Why do I need to negotiate my book contract? Don’t publishers know best? Who is the book contract negotiation service for? Do I need a lawyer to negotiate my book contract? My friend is a lawyer – can they negotiate my book contract for me? Are you a lawyer? How are...
Editing can be a thing an author both dreads and longs for: You’ll get professional corrections and feedback on your work but what if the editor doesn’t like the work, what if they don’t like the parts of which you’re most proud, what if they don’t ‘get’ it? What if...
There are many myths out there about editing and editors, and these myths discourage writers from engaging in this crucial step in the publishing process, the one that can make their book as good as it can be. Here are some myths I see regularly in my inbox, at...
Now you’ve made the decision to hire a professional editor, you may wonder how to prepare your manuscript for editing. Here are the things you can do to prepare for editing so you get the most out of it. Self-editing your manuscript First, get your manuscript into the...
Publishing a short story collection or a book of essays is a subject that attracts some conflicting advice. On one hand, there are those who are immediately dismissive, saying many publishers don’t publish short stories at all (true), or short stories don’t sell...
‘Who’s the audience for this book?’ One of the most important questions a publisher asks when considering whether to publish a book is about its intended audience. Who is it for? Which people will need, or at least want, this book? The answer helps a publisher see...
What types of editing do you provide? What is structural editing? What is line editing and copy editing? What is proofreading? Which book categories do you work with? Do I need to book in advance? How long will the edit take? What file format should the manuscript be...
This is the kind of question that can create confusion, because there’s crossover between the categories of literary fiction and commercial fiction, and the definitions are not at all fixed. Some say the distinction is to do with the accessibility of the prose and...
The pitch letter A basic structure for a pitch letter The synopsis A basic structure for a synopsis The ‘Don’ts’ of submitting Do your best If your pitch letter does not intrigue and compel a literary agent to read your sample chapters, they won’t get as far as...
