Studio Blog

As many of you know, the date for the next round of grant applications is quickly approaching. Many of you have asked what we look for in grant applications, so below you’ll find a few tips, facts and insights to help shape your application:

1. Follow the directions exactly. This may seem like a given, but that includes paying attention to dates (applications are accepted on the 1st through the 7th). Don’t sell yourself short by not following instructions closely enough.

2. Tell us a story. This goes for all of the grants. We received a huge number of grant applications this month and the winning applicants gave us a quick close-up that left a lasting impression. They didn’t use different language, style or voice – they simply told a really honest, vivid story.

3. Pictures can’t hurt. This is especially true of the Professional Resources grant. While it’s not required, it can really help create your story. What’s more effective:  Telling us your laptop’s “A,” “E” and “S” keys are broken, or actually showing us your laptop with the missing keys? Not having a photo won’t put you out of the running, but having one could definitely help you gain an extra edge.

4. Have a definite plan. This goes mainly for the Work/Life Balance grant. Most of us could use an extra $250, but what makes your plans special? What exactly are you going to use it for? Remember, it should be one thing that will serve to balance your work with your life. See April’s grant winners for great examples.

If you have any questions, post them in this forum thread.

Good luck!

We are excited to announce this month’s Grant winners! It was a tough decision to make, but we chose this month’s selections based on the applicants’ vivid stories, dedication to their work and clear desire for the grant.

Our Professional Resources grant goes to CE Sandra Holcombe. Sandra has spent 6 months battling the broken monitor on her laptop. She’s resorted to hooking up the laptop to an ancient monitor on her kitchen table. Sandra’s new laptop will allow her to be mobile, as well as have dinner at the table again.

Our first Work/Life Balance grant goes to writer Juliet Harpe. Juliet has been with the Studio since August 2009. By her own admission, freelance writing keeps her mind sharp, but requires an increasing amount of solitude. She will use the grant to take her family to the Meadowgrass Music Festival in May.



The second Work/Life Balance award goes to CE Theresa Danna, who doesn’t have the funds to meet her 7-month-old great-great niece, Maddie, who lives 200 miles away. What’s more, Maddie will be moving to Alaska with her family next month. With the grant funds, Theresa will now have a chance to see Maddie before she moves away.



Our third Work/Life Balance award goes to writer D.M. Gutierrez, who will use the funds for a new exercise bike. Her last exercise bike helped her lose 70 pounds, lower her blood pressure and brighten her overall outlook on life. This story was truly an inspiration to all of us, and we’re excited to help her replace her broken bike.


The final award goes to a writer who would like to remain anonymous – for now. He’ll be using the award to put toward an engagement ring for his girlfriend of 7 years. We’ve promised to keep his name secret to ruin any surprises, but he’ll be sending photos of the ring and proposal once he’s surprised his soon-to-be fiancée.


Finally, our Short Film grant goes to writer Nicholas Miles for his short film “Reciprocity.” This sci-fi short is about man who learns to travel through time and wants to return to the past and save his murdered girlfriend. We were enthralled by the script and clips, and can’t wait to feature his finished product.

Remember, if you didn’t win this time, you can apply twice more with the same application. It was a tough decision to select just six applications, so don’t get discouraged.


Please join us in congratulating the winners!

Ever wondered about the titling world? Meet two of our Contributor Award titlers, Misha and Dawn.











More advice for someone new to DMS…


“Guidelines. Take them seriously. Understand the formats, know the process, practice the voice, appreciate the sourcing requirements, check the AP Stylebook. Following the guidelines closely will save a writer endless grief and rewrites, and will improve a copyeditor's reviews.” – Mary Kay Linge, Copy Editor




“Expect a learning curve and be grateful when you get feedback from CEs. All writers are edited.” – Wendy Gould, Writer



“Take your time and try not to do too much at once. When I began titling I was making anywhere from $4 to $6 per hour. I wanted to make sure I was doing it right. When you get an audit, take it to heart and fix those mistakes without getting down on yourself. Audits are there to help you improve.” – Kim Kirsch, Titler

Today’s close-up is from a CE winner, Adam O’Connor Rodriguez. Adam shares his top tips to Copy Editors (and writers!) for polishing and perfecting each article.

 
I started working as a CE for DMS as a way to make extra money that also accommodated my insomnia – I sleep less than five hours a night and my most productive hours are often after 2 a.m.

When I started editing here, I had the copyediting part of the job together but didn’t understand gatekeeping. Now I understand that it’s quite simple: don’t publish the bad articles; publish the good ones.

I now have a “smell test” for gatekeeping DMS articles. I ask, “Does this article provide useful information to the reader that’s at least 75 percent relevant to the title? Do I stumble over the writing? Is the article written within 85 percent of DMS guidelines?” If it meets those criteria, I do whatever I can to edit and accept. I hate rejecting articles, because it means I didn’t do my best work just as often as it means the writer didn’t.

Writing great rewrite requests is another key to being a great CE. Pointing out what’s wrong does little good without clear steps to fix the problems. I actually use numbered lists to detail the problems and solutions. I go down the list and if the writer fixes all of the material problems, I do whatever’s possible to accept. If the references aren’t formatted correctly or there’s a minor style violation or one step doesn’t begin with an actionable verb, I edit and approve, so long as the serious problems are addressed. We’re copy editors; line editing should be the easy part.

Other good advice for CEs (and writers, too):

1. Learn DMS guidelines and best practices inside and out.

2. DMS editing isn’t like other editing jobs – gatekeeping is 50 percent of the work; giving clear, constructive rewrite requests is 30 percent and the remaining 20 percent is the minutiae of copyediting – fixing commas, smoothing an awkward phrase, enforcing minor style issues.

3. Trust each other. It often seems like there’s an “us versus them” mentality between CEs and writers. There’s no need for that. As a CE, I treat every writer like they’re an honest professional and I know I can expect the same treatment. Snide comments or an unreasonable request on any side of the communication is unnecessary.




More ideas for writing and editing great articles…

“Prioritize quality over quantity. I know it's easy to say if you don't have bills to pay. Still, you have to set a threshold and stick to it. I kept thinking of something one of my combat shooting instructors used to say a lot: ‘Speed is fine, but accuracy is final.’ It applies equally well here; prioritize accuracy, and the speed will come.” – Pete Gatlin, Copy Editor


 
“Learn the guidelines. Next, read the important ‘sticky’ threads in the forum such as ‘Why Your Overview Matters.’ Then, browse through forum topics and read those that offer advice and tips. A gold mine of valuable information exists, not only in recent threads, but posts that are years old.” Kevin Lee, writer


 
 “Don’t hesitate to communicate with your copy curator, copy chief and other copy editors when you have questions and suggestions. The Demand community is a mother lode of experience, expertise, resources and support—take advantage of it.” – Bud Knecht, Copy Editor