I’ve met writers who have been insulted when asked to write in plainer language. I can understand that, I suppose – working hard on something only to be told that it is too advanced in terms of reading level can be frustrating.
“Dumbing down” your article, however, doesn’t mean that you have to dumb down the content. You can still create an informative, even technical, article, even if you’re writing for a junior high reading level, rather than for a group of college professors. Here are some tips for making revisions that take your text to an easier reading level without …read more

This is one of the most commonly confused words that I see when I’m reading articles online. One means “not moving” and the other means “writing paper and related materials.” So, as I have been, I ask you – do you know which is which?

I went to the gym to ride a stationary bike.
/li>
My grandmother gave me a custom stationery set for graduation.

When something is stationary, it is still. When you want to write a letter, you need stationery. This is a fairly easy set of words because there aren’t weird exceptions to the rule.
Most people, myself included, remember the …read more

The words fewer and less are confused just as commonly as words that sound the same, which I think happens because we’re never taught the right one to use. At least, I wasn’t when I was in grade school. Fewer and less generally mean the same thing, but one is used in conjunction with countable items and the other is used with more abstract on uncountable items. Which is which?

John has fewer apples than Joe.
My glass has less water than yours.

In general, fewer should always be used if a number cab be associated with the statement. For example, I could …read more

I’m guilty of mixing up these two words. One means to have an influence on someone or something. The other means a result or outcome. Which is which?

Jane was visibly affected by the news that her dog had died.
There are side effects to most medications.

In short, affect is a verb and effect is a noun, in most cases. I remember this by thinking that affect is an action. 99% of the time, this will work to help you place the right word in your sentence.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.

Affect can be a noun if you’re describing …read more

Many people never even realize that there are two spellings of the word compliment/complement. One means a nice word you give to someone to flatter or praise them. It can be used as both a noun and a verb. The other refers to two things that go well together. It can also be used as both a noun and a verb. Which is which?

Jane complimented Joe on his new shirt.
/li>
Jane and Joe are best friends. They complement one another well.

Here are two ways to remember the difference:

Complement, with an E, refers to two things that go together, like a couple. …read more

When someone edits your work, there are three main changes they could make:

Rewording sentences that sound strange
Fixing typos
Fixing errors

Some editors only reference two changes – rewording and fixing errors. Not every mistake in an article is an error, in my opinion. At least, not an error due to you not understanding grammatical rules. Typos are a whole different breed.
I’m the queen of typos. I think it’s because my brain works so fast and my fingers are just trying to keep up. It’s why you see typos here occasionally (ok, I’m trying to be better about that!) and why I use …read more

I could write a post here about self-editing, but to be honest, I think I’d be just rehashing tips I’ve read at other websites. So, instead, it’s time for some link love! Here are a ton of resources if you’re like me and find it hard to self-edit:
General Non-Fiction and Content Editing Articles:

How to Stop Making Yourself Crazy with Self-Editing at Copyblogger
Self-Editing: Tyranny and Transition at ack/nak
Self-Editing Checklist 1-10 at Rebecca Ryan
Self-Editing Your Writing at Editorku
Three Basics to Editing at Wordclay Blog

For Fiction Writers:

Self-Editing One Step at a Time: Cleaning Up Those Dialogue Tags at The Blood-Red Pencil
Self-Editing Fiction: Making …read more

This month, we’re talking about about editing here at Bizzia’s Freelance category. If you’re already great at this task, though, you might not need new tips on how to be a better self-editor. Instead, maybe it’s time to start charging for your services. Maybe writers switch their focus from writing to editing after a few years. Finding jobs is a topic for another day – today let’s talk about how much you should charge for your services.
I’m probably opening a can of worms here. Whenever any blogger mentions writer pay, people come out of the woodwork to fight about it. …read more

I’m the queen of typos. When I’m writing, I type so fast that the letters just fly off my fingers, and since I’m not a very good proofreaders of my own work, many of those typos go unnoticed unless someone else points them out for me. Thank god I have a great editor on hand to read through most of my work. Still, typos sometimes get through.
Once, I was typing up a document for my great-aunt. She wanted send her doctor an official letter about something or other, but didn’t even have a typewriter, let alone anything capable of work …read more

Criticism is tough to take, no matter how nicely someone says it. I have an especially hard time taking criticism, even though I can see the value of constructive criticism, it is still a hard pill to swallow. I’m not so good with that pride thing. Sometimes, I just get angry.
I’m getting better, though. I’ve learned in the writing world that not everyone is going to love what you’ve written as much as you do. Clients will ask for revisions. Edits will be needed. You’re going to have to change your work, even stuff you consider to be your baby. …read more