SUBSCRIBE to TheReedersBlock.com and follow for more writing tips with strategies to connect with other people. This article is 100% human-written. It’s embarrassing to send misspelled texts, but comma splices are just as bad because they create confusion. They might be a bit worse for that reason. If you’re dating or interacting with someone whoContinueContinue reading “How to Fix Comma Splices, Simply Put”
Category Archives: writing
Detailed Examples on How to Fix Run-On Sentences in Intentional Communication
iPhones gave us the ability to edit messages, but errors still pop up. It’s nothing like sending “Tgats true” to a person you’re just beginning to know. If they don’t have an iPhone, you can’t fix that mistake. Luckily, autocorrect usually catches blatant typos like that. But it doesn’t catch one of the biggest issues:ContinueContinue reading “Detailed Examples on How to Fix Run-On Sentences in Intentional Communication”
How to Write a Really Good Grammatically Correct Sentence
The above is the tentative cover for the upcoming book How to Write a Really Good Sentence. *The title has been changed to remove the word “great”. How to Write a Really Good Sentence is a short-but-detailed book needed by every employee or business owner because those who struggle to write according to the rulesContinueContinue reading “How to Write a Really Good Grammatically Correct Sentence”
Managers Who Write Badly are Laughed at
I wrote An Explanation of Quotation Marks, Commas, Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences for business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, supervisors, managers or anybody who wants to learn how to write better. You don’t have to be a writing expert, but you should have a basic understanding of writing before sending out that email to dozens ofContinueContinue reading “Managers Who Write Badly are Laughed at”
How to Write with Ai
Photo from FreePik.com You’ve probably had a report or essay due within a day, which happened to be the day after a hard night out. With a headache booming in your skull, you sat down at the computer, queued up the ChatGPT app and instructed it to write a paper. And then you saw theContinueContinue reading “How to Write with Ai”
Self-Publishing “Guru” Emeka Ossai’s New… Scam 🤷♂️???
A few weeks ago, self-proclaimed self-publishing “guru” Emeka Ossai announced plans to close his My Self Publishing Blueprint course. I had written a blog on Emeka where I questioned his claims of the self-publishing success on which he founded the legitimacy of his course. I was relieved recently to see he was closing the course,ContinueContinue reading “Self-Publishing “Guru” Emeka Ossai’s New… Scam 🤷♂️???”
How I Got My First Book Deal and How You Can Too
Image from RedBubble.com. Jermaine Reed, MFA is an Adjunct English Professor and writer from Chicago, who writes fiction, nonfiction and local and national news stories. Join Jermaine’s email list to get notifications on new blog posts, writing advice and free books. Get his recently released Science Fiction novel A Glitch in Humanity by clicking here.ContinueContinue reading “How I Got My First Book Deal and How You Can Too”
Saying “No” to Family and Friends: Financial Stability
In the above photo from WordPress, two friends disagree over a loan About the author: Jermaine Reed, MFA is an adjunct college professor and writer from Chicago, who creates fiction, nonfiction and local and national news stories. For self-publishers, authors and other writers and Creatives, Jermaine provides proofreading on Fivver. Please join Jermaine’s email listContinueContinue reading “Saying “No” to Family and Friends: Financial Stability”
Beware of Slum “Publishers”
Photo by Pexel For the umpteenth time, an agent has rejected your manuscript. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw the email, but the excitement the agent led with is gone by the fourth word. You exhale, sinking into yourself like a deflated ballon. What’s the purpose of writing all of this if youContinueContinue reading “Beware of Slum “Publishers””
Beware of Slum “Publishers”
Photo by Pexel For the umpteenth time, an agent has rejected your manuscript. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw the email, but the excitement the agent led with is gone by the fourth word. You exhale, sinking into yourself like a deflated ballon. What’s the purpose of writing all of this if youContinueContinue reading “Beware of Slum “Publishers””
Celebrating Your Own Success — Guilt Free
Photo by Viajero on Pexels.com This Thanksgiving, don’t forget to be thankful for yourself. We live in a society that tells us success is a must. So, we spend long days studying and even longer nights working, just to have a taste of that sought-after success. It’s not until we’re single, 40, lonely and stuckContinueContinue reading “Celebrating Your Own Success — Guilt Free”
Review of Emeka Ossai: More Fiction than Fact
Screenshot of Emeka’s YouTube video by J Reed If you’re a blossoming self-publisher, author or other form of writer, you’ve likely encountered information by the charismatic Emeka Ossai. Through grammatically-incorrect emails, Emeka pushes his self-publishing course called ”My Self-Publishing Blueprint.” I’ve noticed an uptick in traffic on my website to an article I wrote concerningContinueContinue reading “Review of Emeka Ossai: More Fiction than Fact”
A Review of Emeka Ossai and How He Preys on Self-Publishers and Authors
During a recent search on YouTube while trying to find information on how to sell my self-published books, I came across Emeka Ossai, a charismatic young man originally from Canada who now lives in Mexico (I believe). In my opinion, Emeka is the last person you should spend your money with, if you take writingContinueContinue reading “A Review of Emeka Ossai and How He Preys on Self-Publishers and Authors”
Your Manuscript Has Been Rejected. Now What?
You’ve spent 100 million hours writing, rewriting and editing and proofreading your novel and then BOOM! every agent and publisher you sent it to rejects it. Now what? That question could be a hard one. Some writers would just move on to the next project. Before doing that, I ask, what did the rejection lettersContinueContinue reading “Your Manuscript Has Been Rejected. Now What?”
Manuscript Anxiety
I once read somewhere the hardest part of writing comes after the manuscript is complete. Later, I read that all first drafts were trash. I thought the people who wrote those things were idiots. How wrong I was. Some people have problems putting words on the page. This is why most manuscripts are never finished.ContinueContinue reading “Manuscript Anxiety”
Inspiration Comes from Everywhere
As you’ll find if you read my blog thoroughly enough, I grew up in the Robert Taylor Projects on the Southside of Chicago. If you do any research, you’ll find it was not the ideal place to grow up, being overwhelmed with drugs and gang activity. But it is where I am from, and IContinueContinue reading “Inspiration Comes from Everywhere”
Increasing Book Sales With KDP Rocket
*Updated 01/25/2025 This article is about how to increase book sales with Publisher Rocket. As a note, “Publisher Rocket” is formerly “KDP Rocket”. It was designed by Dave Chesson, This is a Publisher Rocket review that’s straightforward and describes the benefits of the program. To continue, Publisher Rocket is a program that is not aContinueContinue reading “Increasing Book Sales With KDP Rocket”
What It Means to Be a Self-Published, Indie Author in 2018
A lot of writers who do not have book deals classify themselves as self-published or indie authors. They take on that title and expect instant success. Most of the time, if their first book does not do well, these “authors” drop out of the race to being America’s next great writer. Over the last twoContinueContinue reading “What It Means to Be a Self-Published, Indie Author in 2018”
Becoming Writer: Formal Education as an Author Versus None as a Writer
Yesterday, a fellow blogger asked me a good question about formal education as a writer versus no formal education as a writer. A lot of writers struggle with this. Some see education as the end all, be all that will make them a best-seller. Others who don’t have this education sometimes feel inadequate. It tookContinueContinue reading “Becoming Writer: Formal Education as an Author Versus None as a Writer”
How to Write a Book
Recently, I have been working my ass off, writing, finishing my MFA and going to school while also helping to raise my three daughters. The question I am constantly asked is, “How do you find time to write?” I don’t find time. I make time. That’s the difference. Life will give you a million reasonsContinueContinue reading “How to Write a Book”
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