Cathy Lim lives in Hoover, Alabama.
| What are some names of the books or other media you have created? |
| RatedReads.com is my web creation; I love books and words, and I love to share suggestions with others. Rated Reads is unlike the many other book review websites out there in that I give ratings to books for content: “none” or “mild” for fairly clean books, and “moderate” and “high” for those with more profanity, sexual content or violence. It has almost 2,000 reviews now. I’ve also written all kinds of articles over the past few decades about lots of topics; one set I’m really proud of is a series about plastic surgery for KSL.com. |
| What inspired you to become a creator of media? |
| I went into journalism in college because I love being able to learn and write about … everything! What I was particularly passionate about right from the start was editing. I’ve primarily done copy editing over the years, and it allows me not just to “fix errors” but to really bring out the best in someone else’s work. Sure, I do clean up copy so their stories and characters can shine, and I often suggest better phrasing or words so their ideas are expressed just as they intend. It’s a collaborative process that results in the best creation. |
| What has been the highlight of your career so far? |
| After 30 years in the journalism/writing/editing business, it’s really hard to pick one thing. I’d say I’ve enjoyed most working for LDS Living and with Deseret Digital Media as a copy editor because I get to collaborate on producing inspiring and uplifting articles. I’ve met wonderful people. Moving more into editing book manuscripts has been something I have wanted to do for a long time, and I’ve enjoyed working with the authors I’ve edited for so far. I’m liking the trajectory of my career. |
| What was the best advice you’ve ever been given in your creative journey? |
| Love what you do and do what you love. |
| What advice do you have for someone just starting out in your field? |
| Don’t be afraid to show how passionate you are about something. You don’t have to always present yourself in a dry, professional manner. Show that spark of excitement and passion you have for what you do and the job you may hope to have. |
| What keeps you inspired in your daily creative work? |
| I think just reading and learning keep my brain active and my creative juices flowing. I get excited by learning new things and reading something that’s really imaginative, well-written, or thought-provoking. That stimulates me to go out there and similarly create. |
| What would you like others to know about you or your creative process? |
| Words are currency. Using precisely the right word is a passion of mine. I love how we have tens of thousands of words at our disposal. I love the thesaurus. It’s a wonderful tool. I’ll sometimes sit and stew for five or ten minutes over something I’m writing or editing, clicking through options in the online thesaurus, pondering and searching for the exact word I know is out there to express a thought, an intent. Synonyms don’t often mean words are exactly alike; they have shades of meaning, and I won’t settle for the wrong one. |
| In what ways do you feel you have been able to be a voice for good in your creative pursuits? |
| I think my book review website, Rated Reads, is a particular force for good. It provides crucial information to thousands of readers (and parents of readers) If we’re seeking after works that are virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, it helps to have pertinent information about the millions of books that are available at our fingertips. Some, it’s pretty easy to tell we won’t find content that’s of good report, but others … it’s a complete mystery until we get into the pages and run into things we’d rather not find. My site is a great service. |
You can learn more about Rated Reads at https://ratedreads.com
Cathy’s copy-editing site is at https://cathycarmodelim.com
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