Erika M. Weinert, author of 'Cursing with Style', shares her experience and knowledge of expletives in editing fiction. The podcast discusses the challenges of editing curse words, the nerdier side of language, and the book's creation and anniversary. Erika's hilarious and informative book is recommended for anyone with a love for spicy language.
'Cursing with Style' is a quirky dictionary of curse words compiled by Erika Weinert with input from editors and friends, featuring extensive word lists and personalized remarks for each word.
Erika Weinert shares her experience of publishing 'Cursing with Style', highlighting the quicker process compared to editing fiction manuscripts, the support received from a self-publishing consulting service, and the importance of maintaining consistency in the editing process.
Deep dives
Erica Weiner's Book 'Cursing with Style'
Erica Weiner, a copy editor and line editor, discusses her book 'Cursing with Style.' Originally created as a personal reference for editing books with frequent cursing, the book has become a quirky dictionary of curse words. Erica sought input from editor groups and friends to compile an extensive list of words and variations. The book includes remarks for each word, adding a personal touch. Erica highlights the role of consistency in editing and the challenges of dealing with the various forms and spellings of curse words. The book has gained attention and is being used by a wide range of people, including screenwriters and playwrights. Erica also shares her experience of celebrating the book's anniversary and future plans for events and appearances.
The Publishing Process and Collaboration
Erica describes the publishing process for her book, remarking that it was quicker compared to editing fiction manuscripts. She converted her existing Excel spreadsheet into a Word document. Erica received assistance from a self-publishing consulting service and engaged an editor for the project. She mentions seeking input from Facebook editing groups to gather additional words and reflects on the creative remarks she included for each word. Erica also discusses the potential use of her book for screenplays and the challenges of maintaining consistency in the editing process, highlighting examples from the book.
Erica's Favorite Words and Book Availability
Nadia asks Erica about her favorite curse words from the book. Erica shares that 'shitballs' and 'shibbles' are personal favorites. Nadia appreciates Erica's lively personality and how it shines through in the book. They discuss where to find 'Cursing with Style,' including Amazon, Bookshop.org, and third-place books. Erica mentions her book's presence in local libraries and upcoming events, such as Audemall's Creeps Miss Three event.
Erika M. Weinert (known as The Werd Nerd) celebrates the one-year anniversary of her book, Cursing with Style. The book contains more than 100 entries and is meant to aid editors in keeping expletives consistent throughout their clients’ manuscripts.
Erika is a line and copy editor with more than a decade of experience in the industry. Having researched more bad words in her career than she cares to admit, Erika shares her knowledge with other authors and editors—especially those who edit fiction.
In this episode, Erika explains how she started writing the book and what led to the idea. Cursing with Style is hilarious, easy to read, and ideal for anyone with an affinity for spicy language. This interview is lighthearted, fun, and full of laughter!
Cursing with Style: A Dicktionary of Expletives on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578296403
The Werd Nerd's website: https://www.the-werd-nerd.com
The Birth of Cursing with Style blog post: https://www.the-werd-nerd.com/post/the-birth-of-cursing-with-style
Oddmall's Creepsmas 3 event page, where Erika will be selling autographed copies of her book in November 2023: https://allevents.in/monroe/oddmall-emporium-of-the-weird-creepsmas-3-dawn-of-the-toys/200024883461841
My Word Publishing (the self-publishing project management and consulting service that Erika used to publish her book): https://www.mywordpublishing.com/
Ron Lamberson's book that is mentioned during the interview, The Poachers of Immortality: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4Z3LYW1?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tpbk