April Bamburg

It will take your content and spit something out, but there’s a chance your content will be stripped of the personality and style that your readers know you for.

Do you really want to take that chance?

(That’s something it has in common with generative AI, but that’s a topic for another day).

Generative AI tools will ask give you an option to rewrite a sentence with their help (Copilot).

I’m not looking at things like spellcheck included in a word processing program. If you use Microsoft Word, another I’m wary of is Copilot.

The difference between generative AI tools (including Copilot) and a spellchecker is that it doesn’t take the content on the screen and change it.

To start the week off, I’m going to clarify what I mean when I say AI.

In my content this week, I’ll be referring to generative AI tools. You probably know what they are.

But for longer than that, I’ve seen questions about AI use and books - like can I publish my book if I use AI to write or edit it?

This week I’m diving into my thoughts and feelings on generative AI and books, as an editor and reader.

Discussion of AI and books has been everywhere in the book community in the last week or so because a big company stole published works and fed them to a massive large language model system.

Doughnuts are the most important part of the meeting. After all, spiked blood sugar may be the only way one stays awake.

But what won’t happen is me judging an author for client for style suggestions they don’t take.

If you’re an author who appreciates this vibe, say hi and let’s connect!

I keep my DMs and email open to authors even after I turn in the manuscript with edit notes and suggestions.

My clients can come to me with questions about suggestions, or just pop in and say hi. I’m cool with that.

I’ve had that relationship in another field, and it did not make work fun. That’s why I explain my reasoning behind specific changes. I don’t expect anyone to blindly accept them, just because I suggested changes.

I push if there’s something truly egregious and gross (usually removal of the gross).

The author-editor relationship should be judgment free, open, and trusting.

It shouldn’t be and editor yelling at an author and pushing to make changes because the editor wants to see them.

I feel this. I’ll have to add my coffee too.

The second pass is to make sure all of my notes made it into the digital document. A third is to make sure that everything works together.

I don’t make my clients pay extra. I do both in different passes through a manuscript.

I guess that’s what makes me different from other editors.

I’ve tried to separate them, but my brain just seems to put these things together.

What does happen is that I start by making notes on printed hard copy, then I put them in the digital document. Next, I go over the digital document typically twice more before I write up my notes and send it back.

I offer line and copy editing services for authors.

I offer both because I can’t seem to stop my brain from looking at readability, flow, and sentence structure at the same time that I see typos, spelling mistakes, and punctuation issues.

I’m betting your presentation will be fabulous, my friend. You got this!

The importance of reading, and the what, who and why behind the decisions to indulge in the activity are all topics I’m exploring in my content this week.

Is reading an activity you enjoy? Tell me why it’s important to you in the comments, I’d love to know!

#WritingUnfiltered

For readers and authors alike, reading is a powerful activity, and an important one. There are many options for those who want to read more often, and often the choices that readers make in terms of the material they read can make big impacts in their lives.

It should be that!!

And now I want to watch “Life Tastes Good.”

My weekend will probably be gym time, working, and putting together a decent-sized grocery shopping list.

I completely agree.

Twelve years ago yesterday, I was fired from my ast full-time newspaper job. I was told one thing, unemployment something different.

Yesterday I had a chat with an author who is looking for a line edit on her current WIP and she said she’s interested and didn’t blink at my pricing.

Life is good.

You are so welcome! I loved books before I could actually read them, then had librarians who encouraged me to read what I wanted to, so I’m a huge fan of this kind of stuff.

It’s up to 894 books (😱🤯) so taking items off is always a rush!

I’m still reading “Fledgling” by Octavia Butler, so I’m not jumping into these just yet. But I’m still thrilled to have them.

This book haul was made possible by gift cards from Christmas.

What is making you happy today?

This is what’s making me happy today.

I opened the box before the day went all stressful, so it wasn’t quite as comforting as it could have been.

But I’m always a fan of restocking my physical TBR and taking items out of the lists that make up my TBR.

Mine does too!

Congratulations!

How are you celebrating?

They won’t believe it anyway. So for my sanity, I just don’t.

CNN has been going downhill for almost a full decade now. I’m proud of Jim for standing up, and I’m kind of surprised he didn’t do it sooner.