The Clerk

Tag: book editing

  • Why Writers Use Em Dashes—and Always Have

    Em dashes have been in use since the 15th century, emerging during the printing revolution, and the symbol later gained popularity in the 18th century. Em dashes have been a punctuation mark for centuries at this point, yet for some reason, after roughly 2022, many people are shocked when they see one and say to… →

  • Top 5 Biggest Mistakes Amature Writers Make

    Video from independent editor Ellen Brock: 1.) Unclear point of view & “head-hopping” – This mistake can scare off agents/editors/publishers 2.) Too much voice (overly poetic or descriptive) 3.) Not enough voice (robotic writing and not enough description) 4.) Too much telling 5.) Not enough conflict and/or no clear goal for protag   →