Laura Antram Editing

Proofreading

Checking for errors

If you keep going back to a sentence or paragraph of a manuscript or post, it’s…
Quotes within quotes

Sometimes you need to use quotes within quotes in fiction. This happens when directly quoting what…
Comma splices

What’s wrong with this sentence? I love cake, my favourite flavour is chocolate. It’s a comma…
How music helps when commenting on manuscripts

‘What am I trying to say?’ It’s almost there, right on the tip of my tongue.…
Style sheets

When working with fiction, style sheets are used to ensure consistency throughout the manuscript. If there…
Editing, proofreading and peace of mind

Editing and proofreading offers reassurance and peace of mind. Editors and proofreaders are mindful of how…
My second year of freelance beta reading and proofreading

It’s my second business anniversary tomorrow. In the past year I’ve found: A supportive community continues…
How I organise notes

One of the most useful things I own for my freelance business is my whiteboard. I…
Brackets/parentheses in fiction

I’ve been reading a nonfiction book for pleasure and noticed how it uses brackets, parentheses for…
Rhythm in writing

The main thing I love about learning to tap dance is the teacher explaining how you…
How beta reading and proofreading affect how I read for pleasure

Beta reading and proofreading have affected how I read for pleasure in a positive way. Reading…
What a beta reader or proofreader looks for in a manuscript

I know handing over a manuscript that you’ve spent months or, even years, working on can…
Subject- verb agreement

One of the items on my proofreading checklist is subject-verb agreement. What’s wrong with this sentence?…
Manuscript overwhelm

Does this sound familiar? You open a manuscript. Feel overwhelmed. Close the manuscript. That feeling of…
Email feedback for writers

I’ve made my peace with the fact that it can take me anything from thirty minutes…
Skills and traits for beta reading, copyediting, proofreading and self-editing

Completing a course is invaluable, and here are the skills and traits I’ve found useful for…
Proofreading or self-editing checklists

It can be helpful to use a checklist when proofreading or self-editing a manuscript. First, ask…
Apostrophes and time

Recently I was reading my local community magazine, and noticed that some advertisements, stating the years…
Why I started proofreading

I’ve realised I’ve not written about why I got into proofreading. I knew I wanted to…
Commenting on manuscripts

When proofreading, I keep comments to a minimum, only commenting on punctuation that affects the whole…
Dialogue tags and action beats

I was asked a question about dialogue tags recently, so I’ve written a post about dialogue…
If I can help one author

If I can help one author feel confident in the book they are about to publish,…
What’s track changes?

A track changes document can seem a bit daunting, so an author will normally receive a…
What happens after I receive my tracked changes document?

When you receive a track changes document from an editor or proofreader, it is normal to…