Ink Thinkin

Random thoughts from Dy Larson of Ink Think, freelance editor and copywriter

Monday, September 26, 2005

Clip Confusion

I think I've said before I'm a pretty damn fine editor (if I do say so myself).

Problem is, how do I prove it? I've got my writing clips to speak for me, but what does one do to prove editing ability beyond the occasional copyediting and/or proofreading test?

Someone on one of my writers' groups suggested a Before and After style, showing an original piece and a version with my edits. Hmmm... Sounds good in theory, but, lets face it, most people who ~pay~ (that's important people... gotta buy mama a new red pen y'know) for freelance editing don't really want to advertise that they've done so--not dissimiliar to trying to prove you really do do ghostwriting in that regard.

So... How do you do it? So far I've been lucky, I've gotten one of my editorial clients who agree to let me show before and after versions of her piece, probably because it was just a press release, but, still, we all have to start somewhere.

If anyone out there in blogland has an idea for this, PLEASE let me know. I am ALL ears.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Bloggers Beware!

I started this blog as a place to ruminate on the written (typed) word. Well, yea, and to flaunt my wares, such as they are.

Apparently, in the world of high-powered recruiting blogging can be a bad thing. Wow. I will admit I'm a support type, working in the shadow of someone else's limelight, so I've never had to go through an agonizing multi-stage interview like the one described in the article (academic or executive/professional) and I have a hard time relating.

I ~do~ know of a list of people who've been ~fired~ for discussing their place of employment/job/co-workers on their blogs...

Caveat blogger?

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

and Mistress of None...

Have you ever looked for royalty-free business cartoons on the internet that can be used commercially? I don't recommend it. It's a serious pain in the ass.

I love my newsletter client, and am thrilled they're sending me more work. That's the good part, I've gone from a small monthly article (130-200 words) to the article, plus editing the whole thing, and now, finally, to doing the whole thing.

Great, huh! More time I spend on it, the better I do since it's an hourly client who understands more doing means more time. The problem is I've never done the whole thing before. (Can you tell this is the first month of this new arrangement?)

So, now I am spending hours, unbillable hours since I just don't feel right charging for this, don't ask me why, scouring the web for clean, humorous business-related jokes and cartoons. Then I get to slip them into the html for the newsletter and pray they don't mess it up too bad since I don't know how to fix their template if I break it.

Jill of all newsletter elements... and mistress of none.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Live Action!

Woot! My new site is live!

Being a perfectionistic control freak I will, of course, begin messing with it as soon as I get the files from the designer...

Which reminds me, props to Kimmer at VAKK. I'm super-happy with my site and she was a breeze to work with.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

PR Opportunism (re: Katrina)

In a former life I worked in hotel sales and catering.

Today's Austin Business Journal online had an article about the State Comptroller announcing that "Hurricane victims exempt from state hotel/motel tax", meaning that a state hotel/motel sales tax exemption would apply for all refugees from Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. They just have to provide proof of residence in one of the above states and indicate they will be staying more than 30 days.

Isn't great that our state is stepping up to the plate to eat a little tax money to help people in need?

Except that we're not. These exemptions have ALWAYS applied, and you don't have to be from a disaster state, either. See what I mean on the comptroller's own hotel tax info page.

Am I the only one bothered by this?