Hannah Comerford ~ Freelance Writer and Editor

When do we start to feel grown up? I can think of a few times when I felt like I had become an adult--when I first got my own car insurance, when I first had a full-time job, when I flew to another country on my own, when I got engaged . . .

But there's something different about graduating from college. When you actually have a degree, and you realize that you could become a professional. You could do the things you actually wanted to do. There's nobody looking over your shoulder giving you a grade--this is the real thing!

I'm feeling it.

I have my own business license now. My name, Hannah Comerford, is now a business. Weird, huh? It means that I have my own business, I am a freelance writer and editor, and the IRS can now take all my income. Seriously, though, it means that I AM a writer and editor.

Is this scary? Heck yes. Is it exciting? Definitely. Did I think I would actually get to do this right out of college? Nope!

It still feels strange. I had a panic moment the other day when I realized that I was actually doing this. It feels a bit like the first time you drive a car by yourself. "Really, Mom? You actually trust me with your vehicle? And this is legal? What?!" Good thing I really enjoy driving, and I am a very competent driver.

I don't plan on trying to make my business full time, or even investing in advertising any time soon. After all the work we've been doing for Jason Comerford Photography, I don't want to get heavily involved in the administrative and marketing sides of small business. That said, my first choice is to contract for The Scribe Source. I love my "boss," I love the work I get to do, I love the organization, I love not having to deal with the logistics. However, I would certainly not deny someone the pleasure of hiring me to edit or write for them.

If you would like some language help yourself, or know someone who might be interested in hiring an editor or writer, email me at hannah@jasoncomerford.com.

The Purpose of Grammar

In the past month or two Jason has started watching the Vlog Brothers' years of video blogs. I usually am at my computer listening, and I've come to highly appreciate them and their wonderfully nerdy topics. This is probably my favorite one so far, though. It's very funny and makes a great point about the purpose of grammar and correcting it. It's a great reminder. So watch!

How to Correct

My gracious husband can attest to the fact that I can't always turn off my editor's eye. Maybe that's why I need to proofread, so I can let off some of my steam. This is also why occasional conversations with fellow grammarians about little style issues is essential for my well-being. (Did you know it's now considered standard practice to leave out the hyphen in email?)

One of the things I learned in my Publishing Procedures class was how to edit tactfully. We were given practice assignments where we had to, as gracefully as possible, point out to a pretend writer the atrocious errors in his manuscript. I think I could still use work on this, but I'm very glad Professor Solveig Robinson drilled into me the importance of tactfulness.

Because tactfulness is so important, I wanted to share this blog post I found today. It's written by a business writing expert whom I admire and concerns the right way to correct someone's typos. It's short, so please take the time to read it and let me know what you think. Are there any other tips you can think of for being tactful? Should someone respond to correction emails? If so, what's the most graceful way to thank the reader?

http://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2012/04/correcting-with-kindness.html#comments