This month’s issue includes tips for finding the right freelancer and an upcoming industry conference. Make Sure You Hire the Right Freelancer I’ve been helping my youngest daughter recently as she works on her first high school English paper of substance. Two-and-a-half pages about Romeo and Juliet. Some observations: No Fear Shakespeare is a lifesaver and I wish it existed when I was in school! If you’re not familiar, these versions of Shakespeare’s work feature the Shakespearian English on...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
This month’s issue includes ways to make reading easier for your reader and a helpful PDF converter tool. Codex, gesso, quires: Cut Out Confusion I was reading a book recently and it started to annoy me. The author failed several times to define terms that were unknown to me, and I presume, unknown to many readers. For example: codex gesso quires If you know what all of those mean, then I suppose you can just stop reading right now. I enjoy learning new vocab while I'm reading books. But if I...
2 months ago • 2 min read
This month’s issue includes errors unique to healthcare content and helpful reminders about writing with numbers. Catching Errors Unique to Healthcare Content Every industry has terms specific to it, and it’s no different in health care* where I do much of my work. Below are some edits unique to healthcare content that I’ve made recently or that I see often. Misspellings: opthamology > ophthalmology tempterature > temperature cryoblation > cryoablation gynocology > gynecology Style...
3 months ago • 1 min read
This month’s issue includes a review of last year’s work and an idea-generating resource. 2025 Year in Review A recap of my 2025 work shows the following: The bulk of my work came from major academic medical centers. I proofread more than 2,300 documents. Healthcare topics I wrote about ranged from poor posture in teens, to social media and youth mental health, to puberty in boys (and more!). I started a new project copyediting cardiology web content for a total revamp of a hospital website....
4 months ago • 1 min read
This month’s issue includes seasonal examples of poetic license and a sustainable apparel source. Taking Poetic License in Writing Poetic license refers to straying from the conventional rules of language to create an effect when speaking or writing. And in today’s case, we’re talking about writing. In professional writing, we can take poetic license from time to time. It can be effective as a way of changing the mood of a phrase, creating humor, or breaking a grammar rule for the sake of a...
5 months ago • 3 min read
This month’s issue includes teasers for your own at-work gratitude list and a resource to help with headlines. My At-Work Gratitude List In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’ve been thinking about what I’m thankful for related to my work life. For me, that means the fields of writing, editing, proofreading, marketing and communications, and health care. It also means not only freelancing, but working in corporate America, which I did for years before I started to freelance. Here’s what I came up...
6 months ago • 2 min read
This month’s issue includes mnemonic devices and a chance to vote on new words. Tricks for Spelling Words That Spellcheck Won’t Catch Spellcheck is embedded into so many computer applications these days that it might feel like you don’t have to worry much about misspelled words. Except for those tricky words: homophones — you know, the words that sound alike but have different spellings and different meanings, like here and hear. In this month of tricks and treats, I thought I’d bring you...
7 months ago • 2 min read
This month’s issue includes a proofreading checklist and a podcast rec. Proofreading Outside of Spelling and Grammar When I talk to people about proofreading being a big part of my job, a lot of them think I’m mainly finding spelling mistakes, and errors in punctuation and grammar. But there’s a lot more to proofing that goes beyond spelling and grammar. There’s also mechanics — which includes typographic style like bold vs. italics, using figures vs. spelling out numbers, whether to use the...
8 months ago • 2 min read
This month’s issue includes a nice story about working from a park and a fantastic handmade sign I found on vacation. A Croissant and Spontaneous Conversation I was going to write about proofreading outside of spelling and grammar this month, but I'm pivoting because I had such a great experience getting outside of my office last week. Last Friday morning, I dropped off my daughter at school and then went to a park close by to work for a few hours. This meant I wouldn't have to drive home in...
9 months ago • 3 min read