PFA Professionalism

The Internet is filled with many abbreviations. People connecting with others through keyboards designed their own acronym shorthand, and most people today use it. Even back in the day when the BBS was better than the Internet (I know I am dating myself) there were abbreviations and lingo. However, I have never been up on them. I have used two in my lifetime: Thanx! (and only if I am very, very thankful because I feel it shows my eagerness to forego spelling in an effort to thank you) and of course my handles or usernames.

So, I am employing people and currently looking for editors. Note to all the potential editors out there - proofread your bid/application and do not include acronyms. Most of the editors who applied with acronyms were immediately deleted as were those with glaring spelling/grammar errors. But I opened the attachment on this one and saw it was a so-so editor before reading the message.
If someone types FYI, yeah, I know what it means. Or perhaps LOL (although I only know that this one means something about laughter). I am familiar with BTW and have considered using it in my text messages. But most acronyms I have no desire to use. This one contained " PFA :) " .

Professional footballers association?
Protection from abuse?
People for animals?
Physical fitness assessment?
Plucked from air?
Pop forwarding agent?
Public fishing access?
Printer font ASCII?

Acronyms and abbreviations are way to ambiguous when it is important you make your point and when the person you are sending the message to does not know you well enough to reply: "What in the world does PFA mean?" Or you may not be aware you could be saying "Your problem" or "yes please" since many abbreviations have multiple meanings (as you see from the list above).

Yes, I finally figured out that it was probably "Please see attached" but as far as I am concerned it was a Predictive Failure Analysis that the bidder did not pass.

Powerfully Fragile by Briohne Skyes

As a freelance ghostwriter/ author/ editor, one of the downsides is that you do not always get to follow your work. What happens to it after it leaves you? You don't always know. However, I helped edit this play with Briohne, and I was shocked to see that it played in five different theatres in Australia: http://aussietheatre.com.au/reviews/powerfully-fragile

Briohne actually has her own website and fan club as part of her therapy, and she is an awesome person to work with. (Sometimes it feels good to end a sentence with a preposition.)

In the end, I may be a ghostwriter now, but I am not happy to remain in the shadows forever. I am an author, using my skills to pay the bills now, but I want my story published with my name on it some day. However, if I should become famous tomorrow, I would not want to stop helping others achieve their fame.

I didn't write Briohne's work. The story was all hers, but I would like to think that I helped her on her way. I enjoy helping others achieve their goals- whether it be writing your love story to win back your girl, editing a play that tells the story of how you survived cancer, or trying to promote the story of your brother's unjust death. I have done all these things and more since I began freelancing and I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.

The Doomsday Code by Nigel Ross

This was one of the more interesting jobs I have done. Nigel did not want me to help with editing or writing, he just wanted me to create a contest puzzle for him based on his book. He wanted a puzzle, which actually became a series of puzzles that people who bought his book could figure out and solve (for a prize).

This was tricky, but I feel I did a good job with it. The problem is, since I know the answer I can't solve it. Sigh. Oh well, I guess getting paid to do it was my prize.

I make it a point not to review any books on Goodreads (or Amazon) that I was paid to work on in some way or the other. I do not feel it would be fair. My only exception is those books that I work on for an author review service. When I write these reviews I get paid a minimal amount for my time and I get a free copy of the book I am reviewing. Sometimes, I review these to give the author advice (where I do not actually write a publishable review). however, if I am writing a publishable review, I signed a contract stating that I can repost it as long as I tell people that I reviewed it for the service. Since I am disclosing that I reviewed it for a service, I do post these reviews.