top of page
Blog
FEATURED POST
MUST-HAVE PUBLISHING RESOURCES FOR AUTHORS
The saying “you don’t know what you don’t know” is so true when it comes to publishing, whether it’s self-publishing or traditional publishing. Authors are writers first and foremost. They know the craft of writing but it’s all the other steps—revising and editing, publishing, and marketing—that can be daunting, even to the most seasoned among them. This blog post compiles more than fifty links to vetted publishing industry resources. And it's still growing! (updated May 2024)
Search
Elements of style: the art of mood in fiction
A novel's atmosphere—or emotional landscape—which colors every scene is also known as mood, and it’s one of the most effective tools a...
Feb 213 min read
Elements of style: the art of tone in fiction
When readers dive into a novel, they’re not just seeking plot twists or compelling characters (though those are important!). They’re also...
Jan 244 min read
Top 3 book opening mistakes (and how to fix them)
Every write knows that a strong opening to their book is crucial for engaging readers. It's the first impression, the hook, that either...
Jun 14, 20243 min read
Unraveling your narrative with a reverse outline
Have you ever found yourself lost in the labyrinth of your own writing? Do your characters often run away with the plot? Are you staring...
May 24, 20244 min read
Lead magnets vs. reader magnets
In today's digital age, understanding the power of lead magnets and reader magnets can significantly help writers boost their marketing...
Mar 29, 20243 min read
Writing in third person
Limited vs. omniscient narration Third person narration is a literary style where the narrative is told from the perspective of a...
Dec 8, 20235 min read
Dialogue tags & action beats
Formatting attributes of speech alongside action in fiction I've written about the basics of formatting dialogue here. This blog is a...
Nov 17, 20234 min read
Query Letter 101
A query letter is a formal letter that a writer sends to literary agents or publishers to introduce themselves and their work with the...
Sep 8, 20233 min read
Book review: Mark of the Raven
by Morgan L. Busse Published November 6, 2018 Publisher: Bethany House Publishers Genre: High fantasy, epic fantasy, young adult This is...
Aug 25, 20232 min read
Elements of a successful book: metadata
Metadata feels like a nebulous term, and for many writers, it’s components seem hard to pin down. However, it’s vital that your book has...
Jul 20, 20232 min read
Elements of a successful book: the back cover blurb
You’ve written your book and edited the heck out of it, and you don’t want to deal with it anymore. Sounds about right? But then you...
Jul 6, 20235 min read
Elements of a successful book: title
Book titles and subtitles feel pretty basic—every book has a title (at least), and I don’t think it’s controversial to say that your book...
Jun 22, 20233 min read
Formatting dialogue in fiction
A grammar miniblog Most writers are familiar with the basics of formatting dialogue in fiction such as in the following examples: “I...
Apr 27, 20233 min read
Keeping readers engaged: the first ten pages of your novel
Ask anyone and they’ll likely say that writing a book is a hard job. Ask a writer and they’ll likely say that starting to write a book is...
Mar 17, 20235 min read
Narrative tense
Writers have a lot to consider when they choose the narrative tense of their novel. Deciding on the right tense for your story has a...
Feb 6, 20233 min read
Line- and copyediting versus proofreading
Sometimes, it can be difficult to keep the stages of editing straight and remember exactly what each one includes. From my experience,...
Dec 16, 20223 min read
Manuscript evaluations
What developmental editors do can be a bit of a mystery to the uninitiated, so I asked some of my DE colleagues for a broad picture of...
Dec 8, 20223 min read
Hiring a beta reader
Beta readers are a pivotal part of the self-publishing process. They read your manuscript with the eye of an “average” reader, helping to...
Nov 17, 20223 min read
Lowering editing costs
In the editing world, time really is money. Editors have to strike a balance between setting a rate they can live on and completing work...
Nov 10, 20223 min read
Style sheets
One of the first things I learned about that was new to me as a freelance proofreader and editor was style sheet creation. Yet, it’s...
Oct 27, 20223 min read
bottom of page