Read, Learn, Write, Revise: 10 Assignments for the First-Time or Aspiring Author
Writing coaches and professional editors and writers often give the necessary and hopefully paralysis-breaking advice to writers: “Sit down and write,” "Get those words on the page," "Just write.” And just writing is sometimes the scariest and toughest part, but then what? We’ve bled all over the page. The words are there. What’s next?
Fit Matters: Q&A on Finding the Right Editor for Your Book
Recently, I had a great exchange on Facebook with author George Pearson. An author of two books and currently working on a third book, his books are written for the Christian market. However, the criteria George and I discussed for finding the right editor for his work is applicable for authors of various genres and topics.
You Think It’s Easy for an Editor to Critique Your Work? Think Again.
It may come as a surprise, but it is not always easy for editors to give critical feedback on manuscripts. While I believe the editorial mind is geared toward quickly noticing what's missing, wrong, or out of place, there's also a human on the other side of that mind who knows what it is like to receive criticism on creative work.
To Be or Not to Be Politically Correct—A Consideration of Words and Language
Not too long ago, I was editing a book in which I chose to use the words enslaved people instead of slaves. A person reading over the material asked, “Why not just say ‘slaves’?” I thought it was a good question, though I didn't imagine being asked about it. I know why I chose it. It was not a second thought to me. I also understood why the person asked, and it was completely innocent. But it got me thinking about how some people would actually take issue with the word choice—enslaved people—thinking, "Here we go with all this political correctness."
Scholastic Book Fairs: My First Month in Review
The move from twelve years in adult Christian publishing to mainstream children's book publishing was pretty monumental. The only place I've left after years and years of being there was home. Oh and when I moved away from the town I grew up in to come to Florida for the job I held for twelve years then left for this new thing at Scholastic. Yeah, pretty monumental for a tiny person like me. What may seem like everyday, noneventful occurrences not worth talking about are quite the opposite for me.
Happy Anniversary to Me! 10 Things I've Learned from 10 Years in Book Publishing
December 1, 2013 marked for me a completion of ten years in book publishing. I have learned so much these last ten years. But it seems that most of the real, life-changing lessons have happened in the last three or four years. It hasn't not been easy at all (mostly personally), but it has been good.
Costs to Consider When Preparing to Publish Your Book
As an independent author, you need to fully consider how much money to budget to get an industry-competitive book product to properly represent you and your message. This post will give you an idea of what to expect from the beginning and will help you navigate the best and most financially appropriate direction for publishing your book.
How to Shorten Your Nonfiction Book When You Feel You Couldn't Have Said Less
The standard word count on a typical nonfiction trade book is between 40,000 and 60,000 words. Have you written much more than this? Well, I have been known to take 100,000-word books and cut them down to 60,000 words without affecting the punch, author voice, or quality of information it contains. So let me help you meet your goal of writing a concise, well-developed nonfiction book that will keep your readers' interest and give them just the right amount of content they need to take what you have to offer and build on it themselves for their own lives.
How to Lengthen Your Nonfiction Book When You Feel Like You've SaidEverything
Are you working toward a word count and it seems like an impossible goal because you are running out of things to say? Well, let me help you. I have been known to take an author’s manuscript that was half the word count it was supposed to be and double it with these cool tricks that do not water down the content at all.
How Does One Become a Book Editor?
Though a career expert could answer this better and every editor has a different story on how they came upon their current job, I will still share my story. And feel free to leave questions in the comments.