What is your book’s category? How long is your book? Have you had any kind of editing or editorial input on this book? What kind of editing do you think you need? Have you written a book before? What are your goals and your timeframe for this book? How did you find...
Self-publishing seems like a great way to make some money from your writing: you keep creative control of your book, you receive a higher share of the royalties, and it doesn’t have to be expensive, and so lots of people are doing it. But let’s be clear: there’s...
Not all who can do something can explain how they do it, but sometimes great authors have great writing advice to impart. Here, I’ve collected some of my favourite quotes. Read “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write...
There’s a major difference between a first draft and a self-edited draft. The more self-editing you do, the closer you’ll get to a final draft. When a manuscript is in good shape because the author has done plenty of self-editing, it’s easier to communicate its value...
Or, Are You Ready to Hear Your Book Isn’t Ready to Publish? You’ve got a lengthy letter from your editor (or agent), full of editorial feedback and advice, and talking about revisions which sound pretty extensive and your heart sinks into your boots because you...
Writing a book is a very personal act of creativity, so it’s hardly surprising when authors fret over what to do in response to negative reader reviews of their hard work. It’s all too easy to take it personally and catastrophise that a bad review spells doom for your...
From time to time, I’m asked to sign an NDA before an author will tell me anything about their book. I never agree, and in fact this request makes me and many of my colleagues go sharply into reverse because of what it tells us about the author. The request never...
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...
