As an author submitting queries, you may end up wondering what to do with literary agent feedback. Do you blindly accept it, completely reject it, or maybe meet somewhere in the middle? Have You Received Literary Agent Feedback? A while ago, an author came to me with a conundrum. He’d written a slow-burning psychological thriller…
In the Club Ed membership group, we were discussing a (published) how-to book aimed at writers. One of the editors mentioned how the information was presented in a confusing way and that this made it difficult for her to continue reading. Then she remarked, “My mind is generally in a state of burden.” I don’t…
Newer editors are often unsure of how to stand out from other editors. So they’ll do things that are the equivalent of wearing a fedora or a monocle. “Notice me!” these efforts say. But I have a tip to share for how to stand out as an editor! My #1 Tip to Stand Out as…
Multiple streams of income. You’ve probably heard that as a writer or editor (or writer-editor) you should have them—but how? And why? Here is my best advice for establishing multiple streams of income for editors and writers. Multiple Streams of Income for Editors and Writers Simply put, having multiple streams of income means you earn…
Are you seeking direction on how to be a novel editor? For those who love words, the question of how to become a novel editor can be an exciting start or an overwhelming obstacle. Here I share some tips on how to make it happen! I quit smoking more than twenty years ago. This doesn’t…
How can I provide effective copyediting to authors? The most effective copyediting must include an improvement and be intended to address an important issue. Sometimes when you’re copyediting a novel, you’re asked to do a medium- or heavy-level copyedit, which means you’ll be doing more than just the basics of ensuring the ms conforms to…
The Business of Storytelling Book Release Newly released book The Business of Storytelling will help editors and writers expand their resources to bring in other streams of income. If you’ve been in love with stories for a while, you’ve probably thought about making them the center of your working life. But if you’re also a…
Let’s talk about the fine art of copyediting fiction, what it means and insight into perfecting the art with integrity. Fine Art of Copyediting: When the Editor & Author’s Opinions Differ When copyediting fiction, it’s common to run up against issues that pit author preference against standard editing approaches. For example, in a story I…
In order to attract the right kind of clients for you, you have to understand what indie authors look for in editors. Some authors want you to do all the work. (These are often nonfiction authors, but some novelists do this, too.) If you’ve identified a plot problem, they want you to rewrite the story…
What are the essentials needed in a query letter? These query letter must-haves are the most important pieces a query letter needs. Tips for Query Letter Must-Haves In the course of my work (as an agent, as an acquisitions editor, now as a publishing consultant, I have found that writers often overlook a few important…