Ubiquitous. Cool word, eh.
Yeah. I see it everywhere.
Funny. Very funny. You’re quite the Fred Dagg. First came across it in Dad’s Time magazine. Back then, I had a notebook for words I didn’t know where I’d write the meaning, part of speech, and the sentence in which it was used. “Ubiquitous” is one my KBHS Latin teacher, Mr. Staniland, would approve.
And now we have “Word of the Day” on the Internet. And for the word-nerds, grammar freaks amongst us—an editor sure is handy.
You have one?
I do.
Sweet as: quid pro bro!—you spin a yarn; I’m all ears.
Well, first to the business at hand: What I look for in an editor is someone who is competent, has a fast turnaround, and charges a fair rate for their time. There are thousands of people who meet those criteria—enough to fill a phone book (Remember those? She’s under “H.”).
So why Reba Hilbert?
Two words: Reba Hilbert.
Working with an editor is not only a professional transaction but also a relationship built on trust, respect, and honesty. That does sound like a bumper sticker for your shiny new EV, but for me one developed over many years and five books.
Birthing your literary sprogs can get messy and bloody, and Reba was my editorial midwife through my self-published works. But once cleaned up…such beauty, such beauty.
I distinctly remember that when I sent her the first draft of my children’s story, Christmas Yve, a Kiwi Elf’s Dream to join Santa, I was a nervous wreck. I cried. Like when I dropped off my eldest daughter Sadie on her first day of preschool.
Will she be okay? I hope they take good care of her. Will she be different?
And upon her return: “How was it?”
“Mrs. Hilbert taught us about misplaced modifiers.”
And working with Reba does honour the editor-writer privilege: You bare your soul; she makes it whole—grammatically, that is, in the safe working space. Why, you diehard grammar-nerds (I’m secretary of the club) could send Reba a first draft of a love letter to your beloved, and she could improve the grammar and leave the amorous intent sacrosanct.
Finally, Reba Hilbert has an excellent sense of humour. In an editor? Yes. The “e” and “h” words can coexist in the same sentence, eh.
Fancy that.
🥝🥝🥝🥝
Links:
https://rebahilbert.wixsite.com/rebahilbert
https://youtu.be/04avIJWDOhc?si=8aCtDxgXHi2L1PmW
https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of-the-day/calendar
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