Sarah Golden

Just because that article has an em dash doesn't mean it was generated by AI. People have been calling the em dash the "ChatGPT hyphen" and advising others to avoid using it in their content 🤦‍♀️ But the em dash is a powerful #punctuation mark that writers have been using for centuries. Read my blog post (linked in comments) about the #ChatGPThyphen debacle and why you shouldn't stop using the #emdash. Just continue to use it sparingly! P.S. There are far better indicators of #AI than the em dash.

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𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿 Asking someone to be your mentor can feel awkward, but it doesn’t have to be. Most experienced technical writers want to help. They’ve been where you are, and many are flattered when someone asks for guidance. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 Don’t lead with “Will you be my mentor?” Request a quick call, a document review, or advice on a specific matter. ✅ “Would you be open to a 20-minute chat about transitioning into tech writing?” ✅ “I loved your post about working with SMEs. Could I ask you a few questions?” 𝟮. 𝗕𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 Let them know what kind of help you're looking for. Mentorship can mean many things. ✅ “I’m working on my portfolio and would love a second opinion.” ✅ “I need help preparing for a technical writing interview, any tips?” 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 Mentors are busy, so be clear, focused, and flexible with scheduling. ✅ “I’m happy to work around your schedule, whatever works best for you.” 𝟰. 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 You don’t need to label the relationship right away. Let it develop naturally. ✅ One helpful chat can turn into many. 𝟱. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗨𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 If someone gives you their time, let them know it mattered. ✅ “Thanks again, your suggestion helped me land an interview!” ✅ “Thank you for your writing sample review. I got the job!” 𝟲. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝘁 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 If you’ve built rapport, don’t be afraid to ask directly. ✅ “I really value your guidance. Would you be open to mentoring me more regularly?” 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽: 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂, 𝗧𝗼𝗼 Mentorship is a two-way street. Your questions, curiosity, and energy help mentors grow too. You are not a burden. You are a reminder of why they love what they do. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? Have you ever asked someone to be your mentor? #TechnicalWriting #DocumentationMatters #WritersHelpingWritersWriters #MentorshipMatters #CareerGrowth #Mentorship

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Editors often work with colleagues and partners who value the outcome of editing but without fully understanding the process behind it. Questions may come up about time spent to edit, scope, or why a particular change matters at all. Conversations go more smoothly when editing is framed as a way to support shared goals, like helping readers understand the message or making the text easier to use. Explaining the why behind a change can also build trust and make collaboration easier over time. What aspects of editing do you find most useful to explain to non-editors, and what explanations tend to resonate most?

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How to Establish a Writing Schedule to Improve Your Focus as an Independent Author via Self-Publishing Review #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo https://lnkd.in/eH487tj8

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A lot of writers reach out and say, "I think I need editing." But often what they need is direction. Not rewrites. Not line edits. Clarity. Because if you don't know what isn't working in your manuscript, editing won't fix it--it will just get more expensive. That's why I focus on manuscript evaluations. You get: ■ Clear big picture feedback ■ What to prioritize in revision ■ Insight into what's holding your manuscript back And you learn how to revise. That matters if you're planning to: ■ write more children's books ■ build a cookbook brand ■ create a craft or instructional series I won't rewrite your manuscript. I'll help you understand it--so you can move forward with confidence. If you're not sure if your manuscript is ready for editing, this is your next step. If this sounds like where you are right now, feel free to reach out. #writingtips #indieauthors #amwriting #editing #authorsupport

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🤝 What keeps readers coming back isn’t just the story—it’s the relationship. One of the most underused ideas in publishing is scaling camaraderie. 📚 It’s the idea that readers don’t just connect with books. They connect with people. When an audience feels like they truly know you—your voice, your journey, your values—that connection deepens into trust. And trust is what turns a casual reader into a lifelong fan. ✨ The real magic happens when the relationship expands beyond just one person. Introduce readers to the people behind the work and the people in your work. Your characters. Your narrator. Your cover designer. Your assistant. The community that helps bring your stories into the world. When readers feel like they know multiple people behind a brand, the connection becomes stronger and more durable. They stay longer. They engage more. They care more deeply about what you’re building. Because it’s no longer just about the book. It’s about belonging to something. 💬 What’s one way you’ve helped readers feel more connected to you—or the people behind your work?

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Avoiding plagiarism isn’t just a technical step— it’s part of becoming a more confident writer. In this article, we share 7 clear, practical habits that help writers maintain originality throughout their workflow. It’s not about overcomplicating the process— it’s about building awareness at every stage of the writing process! A useful read for students, content writers, and professionals alike. 👉 Read our full blog on: https://lnkd.in/gYRFgtT3 #avoidplagiarism #plagiarismchecker #bestplagiarismcheckeronline #freeplagiarismchecker #copychecker

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Why should companies hire writers who began writing before using AI, or don't use AI at all? Because they know how to write without external assistance and still know how to think for themselves. I've come across several studies that claim regular AI use for writing or decision-making has reduced critical thinking skills, analytical skills, and long-term knowledge retention. I didn't need to read the studies to know this. I've seen enough evidence in the real world. Read a few LinkedIn posts and online articles, and you'll understand that people are forgetting how to think and write independently. To be fair, technology in general has negatively impacted memory retention and critical thinking. Prior to having numbers stored in cellphones, I could remember more than 10 different phone numbers with no problem (I still remember my original home phone number from 40+ years ago). I don't think I've retained many new phone numbers. Prior to GPS, I would use a map and just remember how to get somewhere that was more than 30 minutes away - now I will double-check the GPS to make sure. Ask someone who relies on GenAI for writing to write a blog post using simple research and their own creativity. See what kind of content you get, and how long it takes to get a reasonable first draft. But why should they write without ChatGPT? We don't expect people to solve math problems without calculators. That's a fair point. We have calculators. And that has also negatively affected our ability to do simple calculations in our heads. And writing with GenAI assistance is not the same. It's negatively impacting our ability to create and reason. These are essential skills. If young people never learn to think creatively and write content based on their own thoughts, what does that mean for their mental development? And the ones who come after them? AI has many fantastic applications. It's actually underused in some areas that could benefit from its ability to identify patterns and run through simulations. It can also help with providing writers with options - headings, titles, themes, angles, etc. But the first thoughts and words should be human generated. Without that base, we will never properly develop our creative skills, our ability to generate ideas, our ability to work with words. Hire real writers who know how to write. Give them the tools to make them more effective.

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A nice little summary of how an editor maintains the author's voice when editing their work; aimed at authors. Retaining Author Voice Through the Editing Stages https://lnkd.in/eGAJP2mT #editing #feedly

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This! Tech writing means the ability to boil it down to the essentials and then rewrite till it is easy. No extra details unless needed.

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Today’s top tip from Corten Editorial “May”, “can” and “will” are often used in similar circumstances, but each has its own meaning, and there’s something of an escalation through them: * Use “can” when meaning someone has the ability to do something (e.g. “Can you swim?”). * Use “may” when meaning someone has the ability and permission to do something (e.g. “You may park here from 7pm–7am.”). * Use “will” when meaning someone has the ability and permission to do something, but they need to decide whether to do it (e.g. “Please will you pass me the salt?” Though etiquette may prefer you to ask, “Please may I have the salt?”, that could still be answered, “You may, but get it yourself!”)

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You know that novel that got pulled from publishing for using AI? Well, there's an easy way to defend yourself against accusations of using AI for your novel . . . DON'T USE AI! I hope that clears things up. === I’m Jeanette 👋 a copyeditor, line editor, award-winning self-editing instructor, and mermaid. Follow my profile to see more of me in your feed!

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Looking for training or coaching from fellow editors? The By Editors, For Editors database has you covered. This free, community-built spreadsheet lists training resources created and taught by working editors, covering etopics like grammar refreshers and business-building workshops. Browse it, bookmark it, and share it with colleagues who are looking for their next learning opportunity. https://zurl.co/7jtAY #AmEditing #FreelanceEditing #EditorTraining

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PROOFREADING AND EDITING SKILLS 📚📖📝 An unpublished writer asked me how to be a proofreader and editor… something they ahvebeen thinking about doing There are, of course, so many ways to learn these skills and there are many courses. I’ve been doing this for ten years… it takes commitment, drive, patience and a lot of reading time. I have studied, listened to podcasts, read books on the craft of both writing and editing. But one thing you also have to learn to rely on is your gut instinct, trusting your own judgment, connectivity to the work and intuition. It’s not only about the words on the page but, more so, about the writer and the relationship you have with them and the way they communicate their thoughts… story is made up of words, writing rules, writing techniques, understanding of language, pace and flow, sentence structures… dialogue and building characters. What makes you an expert in these areas? #writing #proofreading #editing #writingforlife #writingsupport #skillsset #authorsupport #editingservices

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Copy editors know this truth: 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫. Quick editing tip: After your first pass, change how you read the text. Read it out loud or review it sentence by sentence, out of order. The shift in rhythm helps catch errors your eyes skip when they see what they expect. It’s simple. It’s effective. And it works more often than you’d think. What’s your favorite editing trick? Drop it in the comments. #TuesdayTIp #CopyEditing #EditingTips #ProfessionalWriting #ContentQuality #TheEditDerr

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