Kia ora,
You may have read about the controversy surrounding the best-selling book, the Salt Path, by Raynor Winn. According to reporting from journalists at the Observer, the details about how they lost their home don’t match the account Winn gives in the Salt Path.
I want to write a longer piece about truth in travel memoir, but I am again getting over a cold. My second in three weeks. What is it about this winter? That article will have to wait.
In the meantime, check out the original article from the Observer. And here’s a good follow up article that also discusses truth in memoir.
Onto a question that is less existential than what truth is: How many books do you have?
An editor friend recently said that one of her children had the homework of counting all the books in their house. That got me keen to know how many books we have in ours. Our total came in at 491. That’s all the physical books – I didn’t count the digital ones.
Now I’m keen to know how many you have! Physical, digital, library check outs – reply and let me know your number.
Just don’t ask how many of those 491 are in my to-read pile…
Until next time, keep your writing honest and your to-read pile under control.
Cheers,
Deborah
PS. Did you catch my latest post yesterday? When do I capitalise animal names?
PPS: No newsletter next week. I’ll be in Adelaide for the Institute of Professional Editors conference. This will be my first in-person editing conference, and I’m excited to hang out with my word nerd colleagues.
📚 What I’m reading
A Light Through the Cracks, by Beth Rodden
📅 Availability
Currently booking manuscripts from early September.
If you’re thinking of getting your manuscript edited before the end of the year, reply to this email. My schedule is filling up quick!
I can give you a free sample edit, and we can jump on a video call to chat about the editing process too.
✍️ Ways to work with me
Get your manuscript evaluation
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Deborah Shaw Adventure Editing 
Deborah, this will be an interesting exercise to do on our return! I’ve wanted to clear out a lot of books we no longer want to read (but are holding on to for nostalgia).