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Thoughts on the Third Annual BookFest St. Louis

The third annual BookFest St. Louis was held in the Central West End on Saturday, Sept. 21. As a writer, editor, and reader, this is one of my favorite weekends in St. Louis, as I get the opportunity to hear several writers talk about their craft for free. These conversations between authors always inspire me and encourage me to get better at my writing and editing.

Here are the highlights from the three BookFest St. Louis sessions I attended this year, as well as some thoughts on the event itself.

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open laptop and iced mocha with blog post title overlaid: the 12 tabs i keep open while editing

A Peek Into Process: The 12 Tabs I Keep Open While Editing

I find the mundane details of an editor’s process fascinating. I love talking with other editors about what time tracking software they use, how they navigate style guides (do they search or use the table of contents on Chicago Manual of Style’s site?), if they Google basic facts and proper nouns, how they organize a style sheet.

No matter how long you’ve been editing, it’s useful to talk shop with other editors. I always learn new tools to use or ways to work from these discussions.

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featured image with title: Live tweets and other thoughts from #EFAcon2019 and photo of conference tote bag and name badge

Live Tweets and Other Thoughts From #EFACon2019

The Editorial Freelancers Association’s conference took place Aug. 21-23 in Chicago, and I was lucky to attend. I took the train to Chicago on Tuesday, explored The Art Institute on Wednesday, then attended the opening reception of #EFACon2019 on Wednesday night. I met up with a group of editors from Instagram (hi, Alyssa, Jaclyn, Angela, and Heather!) and had a blast attending the conference with them.

I attended two keynotes and six sessions throughout Thursday and Friday and live-tweeted so fellow editors can catch up on the sessions they missed. Read on for insights from the presenters who spoke at #EFACon2019.

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developmental edit for a novel

A Peek Into Process: How I Do a Developmental Edit for a Novel

As an author, it can be hard to know which developmental editor to choose because each editor’s process is so different. And unlike a line edit, copy edit, or proofread, it’s more difficult for an editor to do a sample developmental edit. You can ask a developmental editor for past client references or their portfolio, but even then it’s difficult to tell what exactly the editor contributed to the book.

I’ve found that the best way to make sure I’m the right fit for a potential developmental edit client is to explain my process thoroughly so they know exactly what they’ll be getting.

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how i'm buying books in 2019

How I’m Buying Books in 2019

I’ll admit it: I have a tendency to overspend on books. I buy books impulsively after reading a recommendation on Instagram or seeing it on a listicle of new books. This led to me reading some great books in 2018 from a variety of small presses, but it also keeps filling up my shelves with books that I’m not committed to reading anytime soon. I’m not going so far as to drastically KonMari my book collection, but I am rethinking my book buying habits this year—both because shelf space is low and because freelancing full time doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room in the budget.

My goal is to buy books more intentionally while still allowing myself to read widely, buy new releases, and stay up-to-date on the book market. Here’s how I’m buying books in 2019.

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