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The
em dash: Why is it called an em dash?
The
name is taken from the amount of space taken by the letter
“m”. An en dash is shorter and takes the same space as the
letter “n”. Don’t use a hyphen for either of these
dashes. On the phone and in a busy shop it might be hard to hear the
difference between em and en so you may hear Mary and Nancy’s
names used. Less commonly used are the em space and en space. Proper
bullet usage and alignment would use em or en spaces.
Don’t
be afraid of white space. A single line or two on a clean page may
be fitting as a dedication.
Get
an extra set of eyes on your manuscript. Many things can be caught
with a fresh set of eyes. Many public libraries have reader’s
groups. Call and find out when and where they meet and go visit to
see if you want to join them. Some of the common mistakes we all see
are avoidable and sometimes even comical—admit it; you look back
on your early stuff and laugh.
There
are many places to find free tips and tricks. Online Dictionaries
and Style and usage guides are all easy to join. I’ve enjoyed
the monthly tips I’ve received from Barbara McNichol at http://www.barbaramcnichol.com
Proof,
Proof, Proof! I can’t say it enough. Do not proceed until YOU
are happy with it. Now, having said that, I’ll also be the first
to say, “Perfection is the enemy of Done!”
Do
a short run, get it going and take that second copy and mark it
“Correction Copy” and sit down with your red pen and enjoy.
Disclaimer: Not
responsible for advice, ideas, suggestions and/or
programs. By
mentioning these programs or any other program, I’m in no way
endorsing these or any other programs for you and/or your project.
Any advice, ideas or suggestions and/or programs mentioned are
considered my opinion only and am considered not liable. Not
responsible for sales or lack of sales of your project.
Brian@SunriseBooks.com
SunrisePublishing@gmail.com |
