H Noss

Out of Office

Due to illness, I’m away from my computer for the next week! I’ll catch up with emails, LinkedIn messages, and everything else once I’ve recovered.

Han

Hilarious spam in my enquiry form:

"Hello and Good Day Docs! ... I noticed that your website www.docs.google.com is not ranking well on Google and other search engines, which could be affecting your visibility to potential customers."

Another proofread finished up! Having updated my spreadsheet of projects, here are my favourite stats about my year so far:

* I've passed 1 million words proofread! I'm at 1,094,608 words since my first project of the year in February.
* I've spent 200 hours proofreading in 2025 for 11 projects.

A sketch of an open book floats above magenta text which says: "Your efforts matter. You can write in any way that works for you."

Your efforts matter. You can write in any way that works for you.

#writing #motivation

How to get a literary agent in the UK | H Noss Proofreads Learn how to get a literary agent in the UK, with tips on how to submit, how to cope with rejections, and how to get feedback on your query.

How do you get a literary agent in the UK?

Here's 3 quick tips:
* create a longlist of literary agents you'd like to work with
* look for and follow all submission guidelines
* perfect your cover letter as much as possible

Find more tips here: hnossproofreads.co.uk/how-to-get-a...

#querying

Day one of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading conference, and we open with a talk with Susie Dent, the honorary vice-president of the CIEP.

I'm attending online and will be networking online with other editorial professionals later today too!

It’s okay to not feel like writing today. Tomorrow is another day.

#Writing #WritingCommunity #Writers

Sadly not, I'm at a conference all weekend! Sometime, though, definitely!

Update: Not same username as here, I forgot Bluesky functions differently 😂

Thanks so much! I am, same username: www.instagram.com/hnossproofre...

I've also followed Sapphic World Book Club!

Thank you, Caz! If you'd be able to repost the original skeet/post, that would be incredible.

That's amazing, thank you!

I'm looking for romance writers based in the UK who'd like to share tips with aspiring romance writers in a round-up style blog post!

Do you write romantic fiction with the intention of publishing novels (unpublished, traditionally published, or self-published)?

Comment below ⬇️ or tag an author!

4. Drink plenty! Have a favourite drink that you only allow yourself as a treat? That's now your reward for writing.

5. Collect compliments and positive reviews in a "compliment bank", either a journal or a spreadsheet, to reflect on when you're struggling.

5 underrated things you can do to support your mental health as a writer:

1. Find affirmations that work against your insecurities and imposter syndrome.

2. Have a solid or flexible writing routine.

3. Start a self-care journal or self-care kit.

Yes, this is so true!

My co-author is always talking about Hemingway and Steinbeck. But they never wrote comedy to my knowledge! We all have something to give.

Nobody else can write like you can.

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritingMotivation

New experiment: Because I'm in danger of burning out with how busy I am this month, I've taken the goals used in my time management software to not just celebrate how much proofreading I do per day, but also to warn me when I've done too much.

Strange? Maybe. But it's a great signal for self-care.

Back at my desk after a week off and I have 76 overdue tasks in my Todoist account... let's see how many I can get through by 7pm!

You don’t have to be as good as your favourite writer. Your writing still has worth.

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting

I proofread it before publishing! Every edition put out is proofread again, because of typesetting and formatting more than anything.

Not to add to the discourse, but…

It’s ‘toe the line,’ not ‘tow the line.’
It’s ‘free rein,’ and not ‘free reign.’
It’s ‘eke out,’ not ‘eek out.’
It’s ‘sleight of hand,’ not ‘slight of hand.’
It's ‘Anchors aweigh,’ and not ‘Anchor's away!’

Northanger Abbey Celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday with this beautiful gift edition of her ingenious satirical swipe at the gothic novel. It comes with foiled covers, marbled endpapers, sprayed edges, beautiful p...

I had the incredible honour of working on the 250th anniversary edition of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen this year, and today is publishing day!

www.penguin.co.uk/books/479905...

You might feel like your writing today isn’t your best, but you are putting your best into your writing.

Struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. It doesn’t mean your writing is bad. It just means you might need some support.

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting

How to find a literary agent in the UK | H Noss Proofreads Everything you need to know about how to find a literary agent in the UK and to start querying literary agents can be found here.

I've just updated my list of literary agencies in the UK, so if you're not sure where to start or you're running out of UK literary agents to query, here you go!

You'll find the list at the bottom of the page. There are currently 18 agencies there!

hnossproofreads.co.uk/how-to-find-...

Last week, I officially passed the halfway mark for the hours I need to upgrade to Professional Member of @the-ciep.bsky.social!

I'm at 256 hours of proofreading for publishers, since April 2023.

70 of those hours have been since January this year, so I'm on target for upgrading by December 2027!

There are few things more alarming to a proofreader than a "clean" manuscript with minimal changes to make.

It's a constant battle of "am I missing something really obvious?" and overthinking the most ridiculous possibilities when it comes to consistency and spelling.

How to write a query letter to a literary agent | H Noss Proofreads Writing your first query letter for a novel? Here's how to write a query letter for a literary agent, with a template and sample provided.

Read more about how to write a query letter here: hnossproofreads.co.uk/how-to-write...

#AmQuerying #LiteraryAgents