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There are many levels of security in our lives. Wearing a jacket to protect you from wind, cold, or rain is a layer of protection. An umbrella adds another layer. Being under a bus stop shelter adds more, and being inside an office or a house is another layer of protection.

Data lifecycle

With regard to data security, companies can have varying levels of protection. It is very common among businesses to follow a data lifecycle and move new files from use to storage in the system, to archive or long-term storage. For example, a contract is written to work with Company X; it is printed, filed in an in-progress area, removed from the file cabinet for signatures, work to be marked completed, and then filed in a completed area. After a while the completed files are moved to an archival storage area. Perhaps after a time the archives are destroyed.

As you can see, there is a lifecycle for data and security in each stage is not equally important. If the contract were lost or stolen while it was actively being worked on, that would be far worse than if it were stolen from an archive. Digital data can also be stolen in various stages of use and needs different levels of security at each one.

Defense-in-depth

Physical locks on file cabinets, office desks, and production areas can protect the contract as it works its way through the process. On top of that there would be some rules about who has keys and access to those file drawers, rooms, and offices. There might also be digital locks at the building access doors, cameras throughout the building, or other ways to monitor access and keep information secured.

How much security and of what kind will vary from company to company, but the main idea is to have what is called defense-in-depth. This reflects the same layering as jacket, umbrella, shelter, building or locked drawer in locked room in locked building and limited access to keys. There are many simple ways to protect data which small businesses can implement without much cost. For large, enterprise level companies, there are other tools that can cost more. Protect at the highest level you can afford while making a profit.

Simple ways to protect online data include using a VPN for employees to access company files while off premises. Keeping up with current patches and updates on all software is another low-cost security measure. For other ways to protect your business’s digital data, a quick online search will give a multitude of suggestions.

If you have questions about why or how these measures help secure your data, or why it is important to do so, drop me a comment and let’s talk.

weather and writing

March is here with all the wind and temperature changes that go with it. Just as we can predict the weather and temperature using historical data and scientific research, we can predict the plot of a story using tropes, themes, and commonly known patterns. The specific details of character traits, personal interactions, and setting can vary like daily temperatures, wind velocity, and precipitation. Getting reader-ready takes a little research, a little data, and sometimes a little help.

Weathermen have experience reading the signs of the weather to tell others what is coming. They work daily to keep track of current patters, and even then, sometimes the weather changes in an unexpected way. That makes the precipitation 80% likely now instead of 90% likely, because the variable just got added and changed the whole outlook. However, there is still a basic set of possibilities, however large.

As an author, you will have an idea of what your story will look like and the path each character takes to get to the conclusion. As an editor, I can help you get what is in your head onto the page and make it clear to the reader. Sometimes all it takes is a gentle nudge, asking the right questions, to get the words flowing. Sometimes it takes a push to knock loose the walls built up around how to present information.

Editors have lots of experience with different plots, settings, and expected outcomes. A twist in the plot simply means that the expected interaction between the characters and the setting and situation is not what usually is written. We can offer the expected outcome, and also help with discovering some new unexpected paths. But we can help you stay within the basic set of possibilities for your genre.

Writing in any weather

Whether your March is blustery and cold or calm and mild, it is certain that it is March. Your story is your story, whether it is clear on the page or jumbled around still. Readers love to find new material and hear new ways of expressing the same kind of story. Let’s connect and work together to get your book or manuscript ready for reading! Take advantage of the monthly savings offer by request.

This blog introduces a new information set I have recently been exposed to. I took a course on CyberSecurity and found out that coding and writing commands demand the same attention to detail and syntax as other writing. Most of the time, when we had trouble getting a command to work, we had left out an end quotation mark, or misspelled the command word. That was just as frustrating as getting back a manuscript with lots of errors marked by a proofreader.

“Share Your Screen”

We proofreaders want so much to get things “right,” and that can be a very good thing. Without the motivation to be a perfectionist, how much more would be missed? And what do we do about it when we find an error? The best way we found to take care of these issues in the class was to ask for someone to put eyes on our work.  “Share your screen,” was the most frequent response to the complaint that a command was not working. It usually only took a few seconds to find the misspelled word or missing punctuation mark. On occasion, the computer or virtual machine itself was the problem, but most often it was a simple case of bad writing.

On the command line, the script or command works and returns an expected result, or it does not. It is very simple and quick to see if things are working and make any changes needed until things do work properly. The same idea applies to writing books, blogs, or articles. Editors and proofreaders are trained to find the places where our writing needs a little adjustment to be “right.” Different manuals of style and genres of writing may change exactly what that looks like, but there is still a benefit to having another set of eyes on our writing.

Publishing

The main difference between working on the command line and writing a document of some kind, however, is how quickly we “publish” our writing. Every time we hit “enter” the command or script would immediately run and we would find out if it was “right” or needed work. Like publishing a book and immediately finding out if there are glaring errors, or if it worked for the reader. A major benefit of writing an article as opposed to a Linux command, is the opportunity to have someone look at it, examine it, give feedback and corrections, before publishing to the general public.

So, next time you hire a professional editor or proofreader, remember that their job is to make sure you publish a wonderful piece of writing, and their extra set of eyes are trained to find all the little things that could make your document not “work.” I have a much greater appreciation for this skillset after taking the course.

Happy writing! And let me know if you want another pair of eyes on your work. Comment on this page or go to the Contact page and let’s talk!

My studies have uncovered a new topic: syntax. How we arrange our words is called syntax. If you work with computers at all, you have probably gotten a syntax error message at some point. Where we put commas or periods and how words are spelled is important. Most of proofreading has to do with matching the style in the document being proofed with the style and format that has been set up by the editor and author. The style is going to decide much of the syntax. We can make phrases, clauses, or whole sentences, and the specific arrangement of the words is guided by the specific style guide and language we are using.

I have found that to be the same when using computers for programming. How the words and punctuation marks are used is extremely specific and important. If I am missing a comma or a period, the command will not work. If I miss a comma or a period in writing, the sentence does not make sense, and someone will flag it as an error. No one wants errors in their firewall security code setup. No one wants to read a book with syntax errors, either.

Details

The same attention to detail is needed in many areas of life. If a book is printed with improper syntax, however, there is no danger of having data leaked and encrypted and held for ransom. If a command in the firewall of your server has a syntax error, however, your data may not be as secure as you thought. Different consequences; same issue.

Syntax in writing often affects the cadence of the story and having a proofreader familiar with the language in which your book is written will help with having the native sound to your writing. Someone who grew up in England and has years of familiarity with British idioms and phrasing might not be the best proofreader for your American novel. An American who is familiar with New England dialects and Deep South drawls might be a better choice. At the same time, if your audience is Australian or British, the proofreader from England will have a much better handle on syntax for your focus group.

Choose well

There are many proofreaders to choose from, and all have their areas of expertise. For your writing to have the best impact, pay attention to where they are from, what they have done, and who you are trying to write for. Choose the proofreader who will have the best skill set to polish your novel or document for your intended audience.

And, as always, have fun writing!

Liza the Bookworm

Congratulations! You have finished writing your book! That is an accomplishment in itself. Have a celebration, do something else you enjoy, and relax for a while.

Now that you have taken a step back, it’s time to decide how to proceed. Many times, this next decision is based on budget. You can hire a professional editor to read your book, offer suggestions on ways to improve your work and develop an ongoing relationship with that person as you develop a series. Paid alpha readers can give you simple feedback on the general plot, character development, and how a reader views the book. There are also unpaid options like having your computer read aloud to you. Alternately, you could join a group of fellow authors, get some feedback from them and also be their resource.

A fresh set of eyes and a different perspective can help you with areas you may not have noticed were neglected on the first run-through. I would encourage all authors to have others read and give feedback on their work. If you have had bad experiences with sharing your writing, consider why that experience was negative. If there is an alternative way to get feedback, one that you can be comfortable with, take it.

Low-budget options

A simple, no-cost option is to have your computer read the story out loud to you. Many word processors have a read-aloud function which makes it possible to hear mistakes we don’t read. This often helps with areas that we know are supposed to read a certain way, but maybe we forgot a word, misspelled or used a similar-looking word, or completely left out an important detail. You can edit yourself as you go, listening to what is actually there, not what you expect to be there.

Another low-budget option is to find a group of writers to share with. Some libraries have author groups that meet up and share their stories with one another, give fresh perspectives to each other’s work, and generally encourage each member in their writing pursuits. There are Facebook groups, LinkedIn, and other online platforms that can be helpful as well.

Professional options

Sometimes an alpha reader can help with the overall story arc, character development, and plot holes. If your main character is a complete person in your mind, in your notes, and yet did not make it into the story with all the details, someone else may ask about things that seem incomplete to the reader. This can be free but may cost a small fee. It would be a fraction of an editor’s fee.

If you have finished the first draft and are spent, consider contacting an editor for help. An editor will take your work, compare it to what is standard for your genre, and point out ways to make things better for the readers. As a developmental editor, for example, I have taken a look at a finished story and asked a few key questions to help me, and other potential readers, know what the author has in mind when they describe a brief scene that seems to have a lot of meaning but is not clear to me.

Research, sample, decide

You have heard the expression, “You get what you pay for.” Editing and proofreading are no exception. If you pay top dollar for editing services, you should expect top-quality work from the editor. Have the other people they have worked for left good reviews? How many others have they helped? If they have limited experience, the price may be lower, but is the quality still acceptable, based on the reviews, testimonials, or sample edit they gave you? If a sample edit of your work comes back with information and questions that help you improve your work, the price will be worth it, no matter what level it is at. If the sample edit shows that the person is trying to change your style, your voice, or your story, please move on.

As an author, your story can be like your baby. You are very careful about who you share it with, who gets to interact with it, and how they interact. A professional editor or proofreader is not as involved and it is perfectly all right to walk away from an offer to edit if the sample is not to your liking. Once a contract is signed, however, it is not good ethics to walk away and not pay if the edit does not turn out to your liking. Do your research, test the editor, make a choice, and then you may find a working partner to bring out the best in your writing.

There are many steps to getting a book from the first draft to publication. No matter what your budget, genre, or interest, there are options to choose from. Choose wisely. If I can be of service, drop me a note on the editor page, proofreader page, or beta reader page. Happy writing!

One important thing a proofreader needs to be aware of is the author’s audience. So, it stands to reason that the author also needs to be aware of his audience. Recently I read a book that incorporated references to 1990’s videos/TV/movies but took place in the distant future. I actually enjoyed the references, understood the humor, and am also a fan of each of the shows referenced. Notwithstanding, the fact that there were no other vid options in the 25^th century was a bit beyond my ability to sustain disbelief. For me, it became a distraction.

Recent training in proofreading has made me less of an accepting reader. I thought about who would really like this kind of story. That person is whom the author was writing to. Once upon a time, I was that person. Whom are you writing for? Do you know that your readers enjoy many different genres and you are working hard for their regard? Maybe you know your readers only read the kind of books you write, and you are not as motivated to grab their attention. Does your how-to book make the information leap off the page as if it were their favorite novel, or is your writing dry?

Best Experience?

Whoever reads your book should have the best experience. Their few moments of escape into your fantasy, their moment of inspiration in your self-help book, or the nonfiction story they read that makes them realize how much someone has done on their behalf—all of these experiences should be immersive.

Even a step-by-step guide can be interesting with the right mix of pictures, font size, and word choice. How much more can a fictional novel be enhanced with vivid imagery and lively dialog. Writing is only a chore when it is just for a deadline or a goal outside of your interest. Does your audience interest you? Are they real people eagerly waiting to read this latest tome? Maybe your best inspiration is your own need to write and communicate what is in you. That can be an amazing, inspiring, wonderful thing as well. Whatever your motivation, latch onto it and make your story excellent.

Pull out that thesaurus, grab your dictionary, hire a great proofreader, and write the best piece of literature you can.

Happy writing!

Liza the Bookworm

What if I Already Use Software to Check My Writing?

This week we are going to discuss software programs designed to help with spelling and grammar. If my job is to find spelling mistakes and I use a software program to do it for me, why should an author pay me for that? By the same token, if I am using software to help me detect grammar issues, what value is my expertise in proofreading?

When we read through an article or a book our eyes may miss some obvious mistakes because we know what we are expecting to see. A software program designed to detect correctly spelled words only looks for what is in its dictionary, not whether it is used properly. Sometimes a little spelling help is fine, sometimes the words that need correcting are not misspelled. Would you be able to simply use a spelling checking program to correct the misuse of there, here, and where? If I accidentally spelled she instead of the, would your software program catch it?

Begin with tech, finish with human

For a long piece of writing, thousands of words, hundreds of pages, it would be very helpful to begin with a couple of software programs to check the basic spelling and grammar. But, once that has been done, the whole document must still be checked for words that are incorrect, but correctly spelled, grammar that is correct in slang, but not in formal writing, or idioms that are not culturally correct.

Using both is a win/win!

As an author, you want to have your writing be its best. As an editor, you want the words to make the most sense, bring the most clarity, and tell the best story. As a proofreader, we need to make sure these are possible. We have skills that are not easily programmed into a software package. We have the resources to find the correct spelling, the correct punctuation, the best use of words, and we are not replaceable.

So, the next time your phone autocorrects your text message, or your word processing program underlines a word in red, think about whether it really knows what you want to say. People are amazing! Be the best writer you can be, and work with the best people you can find!

Happy writing!

Liza the Bookworm

Hello Grammar Fans!

This week we are going to take a look at the lowly, but powerful, comma. You may have heard of the added comma that saved Grandma’s life … or the missing comma that cost a large company thousands in overtime pay. I will leave it to you to research those events and find out how the comma got such power.

For this blog, we are looking at the way a comma is used to set apart items in a list. The Oxford comma, or serial comma, is the comma after the next-to-final item in a list.

Serial comma, or no comma?

If I have three sandwiches on the menu, and one is peanut butter and jelly, what is the best way for me to advertise that?

A selection of tuna, roast beef and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

OR

A selection of tuna, roast beef, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The first option could possibly be construed to mean that we have two selections: tuna or roast beef and peanut butter and jelly. That would not be very appetizing, it seems to me. So, the second option uses the Oxford comma, or serial comma, to set apart each element in the list to help avoid such unappetizing misinterpretations!

Of course, not all style guides insist on the Oxford comma, or serial comma, and prefer to see the sentence rewritten to clarify. A simple rewrite may solve the problem if you don’t want to use bullet points or a list. (Unless you simply change the menu….)

Your choice of tuna, roast beef or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Writing should be simple and fun for an author. If you are having trouble getting all the thoughts in your head down on paper, or screen, there are plenty of editors, ghostwriters, and content writers to help. Collaborate, connect, and make your prose or poetry even better.

Happy writing!

Liza the Bookworm