June 2011 Newsletter

Editing, Proofreading & Resume
June 2011 Newsletter
from the desk of
Shelly Rosenberg
www.shellyrosenberg.com

In this Newsletter, I will discuss…

· Writing Standards – standards and information for students writing PhD theses, Masters theses, research papers and for writers required to use formatting standards
· Author tips – some tidbits regarding that manuscript you want to send to an agent or publisher
· Job seekers – resume hints
· Update on worldwide project

Writing Standards

Standards – Many academic and technical institutions require your research paper or thesis to conform to some writing and formatting standards. The most popular of these standards is the APA – American Psychological Association’s standards and format.
I have the latest Publication Manual from the American Psychological Association. However, many universities have their own guidelines that differ slightly from these standards. Please let me know if you are required to use any specific formats or standards so that I can ensure that we follow all the necessary guidelines in your papers.
Author Tips
I read an interesting article by Linnea Sinclair that outlines the pet peeves of publishers who receive manuscripts from authors wanting to be published. Here is a summary of the article. Linnea queried several people and asked each their pet peeves.
The first responded that unnatural dialogue and too many unnecessary characters were the worst aspects of manuscripts read. By unnatural dialogue she meant the way a college professor would talk would be greatly different from a factory worker and that must be conveyed in the story.
The next publisher’s reader/editor stated that too much backstory was a pet peeve. She stated that the writer should tell the story through the actions and the characters instead of specifically writing the background events. This was especially distracting in the introductory chapter of the novel.
The next person stated that the most annoying aspect of writing was poor mechanics such as spelling, grammar, and the general format.
Keep these items in mind when writing your novel, manuscript, or book. If you employ me to edit your manuscript, I will point out if your work exhibits any of these “pet peeves,” and help you to correct them.
Job Seeker Resume Hints

Remember that your resume is your key. Its purpose is to get you an interview. Make it stand out. Make it present you, your abilities and accomplishments in the best possible light. What have you done that stands you apart from most other people who would apply for this job?

Of course, once you get an interview, it is up to you to sell yourself. Make sure that your resume has completely truthful and accurate statements, that it has no grammatical or spelling errors and that it focuses on your strengths.

If you need a completely new resume or you need an update to your current resume, contact me at shelly@shellyrosenberg.com and we will work together to create a dynamic resume for you. Also, ask me about creating a cover letter to accompany your resume.

Worldwide Project Report

I have a world map mounted on the wall in my office and have used “map pins” to mark the locations where my clients live. It is amazing to me that I have worked with clients from 69 countries in the world. Regarding clients in the United States, I have worked with clients from 45 states plus the District of Columbia. I believe that the client the farthest distance from my office, here in Springfield Tennessee, is living in Queensland, Australia. This is an interesting project and I will continue to track client locations and mark my map accordingly.

Contact me at Shelly@ShellyRosenberg.com with your editing, proofreading and resume needs. And, be sure to ask me any questions about the issues raised in this newsletter. If you have requests or suggestions for future articles for my newsletter send them to me.

“My goal is to enhance your text in a way that makes it clear and error free so that it is ready to be read by your professor, your readership, your clients, your future employer, your current employer, your agent or your publisher.”
Shelly Rosenberg

Shelly@ShellyRosenberg.com