I have been a book reviewer here at Jami's Words for more than ten years. I've worked with publishing house review groups, and I've worked one on one with traditionally published authors and indie authors. Book reviews are an important part of an author's world, and working well with book reviewers is important, too. Let's look at some important aspects of working with book reviewers. How you, the author, interact with book reviewers is key. How do we work with book reviewers? Read more to learn ...
Beta Readers: Finding Them & Putting Them to Use
I see questions regularly on social media and in writing groups about beta readers. Who is a beta reader? What do they do? Are their services free? What's the difference between a beta reader and a book reviewer? Let's delve into the world of beta reading. Who is a beta reader? A beta reader is an individual who is a reader first and foremost. A beta reader reads a manuscript and provides feedback on the meat and bones. Ideally, a beta reader is not a family member and maybe not ...
Ten Years and Counting at Jami’s Words | Amazon $10 Gift Card Giveaway
On June 9, 2010, I posted my first review. A lot has changed since then! In ten years, I went from book reviewer and casual blogger to editor. A lot is about to change once again. During the last year, I have been a university student once again and have taken courses to further my skills in editing. I am adding a lot more experience to my resume, and soon, a lot more content will be added here for my writing friends. For now, let's have some fun and look at a few reviews of some ...
Friday Grammar Focus – Commas – Part 1
To be such a tiny thing, the comma has been known to cause frustration in the life of the writer. If you can relate to that, read on; this article will cover the use of the serial comma, and fixing comma splices and run-on sentences. Fixing Run-On Sentences Run-on sentences (also called fused sentences) are sentences that have two or more independent clauses that are not properly joined. An independent clause is one that has a subject and a verb and, thus, forms a complete thought. "Is ...
Friday Grammar Focus – Dashes and Hyphens
The hyphen seems like a simplistic form of punctuation to the average reader. In truth, the words hyphen and dash are often incorrectly used and interchanged. Hyphens and dashes are quite involved little fellows, and it can be confusing to understand which form to use in writing. If you are a writer, these tips will help you to not only distinguish between a hyphen and a dash but to also use them properly. More Than Just the Button Beside the Zero No doubt, when you learned to type, you ...
Menu for November Week 3 – a Birthday Week
It has been a long time since I have made Trim Healthy Mama (THM) posts. My menu posts get a lot of views, so clearly people are interested in those! I'm sharing my weekly menus, and maybe doing so will keep me on the right track! I thought this week would be a perfect time to explain how I plan "cheat" meals. As any of you who follow THM know, the creators Pearl and Serene advocate for food freedom and discourage feeling guilty about choices. Off plan meals aren't forbidden, but clearly too ...