Laura Antram Editing

authors

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 in fiction

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

The main thing I love about learning to tap dance is the teacher explaining how you…
Manuscript drafts

If you are an independent author, unless you’re working to set deadline, you get to decide…
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…
Taking breaks for inspiration

Does this sound familiar? You’re having a perfectly normal conversation when you stop mid-sentence with the…
Manuscript overwhelm

Does this sound familiar? You open a manuscript. Feel overwhelmed. Close the manuscript. That feeling of…
Plot reveals

One of my favourite plot reveals happens in The Railway Children. Don’t worry, I won’t spoil…
Email feedback for writers

I’ve made my peace with the fact that it can take me anything from thirty minutes…
Characters and backstories

If you can’t relate to a character, can you understand them? Sympathise with them to an…
Proofreading or self-editing checklists

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

Head-hopping is when narrative perspectives change from one character to another without warning when writing in…
Spotting scam emails

Yesterday, I received a highly suspicious email claiming to be from my email provider saying my…
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…
Authors and readers

As an editor or proofreader, you provide a stepping stone between the author and the reader.…
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…
What’s beta reading?

Beta reading is the initial reaction to your manuscript from a reader. Beta readers read through…