Creating A Strong Argument About Failure And Success

Creating A Strong Argument About Failure And SuccessCollege essay topics are generally quite simple. However, as with many things in life, there is always room for creativity and experimentation. When it comes to topics on success and failure, there is no real substitute for the genius of the human mind. It seems there are some folks who simply have a natural affinity for it.It is true that the types of essay topics to which your competition will submit tend to be rather standard and boring. The truth is that it would be quite easy to write a superb essay on failure and success if you simply applied the proper techniques. With the proper skills, a student can easily develop an attention-grabbing thesis statement on the topic of failure and success.When writing an essay on failure and success, the first thing you should realize is that all of us have experienced the worst and the best times of our lives. In essence, your essay is a microcosm of those times. So, if you are trying to de monstrate the effect of failure in life, it would do you well to include in your writing some personal experience about the times you have felt on the verge of failure and the times you felt triumphant. Use this personal experience to explore how things turned out for you when you were at the brink of failure and how they turned out for you when you were triumphant. Include personal anecdotes as well as workable and well-chosen examples to illustrate your point.On college essay topics of failure and success, there are a few key concepts to remember. The main concept is that failure is not necessarily a bad thing and in fact is necessary in life. You should avoid pointing out the fact that failure is something to be avoided. Instead, you should relate your failure story to your accomplishments and why success came as a result of your efforts.Of course, there is another way to relate failure to success: by presenting your story in a positive way. If your school offers courses that tea ch about the power of negative thinking, you should use them to write about your failures. By making it seem as though you succeeded in spite of your failings, you will be able to demonstrate that it is possible to succeed despite having been at the bottom of the ladder.By presenting your successes in a positive light, you can make a bold assertion: that it is possible to be successful even when you were at the bottom of the ladder. More importantly, you will be able to show that, contrary to popular belief, it is possible to achieve success even when you were at the bottom. This will help you set yourself apart from the typical American student and give you the edge you need to be noticed by your professors.By learning to write well on the college essay topics of failure and success, you will be able to maintain the focus of your classmates. Everyone wants to be known as an intelligent and well-informed student. In order to accomplish this, you must include useful information in yo ur essays. If you do not take advantage of every opportunity to relay interesting facts and interesting ideas, your fellow students will see you as one who can't put together a sentence.College essay topics of failure and success are a great way to get ahead in school. Your teachers will certainly appreciate you and your essay will stand out among the crowd and get you into the college of your choice.

Successful Teamwork Is Built On A Foundation Of Trust

According to Measom, C. (2014), â€Å"Successful teamwork is built on a foundation of trust.† Each member of the team must establish trust; cultivate trust through his actions and words, and work to maintain it. Each member also needs to be able to trust his team members to make a commitment to the team and its goals, work competently with those goals in mind, and communicate consistently about any issues that affect the team. Developing trust is difficult for any team; however it is particularly difficult for simulated teams. This is because virtual teams have limited chances to work together face-to-face. Virtual teams frequently develop when working on big projects. When teams cross diverse cultures, it could lead to confusion. This often happens quite often with virtual teams. Virtual rarely get the chance to interact with each other which cause lack of trust within the group setting. In order to build trust within the group, each member needs to be committed and competent . Commitment Commitment is a key feature of trust. It is important that each team member commit to assisting each other in order to reach the team goals. For instance, when one of the members needs to be away for a lengthy amount of time, that member should commit to completing the assigned tasks while at home. It is vital that each team member feel that they can count on everyone doing their part. There also should be consequences for any member that does not complete their assignments. Competence As withShow MoreRelatedBuilding And Managing Effective Virtual Teams947 Words   |  4 PagesVirtual Teams (2005) state: Virtual teams and teams in general are characterized by the fact that each member of the team is dependent upon one or more other members in order to accomplish the overall goal†¦ The single most critical component that makes teamwork possible is effective communication. (p. xvii - xviii) Notwithstanding the goal – to succeed – in a given project, task, scope, product, or the like, building and managing effective teams becomes deeply more complex when physical adjacency is a combinationRead MoreHow Current Project Teams Within The Organization Can Work More Collaboratively And Effectively1335 Words   |  6 Pagesperforming team relentlessly pursues performance excellence through shared goals, shared leadership, collaboration, open communication, clear role expectations and group operating rules, early conflict resolution, and a strong sense of accountability and trust among its members†. (Daniel, 2015). These teams are typically comprised of many highly skilled and diverse individuals who come together to reach the common goal of completing a project successfully, within budget and on schedule. In many cases theseRead MoreEssay on Organizational Management1583 Words   |  7 Pagesdecision-making responsibilities, and does not encourage teamwor k. Conversely, Aberdeens participatory management model, single product, and single customer design sets itself apart not only from Green River, but from any other FMC facility. Bob Lancaster, Aberdeens pioneering transformational leader held the belief that an organization cannot exist in an environment of fear, and that universal trust and respect are the foundation of a successful company, and the key to organizational commitment. Read MoreThe Root Of Afric African Culture881 Words   |  4 PagesSome have speculated that the root of Africa s inability to be as successful as the western countries is African culture. Culture is defined as the shared set of assumptions, values, and beliefs of a group of people by which they organize their common life. Culture is both a process and an intuition. Roots of a culture lie within families, schools, music, art, and sociopolitical institutions. Each culture is difficult to describe in detail because there are so many aspects to it. Ther e is an icebergRead MoreThe Johari Window Concept of Communication Essay1090 Words   |  5 PagesThe Johari window is a great communication concept to build trust with others and improve understanding between people. According to (Satterlee, 2013, p. 134), â€Å"communication is a process that is vital to transmitting and understanding information†. However, communication is set forth as goal-oriented; the end result for the communicator is to achieve that set goal in order for the message to be considered effective. According to (Darling Beebe, 2007, p. 76), â€Å"communication is the primary way inRead MoreThe Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument901 Words   |  4 Pagesinternal focus, mentorship, a focus on employee and customer concerns, and a foundation of mutual trust. Internally focused managers want feedback and encourage teamwork and creativity. The weaknesses of a workplace clan culture are lack of strategic planning for increasing profit margins, lack of visionary leadership and less focus on the task of creating. My dad engendered this business because of his vision to have a successful family business. He is now focused only on today, without making plansRead MoreCritical Thinking1135 Words   |  5 Pagessuperior and pleasingly different products to golfing. This idea was established by Callaway’s previous business experiences and it served as the primary guiding principle for this company, the company that grew out of Hickory Stick USA. Their teamwork is built around five different areas: research and development, information systems, manufacturing, sales, and general/administrative services. The research and development team is responsible for designing, building prototypes, and testing the company’sRead MoreThe Collection Of Necessary Data Essay1633 Words   |  7 Pageswill afford insight into the valuable quality and satisfaction ratings, with the ability to numerically track these ratings. It is imperative to address all aspects of culture, socialization, working conditions, management, workload, loyalty, value, teamwork, and production; when compiling an Interventional proposal. Collecting both quantitative and qualitative data via self-assessing surveys, with both opened and closed ended questions, in addition to individual interviews. The interviews will allowRead MoreCommunication And Leadership Skills For A Company789 Words   |  4 Pagesan acquired skill, every leader must develop these skills in order to become successful. The message must be clear and concise for the purpose to be conveyed properly. Many companies focus on the components that are involved to determine the context of the message and whether or not the information is relevant and important. A great leader possess excellent listening, speaking, and writing skills in order improve teamwork. Proverbs 1 6:23 states that â€Å"the heart of the wise makes his speech judiciousRead MoreComparing The Organizational Trust Of Two Healthcare Work Groups1500 Words   |  6 PagesComparing the Organizational Trust of Two Healthcare Work Groups Rob Gotto, Tyler Hemmingson, Derek Whitman, Stan Kogan, and Kara Martin University of South Dakota Comparing the Organizational Trust of Two Healthcare Work Groups Researchers found that organizations which have been designated by both employees and management as being â€Å"great places to work† have essential elements. The key that holds these factors together is the element of â€Å"Trust†. It has been reported by Levering, that employees

Community Mental Health Movement Of The United States

Community Mental Health Movement For many years, people who suffered with mental illness were more often than not institutionalized and severely mistreated. The history of the Mental Health movement begins in 1909. The history of advocacy began with Clifford W. Beers. Beers, himself an ex-psychiatric patient who, after his release, crusaded to bring mental health and mental illness to the attention of his fellow citizens (Pols). In 1908, Beers published his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself, which roused the nation to the plight of people with mental illnesses and set a reform movement into motion (Our History). Beers advocacy for the mentally ill was just the beginning for what would be the development of several new policies and programs that to this day continue to develop. On February 19, 1909 Beers, along with philosopher William James and psychiatrist Adolf Meyer, embraced that future by creating the National Committee for Mental Hygiene, later the National Mental Health Association and what we know today as the Mental Health America ( Our History).The year 1921 marked the beginning of the â€Å" child guidance† movement. Its goal was to prevent juvenile delinquency through involvement of the Child Guidance clinics in the youth’s lives. The American Orthopsychiatric Associated was founded in 1924 at the initiative of Karl Menninger . Its aim was to promote the â€Å"medical view of crime,† namely that criminals should be considered psychiatric patients (Pols).In 1946,Show MoreRelatedThe Link Between Homelessness And Mental Health983 Words   |  4 PagesWhat’s the issue? The lack of mental health services available to the mentally-ill and the deinstitutionalization of mental health hospitals have created a public health concern. These issues along with a failed continuum of care plans and a lack of community mental health services have been major contributing factors to homelessness. In addition, the strict guidelines for psychiatric hospitalization are critical when analyzing homelessness. In many cases, only the critically ill are meeting clinicalRead MoreMental Health For The Mentally Ill999 Words   |  4 PagesMental Health Brief What’s the issue? The lack of mental health services available to the mentally-ill and the deinstitutionalization of mental health hospitals have created a public health concern. These issues along with failed continuum of care strategies and a lack of community mental health services are major contributing factors to homelessness. In addition, the strict guidelines for psychiatric hospitalization are critical when analyzing homelessness among the mentally-ill. In many cases,Read MoreEarly History Of Mental Illness Essay1520 Words   |  7 PagesEarly History of Mental Illness In early American history, individuals with mental illnesses have been neglected and suffered inhuman treatments. Some were beaten, lobotomized, sterilized, restrained, in addition to other kinds of abuse. Mental illness was thought to be the cause of supernatural dreadful curse from the Gods or a demonic possession. Trepanning (the opening of the skull) is the earliest known treatment for individuals with mental illness. This practice was believed to release evilRead MoreThe Study Of Mental Health1654 Words   |  7 PagesThe study of mental health in our country has been around for over 100 years. The definition of mental health in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) has changed in all five of the editions. In the 1st edition: reflected a psychodynamic approach and the disorders were classified on the basis of presumed causes otherwise, known as organic brain dysfunction or socio-environmental stressors (1952). In the 2nd edition, it focuses on description and a precise catego rization, eliminating the prior focusRead MoreHow Domestic Violence Affects Children As Well As The Mental Health Of Its Victims1744 Words   |  7 Pagesdomestic violence. The goal of this literature review is to examine the statistical information that is presented as it relates to domestic violence. This literature review will also reveal how domestic violence affects children as well as the mental health of its victims. In addition, this chapter will include the Afrocentric perspective and theoretical framework as they relates to the research topic. Historical Perspective Understanding domestic violence is the key to solving the root of the problemRead MoreThe Release Of Institutionalized Individuals From Institutional Care1080 Words   |  5 Pageshospital) to care in the community. Deinstitutionalization is a long term pattern wherein less individuals live as patients in mental facilities and less psychological well-being treatments are delivered in public facilities. This trend is directly due to the process of closing public hospitals and the ensuing transfers of patients to community-based mental health services in the late twentieth century. It represents the dissipation of patients over a wider variety of health care settings and geographicRead MorePublic Policy, Social Welfare Programs, Stakeholder Groups, And Joel Blau s Five Elements Model1347 Words   |  6 Pagesgaining attention from United States Senators is the Expand Excellence in Mental Health Act. We can gain a better understanding of this act by taking a look at a recent public po licy related to mental healthcare, the values in the Code of Ethics, social welfare programs, stakeholder groups, and Joel Blau’s five elements model. This will give us a better understanding into the social problem and public policy related to access to mental healthcare. When it comes to access to mental healthcare, one publicRead MoreThe Treatment Of The Mentally Ill1581 Words   |  7 Pagesprisoners’ rights under the 8th amendment, cruel and unusual punishment. According to Mills, Romano, Steinburg, of the Stafford Law School (2015), California’s correctional facility is one of the most overcrowded prisons in the United States with over 50% of its inmates with a mental illness because of the three strikes sentencing law. This serious problem spawned Proposition 36, in 2012 to help combat with prison overcrowding. Proposition 36 afforded an opportunity for those sentenced for life underRead MoreThe Mental Illness : Dr. Terry Kupers1431 Words   |  6 Pagespreexisting mental illness may find it difficult to conform to prison regulations. They are therefore are often placed in solitary confinement for disciplinary purposes or administrative reasons. Second, many prisoners who are placed in solitary confinement develop severe mental illness as a result of the extreme isolation. Dr. Terry Kupers, one of the foremost psychologists on the impact of solitary confinement on mental health, explained: Being asked whether prisoners with ser ious mental illness areRead MoreThe Problem Of Mental Illness912 Words   |  4 PagesMental illness affects many people throughout the United States each year. Some people classify it as any psychiatric disorder that is the cause of untypical behavior. Many years ago, doctors locked up mentally ill patients in mental institutions and basically forgot about them. Medical professionals housed the mentally ill in different corridors of the hospital. Sometimes, they stayed in isolation and were in some type of restraints. Once government officials realized that neglect was getting out

Product Category Life Cycle Free Samples for Students

Questions: 1.Define Consumer and Industrial Products. Give an Example of each.2.What are the Different Phases/Stages of the Product Category Life Cycle?3.What are the Four characteristics of Services?4.Think of an example of a Discontinuous Innovation. What Probably Encouraged and Enabled it to become idely adopted?5.Do you agree that Marketing Service Products is no different to Marketing Goods- Based Products? Give your reasons. Answers: 1.Consumer- A consumer is a person who purchases a product or a service in retail for personal consumption(Sharp, 2013, p. 18). For instance, a wholesaler Industrial product- these are plant, property, equipment, and other parts utilized or consumed by other sectors when producing other goods(Stark, 2015, p. 70). Example, Machinery 2.The product category life follows the following phases(Stark, 2015, p. 74): Introduction- The marketing team conduct market research and develop sufficient information of launching the new product. Growth- Under this stage, the market has been convinced of the new product, sales rise. Product improvements are made. Maturity- The level of sales is at optimum. Competition starts increasing Decline The value of sales begin to fall since the product launched has been saturated in the market and competition is extremely high. 3.The four characteristics of services include(Beffelamme Peitz, 2015, p. 44): Intangibility- Services can neither get touched nor hold. Inseparable- A service cannot be separated from the provider. Variability- The level of service from one service provider vary from another. Perishability- Services are exceedingly perishable and thus cannot be saved for future use. 4.An example of discontinuous innovation is mobile phone technology(Beffelamme Peitz, 2015, p. 58). Mobile phone technology was encouraged by the need for communication between businesses and people. The reason behind its wide acceptance is that people saw it as a drastic approach to changing the speed by which people communicated. 5.Yes, marketing service products are no different to marketing goods based products(Sharp, 2013, p. 16). The main reasons are: The marketing of a product or a service is done through the same promotional tools. The companies value provision of goods and services are the primary source of income, and thus the two should be given the same level of attention. The marketing techniques used when marketing a product can be used to sell a service. References Beffelamme, P. Peitz, M., 2015. Industrial Organization: Markets and Strategies. 3 ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Sharp, B., 2013. Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice. 1 ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Stark, J., 2015. "Product Lifecycle Management, In Product Lifecycle Management." 64-80 ed. Columbia: Springer International Publishing.

Sonnet 23 Essays - Sonnet 23, Sonnet, Sonnet 1, Sonnet 65

Sonnet 23 This sonnet demonstrates Shakespeare's great ability of playing with words. According to him a person is tongue-tied when he has either too much or too little to say. He illustrates his idea by giving an example of an unperfect actor who forgets his lines on stage and more curiously, some fierce thing whose heart is weakened by the weight of his own strength. This use of paradox adds intensity to the sonnet and lays the foundation for the following quatrain. The first quatrain is like the silence before a storm; the way it is presented suggests that there is more to come. The actor and the beast are summoned to serve only as analogues to Shakespeare's double-edged analytical presentation in quatrain 2 of love's agonized lack of words: So I, for fear of trust, forget to say The perfect ceremony of love's rite, And in mine own love's strength seem to decay, O'ercharged with burden of mine own love's might. The persona here compares him to the characters beckoned in Q1. In a passage such as this, the distance between the composing author and the fictive speaker almost vanishes, as it is very easy to imagine that Shakespeare, a master of expression, would tell himself that a perfect ceremony of love could be invented. Another aspect worthy of note is the way the phrase mine own love's has been used repeatedly; in line 7 the persona speaks of the decay of his love and in the very next line he speaks of its strength. This double stranglehold is an extremely interesting case, and is beautifully expressed here. The first and second quatrains can be coupled together as they basically portray the same idea. The sonnet therefore can be divided into two parts instead of four. An octet followed by a sestet. While the octet speaks of the persona's tongue-tiedness, the sestet is a plea to his beloved to understand the depth of his love. 'O, let my books be then the eloquence / And dumb presagers of my speaking breast...' the persona here wishes that his writing be the silent and truthful foreteller of all the love in his heart. Q3, in hinting at the beloved's preference for a rival poet, tongue that more hath more expressed, ascribes the tongue-tiedness of the speaker to his new perception of the debased judgment exercised by the beloved. At first, for fear of trust (line 5) might seem to mean, "fearing my own powers," but when the unnamed rival enters the scene (line 12), we see the tongue-tiedness rather as a fear of trusting the potentially faithless beloved. Furthermore, the verbal parallelism of the octet is replaced by an irregular line-motion as the persona's agitation achieves full force. The sestet ends with the frustrating speechlessness of the lover finding a way of talking, by deviating into the third person in the final line: To hear with eyes belongs to loves fine wit. It is a proverb coined by the persona and it somewhat negates his inadequacy. It has a sense of pride and provides a perfect end to the poem.

American Foreign Policy Under George Washington

American Foreign Policy Under George Washington As Americas first president, George Washington practiced a pragmatically cautious yet successful foreign policy. Taking a Neutral Stance As well as being the father of the country, Washington was also the father of early US neutrality. He understood that the United States was too young, had too little money, had too many domestic issues, and had too small a military to actively engage in a strident foreign policy. Still, Washington was no isolationist. He wanted the United States to be an integral part of the western world, but that could only happen with time, solid domestic growth, and a stable reputation abroad. Washington avoided political and military alliances, even though the US had already been the recipient of military and financial foreign aid. In 1778, during the American Revolution, the United States and France signed the Franco-American Alliance. As part of the agreement, France sent money, troops, and naval ships to North America to fight the British. Washington himself commanded a coalition force  of American and French troops at the climactic siege of Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.​ Nevertheless, Washington declined aid to France during warfare in the 1790s. A revolution - inspired, in part, by the American Revolution - began in 1789. As France sought to export its anti-monarchical sentiments throughout Europe, it found itself at war with other nations, chiefly Great Britain. France, expecting the US would respond favorably to France, asked Washington for aid in the war. Even though France only wanted the US to engage British troops who were still garrisoned in Canada, and take on British naval ships sailing near US waters, Washington refused. Washingtons foreign policy also contributed to a rift in his own administration. The president eschewed political parties, but a party system began in his cabinet nonetheless. Federalists, the core of whom had established the federal government with the Constitution, wanted to normalize relations with Great Britain. Alexander Hamilton, Washingtons secretary of the treasury and defacto Federalist leader, championed that idea. However, Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson led another faction - the Democrat-Republicans. (They called themselves simply Republicans, although that is confusing to us today.) The Democrat-Republicans championed France - since France had helped the US and was continuing its revolutionary tradition - and wanted widespread trade with that country. Jays Treaty France - and the Democrat-Republicans - grew angrier with Washington in 1794 when he appointed Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay as a special emissary to negotiate normalized trade relations with Great Britain. The resulting Jays Treaty secured most-favored-nation trade status for the US in the British trade network, settlement of some pre-war debts, and a pull-back of British troops in the Great Lakes area. Farewell Address Perhaps Washingtons greatest contribution to US foreign policy came in his farewell address in 1796. Washington was not seeking a third term (although the Constitution did not then prevent it), and his comments were to herald his exit from public life. Washington warned against two things. The first, although it was really too late, was the destructive nature of party politics. The second was the danger of foreign alliances. He warned neither to favor one nation too highly over another and to not ally with others in foreign wars. For the next century, while the United States did not steer perfectly clear of foreign alliances and issues, it did adhere to neutrality as the major part of its foreign policy.

#FreelancerFriday #4 - Belinda Jones, Editor

#FreelancerFriday #4 - Belinda Jones, Editor #FreelancerFriday #4 - Belinda Jones, Editor â€Å"You have to keep thinking, keep interrogating the text: ‘Is this keeping the flow well? Is it convincing me?† If something sounds a bit hollow or a bit flat, you’ve got to flag it up.â€Å"With a 15-year career – so far – behind her, Belinda Jones has worked on everything from commercial and literary fiction, to historical non-fiction and celebrity memoir. We talked about her start as an editor, the recent YA resurgence, and the need to be sensitive when dealing with author comments.–REEDSYHow did you find yourself starting out as an editor?BELINDA JONESLooking for work after university, I did a correspondence course with Chapterhouse to get going with the proofing symbols and that sort of thing. I got to London and, to gain what experience I could, I took on part-time work with Virgin Publishing – in the rights department, strangely enough. The agreement was that if they were going to have me for  £50 a week, the editorial dep artment would use me for editing work. That worked out quite well – I was able to build up a good foundation of freelance editing work at the time just by being there and obviously working as well (mornings only, but that was the deal).As ever, it’s about building up a CV for experience.REEDSYWhat sort of books were you working on when you started out?BELINDA JONESI was hoping you wouldn’t ask that†¦ I first worked on gentle ‘erotica’ – you can imagine my parents’ delight. It was well paid, I have to say, and got some very good dialogue practice going on. It’s interesting when people ask how you train as an editor. I think you have to have a natural leaning towards it; I’m not sure its something you can actually learn to do. In the same way that some people are natural mathematicians, natural tennis players, I’d say editors have to have a natural aptitude. And if you’re getting experience, it probably d oesn’t matter what you’re editing so long as you’re honing those skills and getting feedback.I was incredibly lucky in my career to freelance with Reader’s Digest. The woman who took me on has become a sort of guru to me. Everything I’ve learned I would put down to her. She said at the beginning: "You have this natural aptitude. That’s great, we can work with that,† and that was why I was taken on by them. There’s no doubt that if you’re working with someone who’s very good at their job with high, exacting standards, you will raise your game accordingly. I think good editors are people who have those exacting standards, and possibly a bit of OCD as well – when you want to track down that  last potentially blurred fact that might have slipped away, or the niggling somethings that are not quite right†¦ Natural aptitude plus a little bit of OCD probably makes someone the ideal editor.REEDSYWhat’s the importance of working with an editor who’s not just technically trained, but experienced?BELINDA JONESExperience leads to confidence. When you start out you think you’re expected to know it all when, of course, you can’t possibly. I think that’s a mistake all young people make starting out, thinking that you have to hit the ground running. Sit back, take your time, learn from your boss. I’ve been doing this for 15 years and I’m pretty aware that I do a good job because I have the experience that’s needed to do that. As a result that’s very much become a confidence thing. Often, in-house, you don’t receive too much feedback because people are simply too busy to do it. You might get a quick â€Å"That’s great, thanks so much, we’ll work with you again in a month’s time.† You can ask for feedback, of course, but it’s something I’m reluctant to do – busy people don’ t have time to spoon-feed you. If I do ask for feedback, it will be from someone for whom I’ve not worked before, and will be about how I could do better next time. And that builds up over the years, of course – improving your work.REEDSYAs a freelancer, do you work directly with the author or via the publisher?BELINDA JONESI mainly work via the in-house editor, who will usually ask me to work in Track Changes, but more and more my comments are going directly to the author for me and them to discuss, rather than via in-house to be checked first. You have to be very diplomatic with the comments that you use – you’ve got to have an appreciation that this is the author’s baby that they’ve been working on for however long. Your comments have to be well structured, and you always need to back up a bit of text you’ve changed with the reason why. Put yourself in their position – how would you feel if you’d been working on somet hing for anything from 6 months to x number of years, and then someone you don’t know from Adam tells you to change this, this and this.You learn to be sensitive about this with experience. It isn’t pointed out or ‘taught’. You learn it yourself the more you do the work. The comfier, more confident in the work you do you are, the more you can think about what the author would be wanting, or needing rather, to hear back from you.REEDSYOne editor we spoke to recently described the work of an editor by saying that the client isn’t the author, but the reader   – that the editor is mediating the concerns of both. Is that similar to how you work?BELINDA JONESI agree with that. When I’m working I put on my reader’s hat. I’m a reader, so I’m at home on the sofa or sitting on the train, I’ve bought this book and I want to enjoy it. In other words, you’re editing to make it the most effortless read possible. You’re smoothing flow, polishing any clunky or bumpy bits; you’re saying, â€Å"Hold on a minute, what you’ve said about that character on page 114 is not what was said about that character on page 23.† I hate it when I come across something like that in books I’m reading for pleasure – it blows the whole thing. But of course, at the same time you’re working for the author. I find 'keeping the author sympathetic’ is another good phrase. As the editor, I would say your job is to make sure the author comes across as a reasonable person, certainly an authoritative writer whom the reader can trust. You have to balance both these things.REEDSYWhat are some projects you’ve enjoyed recently?BELINDA JONESLiterary fiction will always be my first love to work on. Young adult fiction too, I think, has immense potential, which is being tapped both convincingly and unconvincingly at the moment. Fiction all the way, generally, for me! I’ve done plenty of non-fiction which can be very good too, especially when it’s historical, but there’s a huge difference between working on fiction and non-fiction. When you’re an editor for non-fiction, you absolutely have to fact-check everything, especially when it comes to a celebrity autobiography.REEDSYWhat do you love about YA?BELINDA JONESI think it’s such a wonderful crossover between the youngish readers and the fairly precocious readers, right up into adulthood. The Hunger Games, for example – hasn’t that done well? Both for the books and the box office, with teens and adults alike. I actually belong to a book club of adults who read YA fiction and then critique it fiercely in the pub afterwards! We’ve read some stinkers, of course, and that just makes me want to die – it’s such an important time for readers to be encouraged to keep reading. If you’re coming across horrendously clichà ©d work you just want to say, â€Å"Come on everyone! Just because it’s YA doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be good.† Quite the reverse! There’s a huge market for good YA – I wish there was more of it. We can’t blame publishers, they have to make money in what’s a very tough market but let’s not just go straight for that Hollywood jugular the entire time. But that’s the same with fiction and books the world over, isn’t it? In any genre there’s going to be good and bad. But, right now, I really think YA is a superb genre to be in.REEDSYIs developmental editing quite different from copyediting?BELINDA JONESYes. Analysis is another thing you have to have an aptitude for, particularly for developmental editing. Again, you have to keep thinking, keep interrogating the text: ‘Is this keeping the flow well? Is it convincing me?â€Å" If something sounds a bit hollow or a bit flat, you’ve got to flag i t up and either suggest or make the change yourself. Usually a manuscript, by the time I get it, has been very much edited in-house. That’s a bit of a tightrope you need to be aware of as a freelance editor – it’s not about your ego, which is something I’m embarrassed to say I had to reign in at the beginning. When for the first time you’re given free reign on a manuscript you think, "Let’s get cracking!† but, like I said, there are many concerns to weigh. Ones that are usually outlined in a brief from the in-house editor.REEDSYFinally, what do you like to read yourself?BELINDA JONESOh, general fiction, literary fiction, YA. A bit of everything, to be honest. I’m currently savouring Les Miserables (a Christmas present from my French in-laws) but I am interspersing it with more digestible reads too. Not something I’d normally allow myself to do  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  !REEDSYThank you for your time Belinda.