Presentations

From the viewpoint of an experienced editor, learn how to find and select a freelance editor. Discover how the editorial process works and what you can expect from working with an editor.

This presentation was given at the Agile Writers (2013, 2014, 2016), Agile Writers Conference (2017), Hanover Book Festival (2010, 2013), Randolph-Macon College (2011, 2013, 2015), RavenCon (2014), Virginia Press Women (2014), Williamsburg Book Festival (2014).

Listen to an excerpt of this presentation, which was given at the Hanover Book Festival in August 2010.
Listen to an excerpt of this presentation, which was given at Randolph-Macon College on January 14, 2013.

The freelance life can be a bit hectic with so many balls to juggle and no boss to tell you which ball is most important. In this presentation we discuss how to organize life, computer files, expenses, money, email, interns, and your overall business.

This presentation was given at Communication Central in 2014.

Find out how wildcards can help you make the most out of every hour by working more efficiently and effectively in Microsoft Word.

This presentation was given at Communication Central in 2012.

This specialized class is designed for those who are in the editing industry (or who want to become freelance editors). This hands-on, interactive, one-day class will provide detailed discussions about the field, editing skills, and the business and IT requirements necessary to succeed. The benefits of this course materialize through a better understanding of the industry, strengthening your marketable skills, and learning how to run your editing business like a professional with state-of-the-art IT techniques. And don’t forget to add this course to your résumé.

Listen to the class introduction or to an excerpt from the class.
This course can be taken as a correspondence course.
This course was offered in person on May 18, 2013, in Richmond, Virginia.
A condensed version of this course was offered as Editing Basics on March 23, 2013, in Richmond, Virginia, and is regularly offered at Northern Virginia Community College.

Do you often perform the same tasks in Microsoft Word? How much time do you waste doing repetitive tasks at the beginning of each project? At the end? How about just in general throughout the editing process? In this course, you will learn how to maximize your time by putting those repetitive tasks in a macro, allowing you to push one button and they all be done!

This course can be taken as an email correspondence course.
This course is regularly offered through the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network and the Editorial Freelancers Association.

Have you thought about learning to index books? Have you written a book and are thinking about indexing the book yourself? Do you index books but would like a refresher course? In this class, we will review the fundamentals and theory of indexing. Once those items are understood, we will put our new-found knowledge into practice by indexing a portion of a book.

This course can be taken as an email correspondence course.
Required text: April Michelle Davis’s A Guide for the Freelance Indexer
This course is regularly offered through the Christian Proofreaders and Editors Network and the Editorial Freelancers Association.

Would you like to work for yourself or expand the services you already offer? Have you wondered whether indexing is for you? An experienced indexer will teach you the basics of indexing, as well as give you some hands-on practice. This class will give you a good foundation to begin your indexing career.

Presentation was offered through The Editorial Freelancers Association in December 2010.

Are you capturing your readers’, agent’s, or publisher’s attention in your first few pages? This interactive lecture provides exercises reviewing the importance of dialog, scene structure, creating unique worlds for readers, the importance of the first line, and more.

Listen to an excerpt on this presentation.
For more information about this presentation, visit the Editorial Inspirations blog.
This presentation was given at the Christian Writers Retreat (2010) and RavenCon (2014).

This interactive lecture includes memorable examples and specific exercises. Designed to help improve writing and speaking skills and help produce grammatically correct, error-free work.

This course can be taken as a correspondence course.