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The Art of Editing Fiction
Fiction Editing Fiction is an art, and editors must be respectful of that. Typically, the best fiction engages readers in such a way that they fully embrace the alternate universe created by the writer and immediately "get" this other world. There should be no...
Common Lies Self-Published Authors Believe
As an indie author I have to confess that I am guilty of believing a lie---not just one, but many. They are the same lies I see self-published authors fall for all the time. I see the lies in tweets, in emails, in DM's and blog posts. The lies run rampant. The lies...
Choosing an Editor for Your Science Fiction Manuscript
More than in any other genre of fiction, readers of science fiction want to be challenged. Most science fiction readers consider themselves intellectually gifted due to their ability to stretch their minds around conceptual advances contained within a story. Boring,...
Author-Editor Triads
The Author-Editor Relationship There’s lots of information out there for writers about how to write, and for editors about how to edit. But not much about how to interact with each other. It used to be that authors and editors were separated by a publishing house....
How to Choose a Copy Editor
Who needs a copy editor? For a year now (or two, or ten), you have been hammering away at your manuscript, revising and reworking every scene and nuance until you know the characters better than you know your spouse. You have sacrificed sleep, dinner with friends,...
Developmental Fiction Editing
I’d like to preface by saying two things. First, hiring a freelance book editor is not going to guarantee you a publishing contract. Second, editors approach their work differently. To be clear, the information that I am sharing applies to me and only me. I am not...
Beware the Lowball: Editing Rate Quotes
Why Different Editors Quote Different Fees You'll note that this site contains articles to help writers learn how to select an editor. Of course, we think you should strongly consider an editor from our freelance network. At a minimum, we want you to be an educated...
Book Publishing Companies: How Publication Decisions Are Made
Book Publishing Companies Publishing a book: The selection process A book publishing company is a business enterprise, and its job is to make a profit by manufacturing and distributing a product for sale, just like any other business. A publisher’s product, the book,...
Developmental (Content) Editing Comes Before Copyediting
The Book Construction Process I like to think of editing fiction as the construction of a building. For new writers who are interested in or who have already reached out to an editing professional, I find this “picture” helps to give a sense of the chronology when it...
Self-Publishing Done Well: The Human Touch
A professional has the experience and depth of knowledge to aid the self-publishing author in tackling the various steps needed before a book is ready for publishing and distribution. Dependence on software results in writing gaffes that annoy readers and embarrass authors. Software hasn’t been able to replace the human touch.
Fiction or Nonfiction?
A friend of mine who writes nonfiction once asked me what I thought was the difference between fiction and nonfiction writing: "Nonfiction is what's true, right?" I gave my friend an easy answer, that nonfiction is factual text or opinions and that fiction is stories,...
Fiction Classification: Literary or Genre? Short Story, Novella, or Novel?
The literary definition of fiction Fiction is a narrative told in prose form about events not true to life. Many books include disclaimers that the work is made up solely by the author's imagination, and any similarities the tale bears to real events are coincidences....
The Difference Between Agents, Publishers, and Editors
Almost all freelance editors, at one time or another, get the question: "Can you edit my book and get it published?" The simple answer is no. The two are totally separate. Freelance copyeditors or substantive/development editors do not publish books. They prepare your...
How to Write a Best-seller
What makes a best-seller? No one has a definitive answer, but mine satisfies me: The reader never sees the words. Got your attention, didn't I? Well, the real title of this is The Psychology of Reading; What's Going on In a Reader's Mind, which is a goal all writers...
How Does a Developmental Editor Work with a Writer?
Before you submit your manuscript to an agent or publisher ... And before you pay for copyediting or proofreading ... For a writer seeking to find an agent and/or publisher, working with a developmental editor before submission is an invaluable advantage. Once a...
