Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Reference Guide for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy, 2nd Edition

by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Overview

Carolyn Howard-Johnson picks the trip-you-up words that her clients struggle with and puts them in a quick reference guide light enough and small enough to be used as an quickie gift that the recipient can tuck into a glove compartment or purse to keep their homonym skills fresh and explains why following grammar rules assiduously isn't always the best choice for writers.

"Carolyn Howard-Johnson has created something of unmatched value: usage advice that cuts through the contentious world of grammar to offer real help. Writers polishing their manuscripts and query letters will find Howard-Johnson's guide more useful than Strunk and White."
-- JUNE CASAGRANDE, author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (Penguin) and syndicated grammar columnist guru

"That so much helpful advice is couched in such light-hearted, easy to read and entertaining prose is due to Howard-Johnson's abilities... "
-- MAGDALENA BALL, founder and editor of The Compulsive Reader review

"...it's editing books like this that help us get one step closer to writing, and speaking, clearly and succinctly. Five stars."
-- DAWN COLCLASURE, author, 365 Tips for Writers

"This book is a good investment for all writers, no matter how skilled and experienced they believe they are. And, if you believe you 'could care less,' you really need this book."
-- BOYD SUTTON, editor, Wisconsin Writer's Journal

"From adapting/adopting to wreak/reek, this book is highly recommended reading for anyone preparing to write pretty much anything -- and a fascinating read in its own right for those who appreciate word-play and the occasionally encountered dilemmas of the English language!"
-- JIM COX, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review

"This is a wonderful book that could be used as a reference book in secondary classrooms and writing groups. The book would also be handy during teacher-student writing conferences as a neutral way to discuss word use errors especially."
-- CAROLYN WILHELM, curriculum writer, The Wise Owl Factory

Learn more at www.HowToDoItFrugally.com

From Modern History Press www.ModernHistoryPress.com

LAN022000 LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Editing & Proofreading
BUS011000 BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Business Writing

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781615995257
Publisher:	Modern History Press
Publication date:	07/14/2020
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Carolyn Howard-Johnson brings her experience as a publicist, journalist, marketer, editor, and retailer to the advice she gives in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers and the many classes she taught for nearly a decade as instructor for UCLA Extension's world-renown Writers' Program including a class on editing for self-publishers. The books in her HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers have won multiple awards. That series includes The Frugal Book Promoter and The Frugal Editor which won awards from USA Book News, Reader Views Literary Award, the marketing award from Next Generation Indie Books and others including the coveted Irwin award. How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically launched to rave reviews from Karen Cioffi, The Article Writing Doctor: "I'm an author, content writer, and online marketing instructor. Reading Carolyn Howard-Johnson's The Frugal Editor has given me lots and lots of tips and reminders on how to write right, whether I'm writing fiction, nonfiction, blogging, or marketing. It's a writing tool I'll refer to over and over again." Howard-Johnson is the recipient of the California Legislature's Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award, and her community's Character and Ethics award for her work promoting tolerance with her writing. She was also named to Pasadena Weekly's list of "Fourteen San Gabriel Valley women who make life happen" and was given her community's Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts. The author loves to travel. She has visited nearly 100 countries and has studied writing at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom; Herzen University in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Charles University, Prague. She has been in love with words and syntax since she took an advanced grammar class from Miss Jones (no kidding!) in high school and, curiously followed up with grammar from a professor who was of Russian royalty at USC and another in Heiroglyphics from a professor who was made a Duke for his service during the great flood of Florence in 1966. Carolyn's website is www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 1

Before You Get Started 3

Pleasing the Gatekeepers 7

Where You Get to Choose 7

Trip-You-Up Words 9

Reading: One Editing Book at a Time 29

Just So You Know: Before You Publish 30

Other Writers’ Tools from Carolyn Howard-Johnson 30

Blogs 38

About the Author 39

Index 41

Editorial Reviews

Words such as climactic and climatic used improperly or mis­spelled can mean a rejection when submitting to the “gatekeepers.” The addition or deletion of that little second “c” makes a huge difference in the meaning of the word. I happen to be a fan of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s Frugal series, they are a part of my writing and marketing toolkit. I learned a great deal from Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers and will be referring to it often; I highly recommend it.

-- KAREN CIOFFI, author, writer-for-hire, freelance writer

The best way to appear amateurish as writers is to make simple word usage errors. Writers should know the difference between these homophone words and know which of them to use in their copy. Author and editor Carolyn Howard-Johnson lists some of the most common errors in Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers. This reviewer found this pamphlet to be inspirational and a brush up for any writer. Any time a writer submits copy not up to professional standards there is a gatekeeper who will bounce it. Reading this reference guide can save writers the embarrassment of receiving a rejection slip for poor writing.

-- ROBERT MEDAK, reviewer, New York Journal of Books

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is well known among writers for her helpful book The Frugal Book Promoter, and she continues to encourage and guide writers through her many other projects, including this fast read (50+ pages). The meat of the book is page after page of handy references for spotting and fixing tricky word pairs. Organized alphabetically with word pairs separated by slashes (e.g., “bereft / bereaved”), the book makes it easy to look up definitions and identify which word should be used in specific circumstances. Priced reasonably (especially the Kindle version ) and packed with lots of writerly wit and humor, the book makes for both an enjoyable read and a worthwhile reference.

-- K.M. WEILAND author, Structuring Your Novel and Creating Character Arcs

Carolyn Howard-Johnson delivers a succinct, easy to follow guide that really does take you by the hand and help you over the editing hurdles. You will bypass the “Gatekeepers” if you follow her directions. Whether you plan to self-publish or seek a traditional publisher, you will need to make sure your prose is as good as it can be and this little guide will certainly put you ahead of the pack. I highly recommend any of Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s books and this is no exception. Go get it now! You won’t be sorry.

-- BILLIE A. WILLIAMS, author, Writing Wider, More Exercises in Creative Writing: A Creative Writers Mentor

Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s booklet Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers is a wonderful resource for all writers and editors. It is actually an addendum to her book The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. As a writer and editor, I see this booklet as something that I will keep very handy. It seems that no matter how many times I research some words, they just won’t stick in this head of mine. This book is set up as a small dictionary of often-confused words and makes them easy to find. Warning: If readers come across this book first, they will most likely find themselves ordering The Frugal Editor. That is what I did, and I wasn’t disappointed. Both books are excellent writing reference tools.

-- JOYCE M. GILMOUR, proprietor, Editing TLC

From the Publisher