by Karin Graham, editor No one wants to read anything that looks like the terms of use for the average computer software. Why do we insist on writing like that? For example, here is an excerpt of the Terms of Use for the Waze app.* All words in this entire blog entry that are in boldface …
by Amy Bennet, editor As a writer, I get it. You’ve worked hard on your book. You just want to know if it’s good, and if there are things you can do to make it better. You have options when it comes to editing. Developmental editing, also called content editing or substantive editing, is a …
by Floyd Largent Content Editor | Books | Short Stories If you’ve recently completed a book-length manuscript, it’s best to run it past another pair of eyes before you send it out into the world. As the author, you may be too close to the project to see its potential flaws, from minor continuity errors …
John Ethier’s new novel, a basketball thriller titled The Little Red Boat, was edited by Marie Valentine of Book Editing Associates. Here, she gets more information on his process. Tell us about your book. The Little Red Boat is the story of two friends, Jamie and Angel, who come from a small town in northern …
How to Solve the Appositive Problem by Editor John David Kudrick In the first part of this post, we looked at some basics of grammar, including the use of the appositive and how lengthy appositives can interrupt the reader’s flow. Near the end of Part 1, we looked at three examples of this: Jason, the …
by Marie Valentine, editor Say you’ve written 35,000 to 75,000 words worth of short stories. Nicely done. Now it’s time to publish. Some publishers focus on anthologies by genre or year, mixing many authors together. Other publishers group stories by era of an author’s writing career, for example: early stories, later stories, best of, etc. …
by Marie Valentine, editor Sometimes we don’t want to put our writing out into the world because we fear rejection. To be a successful writer, you are going to experience some of this mental pain. But if you want to keep your promise to yourself to be a writer, you will need to thicken your …
by Hannah Earthman Fiction and Nonfiction Book Editor People love their stories—a phenomenon that writers may understand and count on to a greater extent than the average Joe. But are you, as a nonfiction writer, giving your reader enough story? Typically the art of spinning a good yarn is deemed the domain of fiction writers, …
by David Alan, editor and writer The general consensus among aspiring authors is that any yahoo can self-publish but it’s almost impossible to sell your book to a traditional publisher. The first part is certainly true, but selling to traditional publishers is actually realistic. Each year, traditional publishers in the United States publish approximately 300,000 …
By Beth Bruno Who says editors aren’t biased? Certainly no honest editor worth their salt (See, there goes this editor’s prejudice already, choosing the plural “their” over the traditional “he”) would claim to edit with linguistic purity with regard to English grammar, usage, and syntax. For one thing, history alone has accounted for significant change …
by Caroline Hiley, Professional Book Editor, Copy Editor, Proofreader The simplest path to a satisfying editing job is for the author and editor to TALK TO EACH OTHER. That may seem obvious, but I’m constantly amazed by how often the two parties fail to communicate, and end up unhappy with the process and/or the result. “Writer” …
by Floyd Largent, editor While most writers are patient about the length of the book editing process, I suspect every editor has had clients who have pestered them to “Just get on with it” and “Hurry up, already.” Those are usually the same ones unhappy with the results, because you’ve had to scurry and not do …
How long will it take to edit your book? Consider your expectations as author by Marie Valentine, editor and proofreader Just as your story arc took time to develop and come to fruition, so too does a copy edit from your editor. Don’t be surprised if you have to wait a few weeks or months …
How many drafts must a writer draft Before you call it a book? How many times must you read the text Before your editor looks? Yes, how many times should it be revised To get a reader hooked? The answer my friend is seven. Last week I was invited to speak to Wrimo India, …
By Rachel Stone When you are shopping around for an editor, your tendency might be, as in all things, to compare prices and to go with the lowest bidder. Buyer beware—especially in the field of editing. All editors are indeed not created equal, and here are some of the things you might want to find …
by Stacey Donovan Editor’s note: Based on a true story. Identifying characteristics in regard to plot, setting, gender, and genre have been changed to protect the innocent wannabe novelist. Potential client’s introduction Please indulge me the following questions about you and your services. To those who’ve already given generously of your time (after editing my …
by Beth Bruno, Ed.M., M.A., freelance book editor When I first began writing, I wrote for my eyes only in a journal. As relatively random thoughts deepened, some of them began to take shape into personal essays and opinion pieces that I thought other people might be interested in reading. But I was shy about …
Proofreader and Editor Marie Valentine discusses best clients, fave fiction, perks of the job, and her journey into editing What do you like most about your job as a freelance writer/editor? I am so lucky to do what I love. The best part is the variety of amazing manuscripts I get to read. I enjoy …
by Rachel Stone Help is here—in the form of your editor. It is definitely scary thinking of publishing for the first time, sharing your writing with someone else—in this case—your unseen audience somewhere “out there,” can be downright paralyzing. And you’re nervous that your grammar might not be quite right, or maybe your book isn’t …
by Ali Williams “He left the theatre, contemplating his own intensity.” – line in a recent manuscript Last week I edited a sample chapter from a dystopian chick-lit manuscript. The author thought my advice was spot on and my open time slot fit her deadline. I quoted her 2.5 cents per word for a developmental …
by Amy Bennet I believe in beta readers. Anyone can be a beta reader (also called a first reader), from your mom to your best friend to your coworker to your favorite librarian. A beta reader is anyone who reads your work and tells you what they think. Their feedback can be incredibly useful, and …
by Alice Day I recently blogged about how I worked with a writer who wrote, and published, her first novel. When working on her second novel, she called me again. She had expected writing the second one would be easier, that she would know what to do. She was surprised to find …
by Stacey Donovan My life is blessed with ghosts. Those of my grandfather, my father and my uncle, specifically, all of whom wanted to be writers. My grandfather snagged the boat over from Ireland and became a Boston shoe salesman instead. My father ended up a stockbroker in New York City after foregoing his novelist …
DJ Braxton You have written a book or you are in the process of writing one. That’s great! Maybe you’re just thinking about writing one. It’s going to be a bestselling novel. Or maybe it is more practical—a tool for promoting your coaching practice, something you can sell at a public-speaking event. You need …
By David A. Cathcart Many writers, especially first-time writers, are hesitant to hire an editor to help them prepare their manuscript for publication or to send out to agents and publishers. Ironically, this reluctance to engage with a qualified editor could be the very thing that stands between the writer and publishing success. Here …
Review of Scenic Utah by Mike Bahl with author interview by Marie Valentine, Editor Mike Bahl and I became friends when I published two of his stories in a chapbook collaboration for a publishing festival in Milwaukee. I expressed admiration for Mike’s writing and offered to be his early reader and editor. He’s become …