Winter Blues to Spring Time Blooms

This is a message about me, personally. I realize it's still Winter time, but I cannot wait until Spring time starts to pop into action. Spring brings an air of freshness and bolts of color back into our lives. It's much needed after the dreary, dark, coldness of Winter. The sunshine, the warmth, the smells of Spring; they all lift the spell that Winter casts over me. Winter, in all honesty, is the one season I struggle with the worst.

I'm not saying that all of Winter is bad. There are aspects of Winter that I adore. I love the holidays, the smell of snow, drinking warm tea, snuggling up under a blanket, and all the fuzzy socks, thick sweaters, and boots I get to wear.

However, with Spring I can go for long walks and hikes again, and actually enjoy them. I can drive with my windows down, take my dogs outside to play, take care of my garden, do some hardcore Spring cleaning, etcetera, you catch my drift. New Year's Day might be one type of new beginning, but Spring is a whole other type of new beginning. One that brings forth an invigorating start of my own self. I feel more alive and more capable once the weather warms up.

Spring time brings:

--Bright greenery and a stunning colors

--Beautiful, sweet smells

--Warm and dazzling sunshine

--Intense, amazing storms

--New and fresh origins

--Births and creations

Spring time is right around the corner and, like I said before, I absolutely can't wait. Who else agrees with me?

Networking is Working

I know it's been a while since I last posted, and I wanted to explain why. I've been trying to get my name out there.

To begin with, I have had blast attending several book events; meeting authors, learning about them, handing out my business card, making friends with them on social media, and further talking with them. These authors are incredibly talented and vastly creative people, and talking with them has been exceptionally informative. Building these relationships has also been majorly influential, and I really enjoy getting to know the people behind the books.

Another thing I have been doing is posting, scrolling, and joining groups on social media. I feel like I've become a part of many mini communities that have a deep interest in what they are all about. I love the attentiveness and enjoyment that everyone contributes to these groups/communities.

So, pay attention to others. Get to know people. Spread your name, and network like crazy. It can be a lot of fun and it really helps in the long run.

Take that first step and make a new friend today!

Honesty and Respect

There is a certain amount of honesty needed when proofreading, and that would be complete honesty. The promise of proofreading a book (or other works) requires the proofreader to be 100% candid with their feedback with a bit of finesse. They need to be able to tell the hard truths, but politely.

Bad example: "You're story makes no sense at [insert certain part] and needs to be rewritten."

Good example: "At this [insert certain part], it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. [This] and [that] could be like [this] in order to flow with your story better. If you agree, can this part be rewritten?"

You can be honest about your feedback without being brash about it. I had an author state that they received feedback that was very critical and harsh regarding the same book I proofread. The author said my feedback was "very nice to hear and will be making the specific changes" that I suggested. The way I see it, why be rude about this work of art that the author has put a lot of heart, thought, and effort into?

Anyways, that's my two cents on being honest, but also being respectful. It was upsetting to hear that someone was so rude and dismissive about the aforementioned author's book. It was an enjoyable read with very few errors and needed very little critiques. The author did an amazing job considering they never had the book edited.

I hope this opens some eyes on how to better treat the client. Sorry for the rant.

Have a great week everyone!