Tag Archives: Grammar

English Language and your Readers!

Important, Information, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Who is your Audience? Do you know? Do you care?
Remember choosing your Audience also affects the marketing
you will need to do.

Editing is not my thing. I do my best work helping with the flow and structure of a manuscript. I’ll call it proofreading for now.

Some things are easy to see and catch, others not so much. If you can get your manuscript flowing nicely it will be easier to edit. Then you have to find an editor who fits and this can take some work and lots of research. I’m not going to get into the research. This time it’s about the English Language you use and who you want as your audience/readers.

Most people write in the English Language where they grew up and were educated. It can, for some also be a second language. However, this doesn’t mean it’s the right English for your readers. If you’re aiming at an American Audience, then most writers would use American English, including grammar, spelling and punctuation.

What if the book is set in another country?

If you go traditional publishing they will generally set books in American English with dialogue in the English of the setting (Australian, British, etc). However, I think this is wrong. My thoughts are on genre as well as where the story takes place.

I’ll tell you why I don’t like the above idea. This is from way back when most books were traditionally published. I loved to read Regency Historical Romance, though many were a bit long winded. What a didn’t like was the fact they were written with American spelling with Regency words in place. Now…yes, I am fussy. In no shape or form were Londoners in Regency England speaking or reading American English in the early 1800’s. So why were they published like this? Simple, their audience/readers were American. It’s a pity they didn’t do a British version, mind that may have cost them to much and Traditional Publishers are all about profit.

With saying this, British authors or other authors who use British English due to setting do get the odd review from readers about how their books are full of errors. Those are the readers who don’t realise British and American English are different in spelling, grammar and punctuation. This is also why I recommend you learn what English you should use and also add what English you are using on the copyright page and even as part of the description if you’re self-publishing online. The difference is a bit of an eye opener.

English Spelling and Different Words.

What do you know of the different spelling and words used for the same item. Do you research what you need? Does your editor understand the spelling you use. There is quite a variety out there, however I will stick with UK, USA & NZ, mainly because these are the ones I use most.

Most New Zealand spelling is the same as British until you hit Te Reo Maori, which is an amazing language to use and write. What is different are the words we use. I can tell you now, going back thirty years and not only was it the words used it was the accents as well. Hilariously funny at times and embarrassing at others. I don’t think I’d ever rolled my eyes so much as I did back then when I was new to New Zealand. I remember once asking where the nearest ‘Chippie’ was. “Oh you can get them here,” and the young lad at the pub/bar held up a packet of—what Brits call Crisps, in the UK. I rolled my eyes, still not realising how different the language was. “I mean the Fish and Chip Shop.” Of course my future husband—a Kiwi, laughed his socks off (not literally). In fact, we didn’t even understand each other much of the time. I eventually became a Kiwi speaker, so much so, that when I visited family in the UK eighteen years later, my siblings kept correcting me. Annoying as hell, especially since they knew what I was on about.

Anyway, slightly off tangent there. In US English you’ll find the difference in spelling. I’ve always wondered why the spelling changed since a majority of colonists were English. If anyone can tell me, I’d be interested to learn. There are hundreds of words you’ll notice with different spellings. Things like COLOUR/COLOR, REALISE/REALIZE. Then you have the words. CANDY/SWEETIE/LOLLY…US, UK & NZ, and there are plenty more which I will list at the end.

Punctuation

First I’d like to get this … out there. PUNCTUATION IS DIFFERENT IN EACH ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY!

Yes it is true, though some will slice and dice and disagree. It depends who taught you, where you were taught and in what generation you’re from. Then you have the accents used and how you speak or how your characters speak to each other. This is one of the many things you need to discuss with your editor. You can give them a generic manuscript which has no country setting as such which is when you can discuss which English you wish to use, remembering you also need to use the correct words. Many people know that US English uses more commas than British English. I have seen the different with Editing apps I use to help me tidy a draft novel.

I use Grammarly Pro. It can give you questionable suggestions and sometimes make you laugh because it’s off base with changes. So, if you’re using an Editing App, make sure your English is proficient.

Grammarly is set up for four different types of English Grammar. Uk, US, Canadian and Australian. Unless I’m helping a client, then I have it set on Uk English.

During the last week I’ve been going back and forth with UK and US English do to proofreading. You can see the difference straight away. One of my own books I’d used UK Grammarly on, was clear of errors, though I still had several steps of editing to do. I accidently clicked on my manuscript when working through an American Clients work and it picked up…over a thousand errors. I nearly panicked until I realised what I’d done, after which I laughed. Yep. It caught the spelling, grammar and punctuation but in American English. It just shows how different it can be. I was pleased I didn’t have to start over.

Different Words, same Item

BritishAmericanNew Zealand
SweetieCandyLollie/Lolly
ChipsHome FriesChips or Fries
ChemistDrug StorePharmacy
Off LicenceBottle StoreLiquor Store
BiscuitsCookiesBiscuits/Cookies
HandbagPurseHandbag
WaistcoatVestWaistcoat/Vest
VestTank TopSinglet
TrainersSneakersSneakers

As you can see New Zealand is a mixture of two English Languages, similar to Canada and probably Australia, though they both have their own Idioms There are so many which will confuse a person with the words used and their actual meaning being totally different. Many of these Idioms I had to learn not to use thirty years ago because they were just not understood by the local KIWI population. Then of course you have KIWI Idioms to confound visitors along with place names, many of which are pronounced in totally different way from what they are written.

Te Puke — Tea Pu Key
Petone — Pea Toe knee (Not Pet One as I’ve heard some Americans call it)
Bring a Plate — It means take a plate of food to share at a party, not take an empty plate.
See ya laters — They are not literally going to see you later the same day. It could be tomorrow, the following week. So don’t wait around and yes, people used to do this too.

You can find more
Kiwi Idioms HERE
American Idioms HERE
British Idioms HERE


Reviews

authors, Important, Information, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reviews. Something we all love to have as authors and business people. We need them to show other people’s opinions about our products and services. They are important.  The last thing we do is delete them. Especially if you are learning your trade.

My muse, Chloe King is an erotic author who writes on Inkitt. (she left Wattpad in disgust)  Inkitt is an on the ball writing app for computers and phones. You can read and comment on stories and you can also REVIEW.  There is even a guide to review by. It is really good.

One thing I noticed on Inkitt is there are a lot of English as a second language along with those learning to write. Many have excellent plots though need assistance, hence the reviews to help them move forward. We have all been learners in the art of writing at some stage. I know I was terrible when I started my first fiction which was Regency Romans… 

We review honestly and nicely. Not that you’re allowed to be mean, it could get you kicked off the app.

Anyway, you do your review. Giving their grammar three stars. It needs improving, it doesn’t flow and they sure need some research or they will get laughed out of their genre. How do I know? Been there and done that in the same Genre, which is why that particular book is still not published. The author comments…and reviews your story giving you bad grammar and spelling star wise. Two Stars…I laughed. My grammar and spelling aren’t that bad, maybe a four at the least. I can get the different types of English grammar and spelling mixed up due to working internationally.  This is not an excuse.

Several days ago I read a new chapter of her story. She obviously wasn’t interested in what I’d said so I decided not to continue reading.  I noticed yesterday she had deleted my review of her book.

SIGH

Why ask if you are going to delete it?  I can’t read a story that doesn’t flow and I will mention this in reviews. They didn’t use speech marks and the few I found were in the middle of…well never mind…  The historical aspects were due to an obvious lack of knowledge. I mean what Regency woman would slouch on a couch…They wore corsets and many had trouble breathing… Honestly, the list goes on.  However, the storyline was really good. I also stated it was and told them to continue writing.

My main point is why ask for a REVIEW if you don’t or won’t listen to others and then turn around and give a bad review of the REVIEWERS story…is just plain odd. (Yes I have left the review up)

They have a lot to learn in this industry as a writer and reviewer.  As a publisher, I wouldn’t touch this book. It’s a pity she didn’t know my muse is a Publisher…Though not saying so means you find the real writers who wish to go places.

55 English Grammar Rules from Derek Haines

Information, , ,

To get more advice you can find Just Publishing Advice HERE

55 English Grammar Rules To Help You Write Better 

27th March 2018

Learning English grammar rules is easier than you think, and fun.

Here is a little light grammar relief for you. Perhaps it will be a good way to waste ten minutes of your day, or to encourage you to extend your morning coffee break.

The following list of 55 English grammar rules and writing hints was originally published on my personal blog many, many years ago. But as these rules remain useful to use as a quick refresher, I thought I would move the list here for Just Publishing Advice readers to enjoy.

Unlike a lot of grammar advice, you will not find any mention of a part of speech, the preterite, linking verbs, tense shift, proper nouns or the indefinite or definite article.

I have to say that my favourites in this list are numbers 16, 29, 41 and 41. Yes, I really like 41 and 41. Take a look to see why.

 

Of course, you can always rely on an online grammar checker such as Grammarly to do all the hard work for you. But there is much more fun to be gained in discovering your errors and correcting them yourself.

Well, at least you can try.

So on to the list, for you to read, enjoy and perhaps break out into a smile.

55 Grammar mistakes and boo-boos that you should avoid making

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.

2. Never use a preposition to end a sentence with. Winston Churchill, corrected on this error once, responded to the young man who corrected him by saying “Young man, that is the kind of impudence up with which I will not put!

3. And don’t start a sentence with a conjunction.

4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They’re old hat.)

6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.

7. Be more or less specific.

8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.

9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies endlessly over and over again.

10. No sentence fragments.

11. Contractions aren’t always necessary and shouldn’t be used to excess so don’t.

12. Foreign words and phrases are not always apropos.

13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it’s highly superfluous and can be excessive.

14. All generalizations are bad.

15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

16. Don’t use no double negatives.

17. Avoid excessive use of ampersands & abbrevs., etc.

18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.

19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake (Unless they are as good as gold).

20. The passive voice is to be ignored.

21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words, however, should be enclosed in commas.

22. Never use a big word when substituting a diminutive one would suffice.

23. Don’t overuse exclamation points!!!

24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.

25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.

26. Use the apostrophe in it’s proper place and omit it when its not needed and use it correctly with words’ that show possession.

27. Don’t use too many quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “I hate quotations.. Tell me what you know.”

28. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a billion times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly. Besides, hyperbole is always overdone, anyway.

29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.

30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

32. Who needs rhetorical questions? However, what if there were no rhetorical questions?

33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

34. Avoid “buzz-words”; such integrated transitional scenarios complicate simplistic matters.

35. People don’t spell “a lot” correctly alot of the time.

36. Each person should use its possessive pronouns correctly.

37. All grammar and spelling rules have exceptions (with a few exceptions).

38. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

39. The dash – a sometimes useful punctuation mark – can often be overused – even though it’s a helpful tool some of the time.

40. Proofread carefully to make sure you don’t repeat repeat any words.

41. In writing, it’s important to remember that dangling sentences.

41. When numbering in a written document, check your numbering system carefully.

42. It is important to use italics for emphasis sparingly.

43. In good writing, for good reasons, under normal circumstances, whenever you can, use prepositional phrases in limited numbers and with great caution.

44. Avoid going out on tangents unrelated to your subject — not the subject of a sentence — that’s another story (like the stories written by Ernest Hemingway, who by the way wrote the great fisherman story The Old Man and the Sea).

45. Complete sentences. Like rule 10.

46. Unless you’re a righteous expert don’t try to be too cool with slang to which you’re not hip.

47. If you must use slang, avoid out-of-date slang. Cool! Right on!

48. You’ll look poorly if you misuse adverbs.

49. Use the ellipsis ( . . . ) to indicate missing . . .

50. Use brackets to indicate that you [ not Shakespeare, for example ] are giving people [ in your class ] information so that they [ the people in your class ] know about whom you are speaking. But do not use brackets when making these references [ to other authors ] excessively.

51. Note: People just can’t stomach too much use of the colon.

52. Between good grammar and bad grammar, good grammar is the best.

53. There are so many great grammar rules that I can’t decide between them.

54. In English, unlike German, the verb early in the sentence, not later, should be placed.

55. When you write sentences, shifting verb tense was bad.

You have reached the end!

If you have made it to here, I applaud your stamina. Good luck in using your improved grammar and writing knowledge.

 

FREE Books – Hell No

Information, readers, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seriously would you ask a plumber to do some work in your house and not pay them, would you tell a cashier their goods aren’t worth paying for. Then don’t ask an author for a FREE Book.  Seriously, that is just lame.

Do you know how much time and money goes into producing a book for you to read?  I doubt it somehow.

The first part is of course is finding your muse and writing your first draft. A draft can be anything from 500 words to 200,000 plus, after all it is their story to tell.  So think about the hours it take to write that many words.  Then you have the re-drafting x about 20 or more RE-WRITES until their story makes sense, flows well etc.  this could take 6 month or a year, if not longer. It depends on the genre, and research done.  

I recently spent 18 months with a client assisting her with writing and producing her book. Time is of course money.

Next is the EDITING PROCESS.  An author will work with one or more Editors for months to get their manuscript perfected.  Copy Editing, Line Editing, Grammar – It all costs money. 

BOOK COVERS are the next thing, and certainly not the last.  Once again you consult with a Graphic Designer or Book Cover Artist.  You may need changes or adjustments.  Once again this take time and MORE MONEY.

FORMATTING. This is when the manuscript is turned into ebooks and PRINT Books.  Another thing authors have to pay for unless they know how to do this themselves.  You book needs to look like any a reader buys from a shop or picks up at a library.  Professional. 

MARKETING.  This is an ongoing event.  Yes some marketing is free, though it doesn’t mean it works. An Author has to market continuously to get their work out there, make connections and a name for themselves.  They will need to do Interviews, Blog Tours, Events, Book Signing, Giveaways, Sales….

So perhaps you’d now like to add up all this time and money spent.  It is in the thousands. So the one thing an Author needs is YOUR SUPPORT!! So the small amount of royalties they earn can cover the costs of Editing, Book Covers and Marketing.

Oh don’t forget these Authors also have families, and daily job so they can actually live and feed themselves.  Unless you make the big time as an Author, it isn’t going to be your daily income.

The only free books we do are those to assist Authors get their name out there with Anthologies of short stories…We all absorb the costs and assist each other. Even then the FREE Version is an eBook not a PRINT.

DON’T ASK FOR A FREE BOOK.  

ASKING FOR FREE BOOKS IS JUST BLOODY RUDE.

 

PS Some Vanity Press can charge up to $20,000 for all of the above.

 

Indie Editing & Local Book Stores

Information, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bashed after professional editing and no it wasn’t by my excellant Editor.  It seems to get a book into a bookstore your book has to be perfect if you are an Indie Author – never mind the bloody Traditional Published books which nearly always have one or two errors in them. The Bookstore owners sure as hell aren’t going to read them just to point out errors otherwise they’d not have a business.

I am sick of it.  No only is spelling and grammar different in each English speaking country, you then have to fight for the right to sell them locally.  Online it is fine, if someone points out an error you fix it and re-publish, be it print or eBook.  

I do wish New Zealand would catch up with the rest of the world with Independently Published books and give them a chance.  Personally if I ever won lotto or inherited a fortune I would open an Indie Book Store with a Coffee Shop.  If only…

It isn’t that I think we should be lazy with our editing at all.  It should be top rate, as good as you can afford.  It also needs Beta Readers, Proof Readers, Line Editor and so on.  If you know someone you can exchange services with etc then go for it.  Writing sure as hell isn’t a cheap business.  Even with all the above errors will still find a way in…You could edit for years and never publish at all I suppose.  

Anyway I was given a helping hand and a possible solution to help tighten up my books with editing which includes my lovely editors.  It was Thanks to A L Mengel who I chatted to earlier this evening for ideas and ways to improve my own books.  Here is what he told me.

I practice several rounds of edits. The first round,is the story structure, I do myself. Someone has to turn the draft into a flowing story, and the author really needs to do that.
 
After that, I send it out for a read through for flow and consistency
 
Then more edits are made.
 
Next is another set of eyes for line edits – Remember the first editor is already too familiar with the story. They may read over errors.
 
Then more edits are made again before it goes to the proofreader. Another set of eyes
 
The last step is the beta readers.  They receive special copies which they read (usually 1-5 people) and if they see an error, they’re asked to record it.
That is where my conversation ended with Mr Mengel.  There is one main thing I noted.  He had different people doing different parts, making sure new eyes were looking over the book.  It is this sort of journey which will give you and exceptional book in the end.

Exit mobile version