Blog
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...
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....
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...
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...
Refining Your Vision: The Art of Rewriting
The Art of Rewriting and Unwriting Perhaps you've heard this old joke. A visitor to New York once asked a musician for directions, inquiring, “Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?” The answer came back: “Practice!” Whatever the art form, the development of...
Caveat Emptor. Buyer Beware When Looking for a Qualified Editor.
Caveat emptor, or buyer beware, is equally good advice for hiring an editor as it is for buying a washing machine, house, or automobile. An editor’s appearance on a list of editors—including members of freelance editorial associations—does not mean she or he is...
Mystery Writing is Murder
The first time I sat down to hammer out a manuscript (a historical romance), I made a ton of rookie mistakes. One of the biggest was the endless parade of secondary characters I had strolling through the pages. Much of the action of the book took place at a country...
Why You Need a Children’s Picture Book Editing Specialist
You’ve always wanted to do it, and now you finally have. It’s an exhilarating, wonderful feeling, and you have every reason to feel proud. You’ve written that children’s picture book—and you’re fired up and ready to publish. But stop. Before you slip your manuscript...
Hire a Book Editor? Mark Levine Interviews Lynda Lotman
1. Is there a difference between an editor who edits other mediums (magazines, web copy, etc.) and one who specializes in books? Absolutely, because the goals differ, especially for fiction. Newspaper, magazine, and web editors trim and delete to narrow the focus to...
