Meghan Lafferty Editing & Proofreading

?? It’s Tip Tuesday! “One fell swoop” means a single, quick action or effort. Something can be done at or in one fell swoop, though you’ll see “in” more often. You’ll also see people misuse the idiom by writing or saying the following: ? one foul swoop ?? ? one fowl swoop ?? “Fowl” is a less common mistake, but I had to mention it during Thanksgiving week! ?? Have a great holiday, everyone. . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #tiptuesday #tips #writingtips #write #writer #writing #publish #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #brandmessaging #marketing #strategy #contentstrategy #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

Quite a bit has changed since I first introduced myself here! Let’s do this again. Hey, I’m Meghan. ???? ? I’ve loved editing ever since I learned what a comma was ?? ? I started freelancing as a copy editor in 2020, and I specialize in corporate materials ?? ? I’ve worked full time as a managing editor and an associate director of content ??? ? Meghan Lafferty Editing & Proofreading’s unofficial mascot is my dog, Wrigley ?? ? My husband and I expanded our family in July ???? ? When I’m not working, you can probably find me at the nearest farmers market in Savannah ?? ? I both love and hate that farmers market, farmers’ market, and farmer’s market are all correct ?? Tell me something about you! . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #write #writer #writerlife #writing #writingcommunity #amwriting #publishing #selfpublishing #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #strategy #marketing #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

?? It’s Tip Tuesday! The idiom ”come down the pike” means to happen or appear. It’s a metaphor for something you’ll encounter on the road you’re traveling (“pike” is short for “turnpike”). Some people say “come down the pipe” instead, oftentimes because they combine it with the common phrase “in the pipeline.” Although you’ll hear and read “come down the pipe” every so often, “come down the pike” is still the correct phrase. . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #tiptuesday #tips #writingtips #write #writer #writing #publish #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #brandmessaging #marketing #strategy #contentstrategy #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

I’m back from maternity leave and accepting projects for the rest of 2024 and early 2025! Unsurprisingly, Baby Lafferty is already a bookworm. . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #write #writer #writerlife #writing #writingcommunity #amwriting #publishing #selfpublishing #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #strategy #marketing #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

?? It’s Tip Tuesday! When you start a sentence with a short prepositional phrase (such as “this month”), you get to choose whether to add a comma: ? This month I’m having a baby. ? This month, I’m having a baby. On the other hand, if you begin the sentence with one of the below, a comma is necessary: ? conjunctive adverb (ex: However,) ? dependent clause (ex: Due to the storm,) ? modifying/conditional phrase (ex: As a Pisces,) P.S. In case you’re wondering, yes, today’s example sentence is true! Mr. Meghan Lafferty Editing & Proofreading and I are about to welcome our first child (a baby boy). I’ll be on maternity leave through October so we can prep for and love on the little cutie. ?? . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #tiptuesday #tips #writingtips #write #writer #writing #publish #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #brandmessaging #marketing #strategy #contentstrategy #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

?? It’s Tip Tuesday! When you conform to a rule or standard, especially under pressure, you’re toeing the line or mark. ?? “Tow the line” and “tow the mark” are incorrect, so be careful with that spelling! Spell-check typically won’t catch this since “tow” is a word. . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #tiptuesday #tips #writingtips #write #writer #writing #publish #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #brandmessaging #marketing #strategy #contentstrategy #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

?? It’s Tip Tuesday! Should you use commas with the adverb “too” (meaning also/besides)? The choice is largely yours. When “too” is at the end of a sentence, add a comma if you’d like to emphasize it. If not, no comma is necessary. ? Today’s sentence includes a comma because the two clauses are so different from each other. If we were to say the sentence out loud, we’d likely pause before “too” to emphasize that the man eats vegan foods and meat. In the middle of a sentence, commas can emphasize a change in thought. ? Ex: I thought I hated the color pink, but then, too, I hadn’t really considered it since I was a kid. It’s often a good idea to surround “too” with commas simply to avoid tripping up your readers. ? Ex: She, too, graduated from Ohio State. . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #tiptuesday #tips #writingtips #write #writer #writing #publish #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #brandmessaging #marketing #strategy #contentstrategy #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

I recently posted about why I decided to establish a niche (corporate materials). I mentioned that I believe my full-time career—especially my roles as a managing editor and an associate director of content—gives me an edge in the freelance copyediting world. But what does that mean? What’s involved in those roles? Here are the main tasks: ? establishing a content strategy, then translating it into an organized runway ? giving concrete feedback to editors, staff writers, and freelancers so every article answers our readers’ questions better than all other pieces on the internet ? reviewing WordPress drafts to ensure each post is 100% ready to publish on our sites Having these responsibilities and working on teams has helped me strengthen key muscles that I use to benefit my freelance clients. If you’re looking for an editor with corporate experience, send me a note (link in bio). . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #write #writer #writerlife #writing #writingcommunity #amwriting #publishing #selfpublishing #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #strategy #marketing #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

?? It’s Tip Tuesday! Is it champing or chomping? Either! Merriam-Webster lists “champing at the bit” as the primary idiom and “chomping at the bit” as an acceptable variant. champing/chomping at the bit: waiting in an impatient way to do something. ??: Merriam-Webster.com When I lived in Chicago, late April was about the time I’d be champing at the bit to get back outside after the long winter. ?? . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #tiptuesday #tips #writingtips #write #writer #writing #publish #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #brandmessaging #marketing #strategy #contentstrategy #content #contentmarketing #copywriting

My clients used to be a balance of authors and businesspeople. Why did I decide to niche down to business content? I enjoyed editing books, but corporate materials are my jam. In my full-time career, I’ve worked for: ? online publications covering tech, healthcare, sales, and marketing topics ? nonprofits with causes related to health and entrepreneurship At the publications, I served as a managing editor before being promoted into an associate director of content role. Business materials are what I know and where I thrive. I love bringing my expertise to client projects (e.g., blog posts, e-books, websites). If you’re looking for help finalizing your corporate docs, give me a shout via my website (link in bio). ???? . . . #copyediting #copyeditor #edit #editor #proofreading #proofreader #freelance #freelancer #selfemployed #write #writer #writerlife #writing #writingcommunity #amwriting #publishing #selfpublishing #business #businessowner #smallbusiness #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #solopreneur #brand #strategy #marketing #content #contentmarketing #copywriting