I was recently given a book which has proved invaluable to my writing.  Stephen King as we all know is a remarkable storyteller who has written a massive collection of novels, many of them made into movies, like Carrie, The Shining, Misery, Christine, Pet Sematary and so on ... 
This book is part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time - that is why I would recommend it to anyone who is writing their masterpiece!  Whether it be drama, thriller, horror or a good old-fashioned love story, this book is absolutely fascinating. 'He gives basic instructions and sensible advice' .. The Sunday Times

Today I decided to look up the actual definition of a proof reader - interesting reading ... here is what Wikipedia says ...

Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or an electronic copy of a publication to detect and correct production errors of text or art.[1] Proofreaders are expected to be consistently accurate by default because they occupy the last stage of typographic production before publication.

To read the entire (lengthy) description, go to : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proofreading

So, for those authors, would-be writers and amateurs who are passionate about their work and are keen to have it published, whether in hard copy or an eBook or anything else that is available, employing a proofreader is essential.  Of paramount importance is correctness - grammar, punctuation, plausibility and the elimination of 'unnecessary' words. Formatting is another key to ensuring your writing is set out in a clear and clean manner, and above all, is easy to read. 

Wishing you all the best with your next 'best selling' novel!

Business cards are often the first avenue you take when promoting your business.  Over the past few weeks I've had a few handed to me from one business or another - from florists to beauty salons, and yes, advertising executives.  What astounds me is the number of errors I found in the first two seconds!  Granted, only small errors, but to me glaringly obvious.

These days of course, most business cards are done online and as much as they tell you to make sure your narrative is thoroughly checked, more often than not, you overlook the simple errors. 

And that's where proofreading and editing tends to be ignored when in fact it can be the 'make or break' when it comes to impressing that potential client.  It's a little like selling your home - first impressions count - and if you don't show a certain amount of professionalism at the onset, then you often lose that credibility.

Food for thought!

The English language is so interesting and as one goes through life, we never seem to stop learning!  Recently I came across this amazing post on Facebook :

 







 

I am very proud to announce Dr Okwun Ojah's first novel which has been published and is now selling on Amazon.com.  Congratulations Okwun - I was very privileged to work on your novel and look forward to the next one.