulkner.

FLO SELFMAN has been a public relations consultant for authors, entertainers, and arts events for more than 20 years. A self-proclaimed “professional nit-picker,” she also proofreads and copyedits scripts, manuscripts, and other written material. Selfman is the recipient of the 2005 IRWIN Award for Best Book Tie-In Campaign 2005 from the Book Publicists of Southern California, and has produced award-winning press kits. She is on the board of Entertainment Publicists Professional Society (EPPS) and is currently serving her fourth term as president of IWOSC.