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Work Ethic and Philosophy
Pleasant and diplomatic in working with others, Lynette M. Smith is detailed, energetic, and focused, with a "make it happen" attitude and a genuine passion for words. Her goal as a professional copyeditor is to help you get the results and respect your writing deserves.
Lynette abides by The Four Agreements (from the book The Four Agreements, © 1997, don Miguel Ruiz. Reprinted by permission of Amber-Allen Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 6657, San Rafael, CA 94903, www.amberallen.com. All rights reserved):
- Be impeccable with your word.
- Don't take anything personally.
- Don't make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
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Copyediting and Proofreading
Lynette is experienced in copyediting and proofreading many different types of manuscripts and PDF layouts for authors, indie publishers, and several smaller and boutique publishing companies.
She established All My Best in 2003 and copyedits mainly book manuscripts. Preferred genres include self-help, how-to, business, marketing, and memoirs for nonfiction; fiction includes drama, action/thriller, science fiction, fantasy, and historical novels. She also proofreads PDF book layouts, first locating and flagging layout errors and then reading the proof to flag any lingering content errors. You may enjoy viewing this 32-minute video podcast interview that tells you more about copyediting, as well as this 26-minute video podcast interview that tells you more about formatting of manuscripts (also known as document scrubbing) and proofreading of PDF book layouts.
Previous to All My Best, she spent 5 years as managing editor for an award-winning monthly trade journal. Prior to that, for 16 years she owned and operated a successful word processing and editing business in which repeat clients valued her copyediting skills above all.
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Book Publishing
Lynette's indie-publishing experience dates back to the mid-1980s. In the years prior to All My Best, she wrote and published six popular industry booklets relating to business start-up, policies, estimating, marketing, client relations, and more; then she coordinated the updating and publishing of her trade association's six industry manuals, writing two of them personally.
To better serve her author/publisher clients during her tenure with All My Best, she has honed her publishing techniques through active involvement with Publishers & Writers of San Diego.
In 2008, Lynette became inspired by her son's moving gesture when he presented his parents with a framed heartfelt letter of appreciation at his wedding rehearsal dinner. She soon realized her life's purpose was to encourage others to write heartfelt letters of appreciation, so she applied what she had learned to indie-publish the following 11 guides:
- Good Ways to Write a Treasured Letter, four tips booklets for brides, grooms, and their parents (2009),
- How to Write Heartfelt Letters to Treasure: For Special Occasions and Occasions Made Special, a comprehensive reference book (2012), and
- How to Write a Heartfelt Letter of Appreciation, a line of six fully self-contained themed guides, based on material from her book, for those who envision writing just one type of letter (2015–2016).
Lynette has also written two aids for authors, editors, and proofreaders:
- What Editors Do, a helpful table to guide authors in seeking the appropriate type of editor for their needs (2008), and
- 80 Common Layout Errors to Flag When Proofreading Book Interiors, a 40-page handbook to help authors, proofreaders, and graphic designers produce a more professional book (2015).
For more information or to order these letter-writing and editing/proofreading publications, visit All My Best's publishing website, GoodWaysToWrite.com.
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Memberships
- Publishers & Writers of San Diego
- Publishers & Writers of Orange County
- San Diego Professional Editors Network
- Editorial Freelancers Association
