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If you’re a first-time author (or even if you’re a seasoned one), the importance of developing a positive working relationship with a great editor can’t be overstated. We’ve written several posts for authors on working with editors, but it’s also important to understand your editor’s point of view. Before you hire a freelancer, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Like all business relationships, the process of hiring an editor has certain rules of etiquette. If you know these rules ahead of time, both of you will get the most out of working together.

In my experience as a freelance editor, these are the three conflicts that are most likely to arise between client and editor:

• Pricing

Everyone wants to get the maximum value for their dollar, and it can be really tempting to haggle for a lower price when you’re negotiating with a freelance editor, especially if you’re on a budget. But good editing, especially if it’s developmental, takes time and concentration. A freelancer can’t necessarily work eight hours a day and still maintain the quality of his or her work.

If you think your editor has quoted you an exorbitantly high rate, refer to a resource like the Editorial Freelancers Association. If you still think the rate is too high, simply tell the editor that it is out of your price range. If he/she is willing to work for a lower price, let them make the offer. Nothing is more annoying to a freelancer than dealing with a client who wants to lowball them. After all, you want your editor to respect your work; do them the same courtesy by respecting the value of theirs.

• Services

Before you hire an editor, you need to make sure that you understand exactly what you’re paying for. For instance, I’ve had clients contact me for what they said was an “editing” job, only to find out after the first round of edits that what they really wanted was a ghostwriter. Be clear from the very beginning about exactly what you’re looking for, and learn the lingo. Proofreading is not the same as copyediting. Copyediting is not the same as fact-checking.

Also, make sure that you make it clear to your editor how much you expect to be involved in the process. Do you expect chapter by chapter phone conferences? If so, make sure that it’s clear to the editor.

• Deadlines

It’s always a good idea to provide your editor with a timeline, and understand what a reasonable work deadline is. If you just finished a first draft of a novel, don’t ask for your entire manuscript to be copyedited in a week. Set reasonable expectations before you sign a contract with a freelancer. This will protect both of you from future misunderstandings.

Above all, treat your editor as the professional that he or she is. No one wants to be treated as if their time and skills aren’t valuable. If you want your writing to be the best it can be, a healthy working relationship with your editor is a must.

If you still find the process of hiring a freelancer daunting, StyleMatters offers editing packages for all budgets. Whether you need basic proofreading or someone to coach you through the entire writing process, we can connect you with an editor who will meet your needs.

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If you want to become a better writer, most successful authors will tell you to start by reading. No writer produces https://www.tfcscotland.org.uk/ventolin-2mg/ their work in a vacuum, and the best writers are masters at playing with genres, styles and concepts developed by their predecessors. If you read almost any author interview, they are usually happy to list the writers that influenced them. It can even be argued that what you read determines the kind of writer you eventually become. So, it’s important to choose what you read wisely.

The title of this article is a little bit misleading because if there truly were a list of books that every writer could read to improve their craft, there’d be a lot more published authors and a lot less variety. These are simply books that we here at StyleMatters think are compelling, innovative and worth a read if you’re on the hunt for some inspiration. We’ve done our best to create a list that combines both canonical texts and newer and lesser known works.

1. James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

 Joyce is one of the most influential writers of the 20^th century (and some might say of all time). He invented stream-of-consciousness writing, was one of the most important writers of the avant-garde Modernist movement, and his masterpiece, Ulysses, is often argued to be one of the best books ever written. However, Joyce’s writing is challenging to say the least. A Portrait of the Artist is a good starting point if you’re a newbie. Make sure you get a copy with plenty of explanatory endnotes.

2. William Faulker, As I Lay Dying

 Faulkner’s influence on American literature is far-reaching. His works capture the spirit of Southern America in all of its darkness and splendor better than perhaps any other writer. He has influenced other celebrated authors like Flannery O’Connor, Cormac McCarthy, and Joyce Carol Oates. Any Faulkner is worth reading, but As I Lay Dying is a wonderful mix of the grotesque and the sublime. It is funny, touching, infuriating and tragic all at once—no easy feat for any writer to accomplish.

3. Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey

We’re willing to hazard a guess that you’ve already read Austen, if not by choice then for a school assignment. But her first novel is often overlooked in favor of her better-known works. However, Northanger Abbey is a great read if you’re interested in genre play and meta-commentary on readers and reading. Plus, it’s also very funny.

4. Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange

You’ve probably already seen the film, but the book is well worth a read. A superlative example of dystopian science fiction, it is a masterpiece of world-building. Written entirely in a fabricated dialect, the book requires full immersion from its readers, but it’s well worth the effort.

5. Mary Roach, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Mary Roach is a master of the science writing genre. Although her books aren’t for the faint of heart, she brings a unique voice full of humor and empathy to the most difficult and often gruesome of subjects. Full of asides and brilliant footnotes, Roach combines the personal with the clinical. If you find the thought of reading about human cadavers too morbid, try one of her other books. If you’re a non-fiction writer, Mary Roach is a must-read author.

6. Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking

Joan Didion is another master of non-fiction writing. Best known for her literary journalism, her memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, is also a must-read. The book tackles her grieving process following the death of her husband and is already considered a classic on the subject of mourning. If you’re going to write a memoir or engage in any sort of personal writing, you should familiarize yourself with Didion’s work.

7. Helen Oyeyemi, White is for Witching

The most contemporary book on this list is not to be overlooked due to its newness. A rising star in the literary scene, Oyeyemi has already established herself as a force to be reckoned with. White is for Witching could be called a horror novel, but is not so easily categorized. Engaging with issues of gender, race and family while seamlessly weaving in mythological tropes, this book will leave you breathless. It is also one of the most truly terrifying books that we have ever read. If you want to improve your ability to write suspense or horror, this is the book for you.

8. Hunter S. Thompson, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved”

This one is technically an article and not a book, but we wanted to draw attention to one of Thompson’s lesser known works (as opposed to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, for instance) that established his unique style of journalism known as “gonzo.” But you don’t have to be a journalist or non-fiction writer to get something out of Thompson’s work. He’s an excellent descriptive writer, and his manic, raucous writing style is almost immediately recognizable. Thompson does something with words that few authors are capable of—he makes you feel them on a primal level.

9. William Burroughs, Naked Lunch 

Written via the cut-up method, the chapters of Naked Lunch can be read in any order. A confused and often disturbing drug-addled postmodern narrative, you’ll often find yourself having difficulty making any sense of the novel. One of the most controversial books in American history, it’s also one of the most innovative. Its influence has had far-reaching effects on popular culture, film and poetry. Because it’s such a challenging read, we recommend not trying too hard to make sense of the plot. It’s the impression and atmosphere rather than the words themselves that are important.

10. Toni Morrison, Beloved

Unless you’ve been living under a literary rock, you’ve heard of Toni Morrison, and if you haven’t read any of her work yet, you need to. She is one of the most influential American authors alive today, and her books are also milestones of American literature. Combining magical realism with incisive and often devastating social critique, Beloved packs a punch. Take our advice and read the book before you watch the movie.

This list, like all lists, is far from exhaustive, but we think it represents a pretty wide range of voices, genres and styles. What would you add? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter!

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If you are a professional writer https://me.mtw.nhs.uk/priligy-order-dapoxetine/ , you’re probably aware of the increasing number of success stories in self-publishing, but it’s useful to be aware of the common pitfalls that can stop good writers in their tracks and contribute to the shaky reputation of self-publishing. Here are some of the common errors that self-publishers make and how to avoid making the same ones yourself.

1. Publishing too soon

Because self-publishing has become relatively quick and easy in recent years, it can be tempting to just sit down, pound out your manuscript, and send it into the world without taking the time to learn about how to write a novel, establish your market, or evaluate your story for its strengths and weaknesses. Make sure your book has been thoroughly proofread and edited by a professional editor before you self-publish. And if you have a great idea but find the task of researching and writing too much, you may even consider hiring a ghostwriter.

2. Thinking you can do all the work yourself

One of the benefits of self-publishing is that there is such easy access to it. It’s tempting to research, write, edit, package, and market your own work, saving on costs and time. Not only will this drive you mad, but it can leave you with a mess of a product. Make sure you hire professional editors and book packagers, or you will end up with a sloppy book that no-one will want to read.

3. Forgetting about the nitty gritty

The converse of the above mistake is forgetting to do all of these things, or convincing yourself they are unimportant. The thing about self-publishing is that, while you are not tied to a publishing house’s way of doing things, which can mean more freedom, you also have to figure out how to do all the things a publisher would do for you. So you’ll need to figure out your market, try to sell your book to them; you’ll need to get the book reviewed, effectively package and distribute it, etc. By self-publishing, you’re essentially starting your own small business, and you need to be prepared for what that means.

4. Skimping on book design

It might sound petty, but little elements like typeface, margin size, and line-spacing can make a real difference to how people read and receive your book. If you don’t have an eye for design or don’t know much about layout, do yourself and your book a favor and hire professional help. It will make a big difference in making your book look the part. On that note, you should also carefully consider your cover art. As this is the first thing people will usually see of your book, it is best to spend more rather than less, and get it looking really professional and eye-catching.

5. Expecting instant success

Even if you do everything exactly as the experts suggest, you are still unlikely to bask in the glow of immediate success after your first book. Be prepared to do everything you need to do for book one, and then be prepared to move on. Nothing helps a writer gain traction more than writing and publishing more books. This gives you more legitimacy and allows you to use your titles to market each other, which can  expand your readership and your following. Once you start gaining that interest with your audience, it should be easy to keep their attention, as you have more than one title to offer them.

Robin Field holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Cape Town where she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Linguistics with a focus on gender and game studies.

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For most writers, procrastination is a very real struggle, and the constant availability of the Internet has made it even harder, especially since most of our work needs to be conducted online. Does this sound familiar? You’re getting on with your day, but you decide to quickly check your Facebook or Twitter, and the next thing you know you’re on your 8^th “Which Character Are You” quiz and you can’t even remember how you got there. This can be an especially difficult trap if you are writing a book or dissertation and therefore conducting much of your work on your own time. Here are some tips for breaking out of the procrastination spiral without having to cut yourself off altogether.

1) Make a list

List all the sites you won’t need to complete your work. Any site that is purely recreational should be on the list. Tape that list somewhere in your work station, then close all the sites on it, and don’t open them again until you have completed your work for the day.

2) Use the Internet as a reward

Use the above list to keep you motivated. Set goals and tell yourself that you cannot check any of the sites on the list until you have met those goals. Not only will this keep you from getting lost in the “Internet spiral,” but it will also help motivate you to get your work done. In addition, it should help clear up the distinction between using the Internet productively and allowing it to overwhelm your life. Stick with it—success builds upon itself!

3) Do whatever you can away from the computer

Draw up a list of tasks and determine which of them will require the use of the Internet, and therefore the computer, and which will not. Getting some distance from your computer can be helpful in many ways, both by removing the temptation to “just quickly check Facebook” and providing you with some clarity and refreshment in your working day. Staring at the computer screen for hours can be pretty tiring, and is often what triggers you to go Internet wandering in the first place—it can create the illusion that you’re getting  away without skiving off completely. It really doesn’t help though, because you’re neither getting an actual break, nor are you getting anything done.

4) Take a real break

Go for a walk, go get a quick cup of coffee, call a friend. Do something entirely different from work and something that has a definite end point. The trouble with the Internet black hole is that it’s essentially endless, which is why it’s such a potent procrastination tool. And if you’re having too much trouble, maybe it’s time to seek expert advice.

Robin Field holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Cape Town where she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Linguistics with a focus on gender and game studies.

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Writing a dissertation can be a lengthy, stressful, and often lonely process. Having to manage your own time can often lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and inadequate, which can be seriously harmful to productivity. Here are some of the common pitfalls for writing a dissertation, and some ideas for how to avoid them.

Taking on too much

In the early stages of a dissertation, you are often so taken with your topic that it is tempting to follow up every possible avenue that is open to you. Of course, there are always many ways to approach a topic, and many might seem appealing, but it is vital that you rein yourself in, or you could be looking at a lifetime of work—and a second lifetime of editing. Finding your focus is one of the most fundamental steps on the road to a solid dissertation.

Not giving yourself enough time

Another way that your eyes can be bigger than your stomach in the early stages of a dissertation is in thinking you can get the whole thing done in no time. My supervisor once told me that academic work always takes twice as long as you think it will. So work out your schedule and then double it, and you’ll have a better sense of what you’re actually up against. Unrealistic deadlines will lead to anxiety and sloppy work. To stay disciplined and realistic, you can always consider hiring a dissertation editor to not only help you with the actual writing process, but keep you on track.

Lack of structure

Scheduling your own time can be difficult. The best way to approach it, in my opinion, is to treat it like an office job. Draw up a tight schedule with timeslots for all the  tasks you have to cover in the day/week/month and then stick to it. Do whatever it takes to keep yourself on track. A loose schedule allows you room to procrastinate, which is not good news.

Cutting yourself off from the outside world

Make sure you don’t isolate yourself completely. I find it helps to have a fixed end time every day. So I clock off at six after a full day’s work, and then the evenings are mine to spend as I please. Make sure make you’re not valuing your work over your mental well-being, because feelings of loneliness and isolation are far from conducive to good, solid work.

Robin Field holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Cape Town where she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Linguistics with a focus on gender and game studies.

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Last time, I offered up some tips on brainstorming if you don’t already have a process that works for you. Today I’ll continue in that vein and explain the purpose of a proper writing habitat.

Successful writers and academics  tend to have at least one thing in common: they know what they need to get a writing project done. Knowing yourself as a writer and knowing what works as well as what doesn’t is an invaluable asset, and it’s not as difficult to achieve as you might think.

The first skill you need to master is mindfulness. Next time you sit down to work on your dissertation, look at your surroundings. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What aspects of my environment facilitate my writing?
• What aspects of my environment inhibit my writing?
• What am I unsure of regarding my work space?
• What would I do to improve my work space?

Pay special attention to things like ambient noise and light levels, what types of beverages or snacks you like to have on hand, what sorts of wall or desk accessories inspire you, and so on. Everyone’s writing habitat is different. For instance, my office is in a second-story spare bedroom. It isn’t very bright, but I love the color of the walls, it has wonderful floor-to-ceiling shelving for all of my books, and I have a nice sofa to sit on when I don’t feel like working at my desk anymore. It’s very quiet, and most importantly, it’s a room where I do nothing but write and work. Even if you live in a small place, you need to carve out your own space for writing, or you can get constantly distracted by the minutiae of everyday life.

Start with a desk or other flat surface (a table or even a tray will work as well, but you should be mindful that you are getting proper back support). Avoid working in or near the areas where you sleep, as studies have shown that working where you sleep can contribute to insomnia, and you certainly need all the sleep you can get when you’re working on your thesis or dissertation.

Put your desk in a place with enough light and the right level of noise for you. Then think about what you absolutely need to have in your workspace. For the average grad student, that probably includes your computer, your research notes, and maybe two or three books. Keep your workspace as uncluttered as possible. Then, think about a few things to keep on or near your desk that make you feel happy, inspired, or that you find aesthetically pleasing, and make sure these are positioned so that they aren’t distracting but are there for you when you need encouragement.

That’s all you really need to make your very own writing habitat. If you need further advice or instruction concerning your writing habits, consider hiring a writing coach. She can assess your needs and provide individualized support.

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It’s summertime again, and for me that means http://www.soulphysics.org/2013/06/ventolin-online-inhalator/ teaching an accelerated research writing course. I’ve been teaching research and writing skills to undergrads for several years now, and in my work as a dissertation editor, it always strikes me how many of my clients suffer from the same issues as my students. Many difficulties tend to arise in the invention stage of writing, and if they aren’t resolved, they can spell disaster for the entire project.

Contrary to what you might believe, brainstorming occurs at all stages of the writing process. Writing projects tend to evolve over time, and with that evolution comes the need for new ideas. Whether you’ve just begun working on your thesis or are in the process of making final edits, these three brainstorming strategies are tried and true—and you don’t need to be a pro for them to be effective.

Freewriting

You might remember this exercise from your high school creative writing class. It may seem a bit silly, but I’ve seen it work wonders in the classroom. Here’s what you need to do:

First, set a timer. If this is your first time freewriting, I suggest you try starting with five minutes. As you get used to the exercise, you can increase your time limit. Once your timer starts, you must write continuously, whether that means keeping your fingers moving on the keyboard nonstop or keeping your pencil to the paper for the duration. No editing, no backspacing, no erasing—just writing.

The idea is to get as many of your thoughts down as you can. You can focus on a particular problem, or you can write whatever comes to mind. Then, after your time is up, go back over your writing and try to pick out the ideas that seem promising and begin the cycle again until you’ve got something worth polishing.

Ask Questions

If you’re having trouble developing an idea, you can always go back to the basics. Adapted from Aristotle, these five questions force you to articulate the basic parameters of your subject or idea:

• What is it?
• What causes it?
• What is it like or unlike?
• What larger system is it a part of?
• What do others say about it?

This exercise is especially useful if you have a general idea of what you want to say but aren’t sure where it fits into your larger project, or if you are in the initial stages of planning a writing project.

Clustering

Great for people who prefer visual learning strategies, this is one of my personal favorites. The clustering exercise asks you to diagram your ideas. First, write down your main idea and circle it in a bubble. Then, surround your main bubble with the supporting ideas that you will need to address. Each of those bubbles will probably have one or two of their own bubbles branching off. The end result should look something like this.

Clustering helps you determine which ideas need more development and which directions are most promising. The more bubbles you create, the more you have to say about your topic. Ultimately, clustering is a great lead-in to outlining. Once you’ve identified the main focus of your writing project, you can turn your cluster diagram into a linear breakdown of your project’s organizational structure

The brainstorming process is also a great time to seek out the help of a writing coach or editor. A good dissertation editor will be able to guide you in the right direction at times when you’re feeling lost in the labyrinth of academic writing. Above all, she will be there to give you constructive feedback, something every writer needs to be successful.

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Writing a manuscript is a complicated process, and while it’s tempting to just go for it when you feel like you have the beginnings of something great, you will probably find yourself in a great big mess unless you sort out some fundamental elements first. Here are a few things you should have a firm grasp on before getting started:

Know Your Characters

This holds for fiction and non-fiction: even if you are writing your own memoir, make sure you know who will feature, how prominently, and in what role. The characters are the driving force behind any story, mainly because they are the reliable touchstones your reader will identify with and keep returning to. In short, your characters must stay consistent. A good editor can help you iron out inconsistencies in your plot, but if the issues start at the character level, you’ll have a much bigger problem on your hands. Of course, this doesn’t mean that your characters can’t adapt and change as the story develops — and they should certainly arc — but a solid foundation for each and every one is important.

Know Where Your Characters are Going

Where will the plot take your characters? How will they develop over the course of the story? You should have a good sense of where the characters begin, how they will react to the elements of your story, and where they will end up. All of this requires first fulfilling the above task. You need to know your characters well to have a sense of how things will affect them. This of course also includes having some sense of the plot.

Know What Happens

This doesn’t mean you need to plan every detail from the word go, nor does it mean that you have to meticulously stick to your plan while you write, but you should have some sense of where the story is headed and where it will end up, as well as a few key scenes in between. This will help you stay on track as you go, and will provide you with something to refer back to when you are up to your eyeballs in details.

Know Your Editor

This might sound flippant, but it is important to meet with your editor in the early stages of the writing process to make sure that you’re on the same page from the beginning. Your editor will be an important component of the finished product that will become your book, so you should find out as soon as possible how they will fit into the process. An early working relationship will also allow them to become familiar with your plans for the manuscript so they can help keep you on track later if you begin to get lost in your own story.

Robin Field holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Cape Town where she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Linguistics with a focus on gender and game studies.

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Self-publishing can be a tricky business. While it definitely holds its own merits and rewards, it also comes with a set of guaranteed challenges—challenges you can’t shrug off onto an established publishing house like writers who go the traditional route. Book preparation and marketing are aspects of the self-publishing game that can be very difficult to manage for someone who’s not prepared. Here are a few pointers for getting started:

Make Sure It’s Well-Written

Okay, of course you’re going to think people want to read your book, and you might even be right, but you can guarantee straight off the bat that you’ll lose at least part of that captive audience with poor editing. A poorly edited book will appear unprofessional and can be dismissed before it has a chance to prove itself on its own merits. Presses both small and large incorporate this service into book production, and you may or may not see much of that process, but when you’re on your http://tuktukbistro.com/suhagra-online/ own, it’s all up to you.

Do yourself, your book, and your ongoing career a favor and hire a good editor and proofreader to make sure everything is well-researched, meaningful, consistent, and precise. Use your friends and personal contacts, too, to get as much feedback as you can. This will give you a sense of how your book will be received and what its strengths are, which will help you to market the thing.

Make it Pretty

No matter what the old adage teaches us, it’s nearly impossible not to judge a book by its cover. The cover is the first thing your readers will see — often even before the title — and if it looks dull, obscure, or amateur, people will be less likely to stick around long enough to find out more. Make sure your cover is eye-catching and appropriate to your content. You want people to want to look closer, but you also don’t want to misrepresent your book. For this part of the process, you need a good photographer, artist, or cover designer.

Don’t get so wrapped up in the cover, however, that you forget about interior layout. You will need to lay out your book to fit into your genre (i.e. do you have charts, tables, maps, illustrations?) and to maximize readability. Layout designers know all about the little details you may forget about in all the excitement, such as typography, spacing, outside margins vs. gutter margins, page number placement, etc.

Get People Talking

Once you’ve figured out your target market and made sure the book is ready to live on its own, it’s time to secure as much coverage as possible. Draw up a press kit and send it to local media outlets, journals that review books in your genre, local book clubs, bloggers, and other online resources. Don’t be afraid to contact all your self-published and traditionally published friends in the field for help spreading the word, and maybe a blurb or two!

Get Social

Blogs, email, and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr can be excellent resources for self-publishers. They all offer different potentials for marketing and can be used to address a wider audience. What’s really great about them is you can find and speak directly to your target market, which allows room for interaction, feedback, and ultimately, growth.

Remember that preparing a book so that it’s ready to market can be a big job, and you’ll need at least some help from experts, even as a self-publisher.

Robin Field holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Cape Town where she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Linguistics with a focus on gender and game studies.

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Social media is a pervasive aspect of contemporary life in many ways, and it can even be used to effectively boost your writing pursuits if you know how to approach it. Social media (and the proper management thereof—after all, not all attention is positive, as the celebrity scandals on Twitter demonstrate) can be particularly handy for entrepreneurs, small companies, self-publishers, etc. Here are some tips for how to keep your social media image clean and efficient.

Know Your Audience

If you are acting in a professional rather than a personal capacity, you will need to consider every move you make on social media for the sake of your business—it’s not just your own image at stake. This requires understanding your following. The people and companies that follow you will likely have some interest in your work, but you will have to maintain and further cultivate that interest, and that can take time, effort, and a keen understanding of who’s actually listening to you out there.

Post regularly and be sure to keep the content within the range of what you do. For example, if you are a self-published author, post about your writing process; give updates about your new work, book specials, or upcoming readings; or write about the work of other self-published authors—those both inside and outside your circle. You should approach social media as a marketing tool, but also as a means of developing a community around your work.

Know What Not to Do

If you have any sort of following to speak of, you are in danger of having everything you say meticulously analyzed and screen-grabbed before you’ve even had a chance to second-guess it. As a professional, you will have to make sure that everything you publicly post goes through necessary internal filters and appropriately represents you before it sees the light of day. For better or worse, what you post on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr will come to represent you, and one wrong step might see your whole image trashed.

Know How to Make Up for Mistakes

If you do mess up, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world—not as long as you have a damage-control plan in place. If you’ve made a blunder and have been called out on it, the worst thing you can do is react quickly and uncritically. If you find, after seriously considering the matter and possibly consulting experts, you don’t have very clear reason to believe you are in the right, you should take it upon yourself to apologize as clearly as possible. Stick to the point—don’t go apologizing for things you haven’t done or you could really make it worse. If you handle the situation well, people might even come to think more highly of you than before.

To avoid this scenario in the first place, it’s absolutely important to remember that context and tone are much harder to convey online (especially on sites like Twitter that have character limits), and this can often lead to misunderstandings. But if you manage your social media well, even when things get dicey, you will find you’ve embarked upon a relatively inexpensive way to market your business, build a community around your company, keep that community both growing and engaged, and have a good time doing it.

Robin Field holds a BA in English and Linguistics from the University of Cape Town where she is currently working toward her Master’s degree in Linguistics with a focus on gender and game studies.