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...
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...
Self-publishing still gets a bad rap, and the reason is that the vast majority of self-published books are pretty shoddy efforts. Some have been published with some investment and consideration but are often still not fully developed or of high quality. Fact is, most...
Getting representation from a literary agent is essential for anyone who wants to be published by one of the big five publishers, but agents are busy people and there are many other writers trying to get their attention. How can you make your submission materials...
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...
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 a manuscript for editing. Here are the things you can do to prepare for editing so you get the most out of it. Prepare a manuscript for editing by self-editing First, get your...
‘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...
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...
