Hiring a professional editor is an important part of the publishing process, but before you hand your manuscript over, some necessary groundwork should be completed. By preparing your manuscript properly, authors ensure the editing process is efficient, cost-effective, and productive. Here are some critical steps to consider before sending your work to an editor. (These come from my own experience working with debut authors and writers who are new to self-publishing.) 1. Self

Writing and publishing can feel like an uphill battle, filled with self-doubt and numerous hurdles. This weekend, I attended a local...

One of the biggest challenges some authors face is knowing when they’ve reached the end of their book. The process of wrapping up a book requires careful consideration of the narrative's structure, character arcs, and overall goals. Ask any author how they decided where and how to end their book, and you'll receive many different answers. Some authors know "the end" right from the beginning and plot their story backward. Some "pants" their way through and stop where it feels

I write a lot about marketing for authors because I don't enjoy marketing, and I know many authors feel the same way. Marketing doesn't...

Proofreaders aren't just eagle-eyed typo hunters. For many indie authors, proofreaders can often be a valuable resource for navigating the next steps in the self-publishing process. If you've never thought to ask your proofreader about what to do with your polished manuscript, here's a step-by-step guide that will take your manuscript from final polished draft to published book. This checklist assumes that you have standardized the formatting of your manuscript document and a

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...

Goal-setting is an important part of any new undertaking and can have a profound effect on productivity. If you’ve ever found yourself...

(Aka editors are human, too!) A book editor on professional online interactions In today's digital age, our interactions increasingly happen behind screens. Whether it's chatting with friends, attending virtual meetings, or working with professionals, the internet connects us in creative ways more than any other time in modern history.  However, it's essential to remember that behind every email, comment, or feedback note from an editor, there's a real person. Yes, book edito

Book reviews are crucial for the success of an author’s work. They’re so important that I’ve written about this topic before, though the focus of that post was on the differences between reader reviews and trade reviews . Reviews help a book gain exposure and visibility, as well as acting as a form of social proof and credibility for a writer. If the review is particularly constructive it can also be used to gather feedback and improve future writing. Reviews have a direct im

In today's digital age, understanding the power of lead magnets and reader magnets can significantly help writers boost their marketing...

A brand is more than just a logo or a catchy slogan. It’s the overall perception that consumers have of a product, service, business, or...

If you think no one is judging books by their covers, then you’d be wrong about this oft-underutilized aspect of book marketing. The book cover and spine or the book cover thumbnail will be the first aspects of your book that catch a potential reader’s attention. It’s pivotal that your book cover is professional and that the cover image file is sized appropriately. The last thing you want, before you even consider all of the other implications for book cover design, is a grai

In the past, I’ve talked about how freelance editors might charge for their services. There are many ways professionals might do this, but one way I discussed was using the sample edit to determine how many hours a project is estimated to take, applying an hourly rate, and then charging a full project fee. Time is, therefore, money, as the saying goes. Logically, it makes sense then that saving time will also save you money. Now, before anyone objects, let me explain what I m