Copyright 2009. Jennifer N. Singleton



Grammar, Writing, and Style Guides

All of these little gems have a cozy home on either my
bookshelf or work desk. Where would I be without them?      
Fun fact: Mark My Words helped me differentiate a copyeditor
and a proofreader.


Editing and Writing

  • Mark My Words: Instruction and Practice in Proofreading
    (Peggy Smith, 2006)
  • The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need (Susan
    Thurman, 2003)
  • The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing
    and Corporate Communications (Amy Einsohn, 2006)
  • Get a Freelance Life: Mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to
    Freelance Writing  (Margit Ragland & Laurel Touby, 2006)
  • The Elements of Technical Writing, 2nd ed. (Thomas
    Pearsall, 2001)
  • The Art and Craft of Storytelling: A Comprehensive   
    Guide to Classic Writing Techniques (Nancy Lamb, 2008)
  • Copyediting: A Practical Guide (Karen Judd, 2001)
  • The Elements of International English Style: A Guide to
    Writing Correspondence, Reports, Technical Documents,
    and Internet Pages for a Global Audience (Edmond Weiss,
    2005). My review of this book appeared in the January
    2006 issue of The Capital Letter.
  • On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
    (William Zinsser, 2006)
  • The Complete Book of Novel Writing: Everything You  
    Need to Know About Creating & Selling Your Work
    (Writer's Digest, 2002)


Style and Consistency




Washington, DC Area Professional Development
Resources

Editorial and Publishing Courses

  • The Graduate School offers affordable and convenient
    evening editing and desktop publishing courses. Take just
    one course or register for the five-course Editorial
    Practices Certificate Program. (DC)
  • EEI Communications also has editing and deskstop
    publishing coursework, but offers more certificates and a
    wider variety of advanced-level web design and
    substantive editing courses. (Northern VA)


Writing and Publishing Graduate Degrees

  • Johns Hopkins University offers a challenging and
    rewarding Master of Arts in Writing, with areas of
    concentration in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and science-
    medical writing. (DC campus)
  • For entry and mid-level editorial and publishing
    professionals, George Washington University's Master of
    Professional Studies in Publishing program may prove
    invaluable. (Northern VA)



Web Resources for Writers  

I'll add new listings periodically to ensure that those with the
most to offer are made available to you.

  • Editing marks can be a little tricky to master. EEI
    Communications helps by allowing you to mouse over
    standard proofreading marks to see how they are used.
  • Want to learn the difference between an acquisitions
    editor and a development editor? Familiarize yourself with
    Bookjobs.com's commonly used publishing terms,
    industry events, and employment and internship listings.   
  • Learn more about registering your work with the U.S.
    Copyright Office.
  • Poets & Writers is a nonprofit organization that provides
    tools for creative writers, both online and in their award-
    winning "Poets & Writers" magazine.
  • Grammar and punctuation rules can be very tricky.
    Luckily, there's Grammar Girl and her "Quick and Dirty Tips
    for Better Writing" site. Check out how she breaks down
    the difference between who vs. whom.
  • The Writer Beware blogs are brought to you by a publishing
    industry watchdog group that is sponsored by the Science
    Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Mystery
    Writers of America.
  • Mediabistro.com has a plethora of resources—industry
    news, jobs, classes—for journalists, print and new media
    professionals, editors, and industry beginners.
  • Meet N. Kali Mincy and learn more about her Coach for
    Writers program.
  • Stay informed of the latest publishing industry news and
    jobs at the Publishers Marketplace.
  • Absolute Write is a very informative site for writers at all
    levels. The site offers a writer's forum, articles, and
    information on fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and
    freelancing.
  • Find useful articles, writing contests, and freelance jobs
    at Freelance Writing.
  • PlainLanguage.gov offers great instruction and
    resources for those tasked with communicating and
    translating "government talk."
  • If you are searching for resources for black writers, you
    may find what you need amongst BlackRefer.com's
    Writer's Resources. You'll find my website link here also,
    under Exciting Black Literary Tools.  



















Welcome    Writing and Editing   Résumé    About Me    Contact Me

"The journey of a
captivating read begins
with one word."

-Jennifer Singleton


"The time to begin
writing an article is
when you have finished
it to your satisfaction.  
By that time you begin
to clearly and logically
perceive what it is you
really want to say."

-Mark Twain


"They who dream by
day are cognizant of
many things which
escape those who
dream only by night."

-Edgar Allan Poe
My Writing and
Editing Specialties
At-a-Glance
Jennifer Singleton

Writer, Editor
Copyediting


Proofreading
Technical Writing


Creative Writing

Substantive Editing
and Copyediting:

Résumés
Newsletters
Brochures
Policy manuals
Reports
Press releases
News articles
Conference materials
Fiction works

Technical Writing:

Book/media reviews
Local interest pieces

Creative Writing:

Short story author
Aspiring novelist

Coursework:

Technical Writing
News Writing
Fiction Writing
Substantive Editing
Proofreading
Principles of Editing    
for Publications

Style Manuals I've
Worked With:

Chicago Manual of  
Style
American Medical
Association (AMA)
American
Pyschological   
Association (APA)
Associated Press (AP)
While At Work...  
While At Play...  

I ensure that a
document's content
is formatted correctly
and contains
consistent and
concise language.
This ensures that the
target audience will
find it easy to read
and understand.
Jennifer's Actual Bookshelf
Perform Freelance
Editing...

Testimonial

"It was a great
pleasure working with
Jennifer Singleton. I
had an article that
needed editing and
was referred to Ms.
Singleton for the job.
She was very
professional when we
discussed my
expectations, her
expectations and
compensations. I was
very pleased when the
project was finished on
time and I was
extremely impressed
with the finished work.
I will definitely be
recommending Ms.
Singleton to others
while also continuing to
use her service."

-Melissa Hughes,
Contributor, Gettysburg
Times

And Ponder the
Musings of Other
Minds...