1) Every Smashwords book will be listed for patrons in every library (unlike with OverDrive, where the book’s not discoverable to patrons until the library acquires it.
Can’t just have part of a parenthesis.
2) If you enjoy, as I do, monitoring the shadow cast by Amazon and how they’re using self-published books to undermine their competitors, you might enjoy my two blog posts marking the demise of Flipkart and Oyster.
Amazon.com is an it: it is using, its competitors.
3) By clicking “Pay Now”, I acknowledge that I have read and agree with the Eventbrite terms of service, privacy policy, and cookie policy.
Quotation marks always go outside periods and commas in American English. Always.
4) Now in her 50s, she is reining as the city’s top hostess.
Yikes. She’s reigning, not reining. “Reining” is for horses.
5) She is a self-published author, poet, and literary critic. Her and her husband live in Winthrop, Maine with their cats.
Christ on a sidecar. “Her and her husband” ought to hang his and her heads in shame. “Literary critic” my….eye.
6) Your items should be delivered to our office during the week of November 16-20, 2015.
Important rule alert! Use a hyphen between non-negotiable numbers, like telephone numbers, Social Security numbers, bank accounts, etc. BUT! Use a dash between ranges of numbers. Since these “items” are due between November 16 and November 20, a dash was what was needed here.
7) She is also working on starting an online book editing service and is updating her literary blog to include a section for reviewing other author’s works.
Oh, really? An “editing” service? What a hoot! Authors deserve better.
8) Johnny was found by an animal protection officer, emaciated and tied so tightly he could not lay down.
It’s “lie,” not “lay” here. Here’s how to remember: use “lie” when you could use “sit,” but use “lay” when you could use “set.”
9) How would you describe what you write (i.e. fiction, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)?
First off, “i.e.” is always followed by a comma, as is “e.g.” Second, I would rephrase the entire sentence, and probably say something along the lines of “Would you describe what you write as fiction, memoir, nonfiction, poetry, or something else?”
10) As a TV reporter, I wear a used coat when I’m on the set. Somebody was complementing me the other day on my coat and I held my tongue and actually didn’t say,”…and it was only $6!”
Geez, someone “complemented” you? I don’t think so! Someone might have complimented you, maybe. The way I remember the choice is that I compliment you, and that helps me to remember that it’s compliment with the “i” in the middle that means an expression of praise. Also, the second sentence is a run-on sentence, which is two complete sentences jammed together without proper punctuation. Here you’d need a comma after “coat.” But wait! there’s more! The “TV reporter” also put his or her first set of quotation marks after “say,” when the quote actually starts before the ellipsis.
11) As an established on-air contributor and sought after media source, she has appeared on hundreds of TV and radio shows, such as, Good Morning America, Today, CNN, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, Dr. OZ, and has been quoted in Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Money Magazine, ShopSmart, Forbes and more.
Hyphenate “sought-after.”
What’s that comma doing after “as”?
Are both letters of “OZ” capitalized? (Got to look this stuff up!)
Where is “The” in front of both “Wall Street Journal” and “New York Times,” and why aren’t the titles in italics?
AND, is it Money magazine or Money Magazine? (Another thing to look up!)
12) Wes has written several books including You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think- The 5 Money Secrets Of The Happiest Retirees, his latest book which has been a best seller in the retirement planning category.
Horrible writing, just horrible. Let’s see: 1) comma after “books,” 2) italicize the title and lower case “of” and “the,” 3) what’s that nasty hyphen doing there?, 4) comma after “book,” and 5) it’s bestseller—one word—as a noun.
13) He is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert who helps Americans find easy ways to live on less without radically changing their lifestyles
Rule: Never hyphenate an —ly adverb. Plus, where’s the period?
14) I am so amazed many times over to find out that most business people is not taking better care of his or her body.
I am so amazed you didn’t bother to proof your writing before letting the whole world see such sloppiness! The noun drives the bus, people, and in this case the noun is “people,” which is plural, which means the verb should be are and you’ve got to say their bodies.
15) And if by “suckers” you mean people who care about the meaning of their brand (I own a VW Golf and I don’t think I will ever be able to look at it again in the same way) than yes again.
Well, at a minimum, you’ve misspelled “then.”
16) This is why we are, and need to be, outraged with VW, and why their act is not just about their cars – it is a betrayal of the social trust, and the trust fallout I suspect will have an impact on all German manufacturers and all car makers.
Again, a company is singular; a company is an it.
17) General questions are asked to help the individual tell their story spontaneously, always with a sensitivity and understanding of the tender nature of returning to the feelings that surround the memories of the experience.
The noun drives the bus. In this case, the noun is “the individual,” so you have to write “his or her story.” (You could also say “…help individuals tell their stories…”)
18) My father’s parents had past early on in my life.
Wow. It’s passed, not past. Plus, the phrase is “passed on,” so don’t confuse the issue by inserting “early” between the two words.
19) 94% of our authors’ and publishers’ sales come from our retail distribution network which includes iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Scribd, OverDrive, Oyster and Baker & Taylor Axis 360.
Do not start a sentence with a number if you can help it (and here, you certainly could); plus, spell out “percent” unless you are writing a technical paper, and stick a comma after “network.” Plus, is “Oyster and Baker & Taylor Axis 360” one business or two businesses or three businesses? Good Lord, give me a comma!
20) She is a go-to speaker for any business or organization wanting to bring creativity, motivation, ideas, and inspiration into the mix for their events.
Again. And again! “Business” and “organization” are singular nouns, so you have to write “its events.” Plus, I think it’d be stronger and more persuasive to say “every” business and organization, as opposed to “any.”
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