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15 Grammar Rules That Can be Broken

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On August 12, 2019

With trepidation I step into the gladiator arena of grammar. Below is a marvelous infographic from ExpertEditor.com, an Australian professional editing and proofreading company.

Do you agree or disagree with these choices?

Grammar rules are there for a reason. Clarity, consistency, and communication. A sloppy manuscript is a terrible thing to waste.

At the same time, rigidity with some grammar rules can create awkward sentences. In my lifetime I have seen our language change incrementally. But the bones are still the same.

Feel free to weigh in with your comments.

The above infographic can be found at ExpertEditor.com.

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Fun Fridays – August 9, 2019

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On August 9, 2019

To follow up on Monday’s discussion of the printing press, let’s take a five minute walk through the distribution process. Specifically Amazon.com. This video was release last week, but is already a little out of date. Yesterday FedEx announced they are severing their relationship with Amazon. The effort by Amazon …

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Book Manufacturing

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On August 5, 2019

If you ever get the chance to visit a printing press, do it. I’ve had the privilege to visit two of them. The first was Standard Publishing’s printing press in Cincinnati. Their plant is quite large and they do a wide variety of printing, everything from books to curriculum to Star Wars coloring books.

The other plant was Bethany Press International in Bloomington, MN. During my years with Bethany House Publishers I visited this plant many times since their building is about 100 yards from the back door of the publishing house! I watched them move from the old “film” method of processing to a completely digital technology.

The beauty of watching the books being printed is partly the fascination of cool machines, but also an insight into all of the incredible details that go into the manufacturing process.

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Four Questions About Publicity

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On July 29, 2019

by Steve Laube

Publicity is the art of telling the world about you and your book. We recently received a few questions about publicity via the green button you see in the right hand column of our blog (yes, it really works).

1.) When should a writer hire a publicist?
I think an author should wait to see what their publisher will provide in this area. If you do hire a publicist make sure they coordinate with your publisher so as to not duplicate efforts. (Don’t aggravate your local TV station with multiple PR contacts.)

But the question was “when” not “should.” So let me re-answer.

If you are on your own with regard to your PR, you should hire that firm six to nine months prior to the release date of your book. The PR firm will be handicapped if you wait too long. They need lead time especially in the area of getting reviews for your book. Few review outlets are interested in a book after it has already been released.

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Oxymorons

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On July 22, 2019

Oxymorons can be fun. Two words that can have contradictory meaning are put together to create a new phrase. Or it can be expanded to mean two separate thoughts or ideas that are in direct conflict with each other but when combined create something new.

For example, if you’ve ever worked in a cubicle you can see the humor in the description “office space.”

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Dealing with Bad Publishing News

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On July 15, 2019

Remember the media principle of “if it bleeds it leads,” which means bad news or salacious headlines are designed to grab our attention. When authors are constantly barraged by bad news, it can be demotivating at the very least. I’m sure sales for your book could be better. I’m with …

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Fun Fridays – July 12, 2019

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On July 12, 2019

This is a long video, nearly 15 minutes. But it is worth it. Ever wondered what the real interpretation of body language is like? Learn from a former FBI agent whose job it was to catch spies. If you’ve ever used any of the tropes he debunks in the first …

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