On a Personal Note: Website Glow-Up and Why Working with Experts Is Worth It
I’ve had a lovely holiday! We’ve been in the Lake District – Windermere, to be precise. If you haven’t visited yet, you definitely should! I also love Aira Force, Buttermere and Keswick. Though I’m not a fan of the narrow, steep, windy roads. I feel like I’m having a heart attack. Every. Single. Time.
Halfway through my holiday, I noticed my scheduled Facebook posts were missing and ... I decided not to fix it. It’s not the end of the world. My business and clients are still there.
Whilst everyone was buzzing with energy because they attended the CIEP, I felt a little deflated because I wasn’t there in person. I initially didn’t even plan to buy the online ticket, but I’m glad I did. Attending in person would have been challenging for me – financially, logistically, and personally. But in hindsight, I would have loved to meet other editors and soak up that inspiring atmosphere myself. Maybe next year!
Website Glow-Up
This month I’ve been very busy working on a romantasy, a queer historical romance, finally finishing the Art of Line and Copy-Editing course, and completely redoing my website.
I desperately wanted to have everything finished before launching my new service TOMORROW (wink wink, nudge nudge), but did I give myself enough time? No.
Did I get it done anyway? Yes – at the cost of a little bit of my sanity.
You can already see some of the new bits, but here’s a sneak preview of the new service section:
Stay tuned for the full reveal tomorrow!
Why Working with Experts Is Worth It
Contacting my graphic designer, Sophie from Soph JH Design, gave me quite the confidence and inspiration boost, and I’m so happy with her work already.
When I started my business, I wanted the look of my website and brand to be minimalistic and elegant. Black lines on a white background, that kind of thing. But the more time I spent creating content for social media, the more I realised I needed a bit more pop. The problem? My designs started spiralling out of control – without necessarily looking all that great!
Getting the balance right was quite the challenge. There were some highlights, I think, but also a few lowlights... I just needed some direction, and Sophie gave me exactly that.
She created beautiful colour patterns and social media templates for me, and her work has inspired me to give my website a proper glow-up. This is money well spent. I can’t wait to receive the final designs!
What do you think of my new look so far?
Coffee and Clauses: The Art of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction
This is the second course from Liminal Pages on line and copy-editing fiction, building on the first one, Tea and Commas: The Foundations of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction.
I started it back in May, I believe, and have only just completed it. I was fully booked with editing projects for most of that time and simply didn’t leave myself enough space (or time!) to properly work through the course. (Yes, I feel bad about it!)
I’ve really enjoyed it and learned so much, despite already knowing a thing or two about line/copy-editing. I love the empathy and straightforwardness with which Sophie delivers everything. Reassuring, thorough, thoughtful, and never unnecessarily complicated.
If any aspiring editor is reading this: consider taking Sophie’s courses. Sophie Playle is one of the kindest editors you could meet (and, actually, the main reason I was sad not to attend the conference).
Her courses, blog, and newsletter are all so insightful. Whatever Sophie produces, you’re guaranteed to walk away more knowledgeable. Big recommendation from me: https://www.liminalpages.com
Book mail
Because I didn’t finish any books this month, here’s my book mail instead:
The Modern Guide to Querying Literary Agents by Alyssa Matesic and Patrick McDonald
I’m very excited to dive into this book. For some reason, it took AGES to arrive, even though I preordered it a long time ago. Why am I interested in this book... Maybe in preparation for yet another service? 👀
The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig
I reread The Knight and the Moon earlier this year to have the story fresh in my mind. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to finish book two just yet, but I’m enjoying it so far.
Will Your Grandkids Be OK? by Melissa Richardson
This is a present for my mother-in-law. She has many grandchildren and is so kind and loving. I’m sure she’ll like this book. Now I just need to find a beautiful bookmark to go with it.
That’s it from me today!
I’m currently busy with line and copy-editing another romantasy, but I do have one slot left for the end of October. Check out my range of services here. I’d love to work with you!
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