how to start your editing business.
|

Keys to Effective Manuscript Assessment

Here are my top tips for an effective manuscript assessment without having to read the entire manuscript to provide a quote. Use these questions to help you assess a manuscript in order to provide an editing quote—without having to read the entire manuscript first. In general, a developmental editor may be able to edit five-to-ten…

Summer Study: Editing Experimental Fiction
|

The Connection Between Character and Plot

As editors, we need to understand the connection between character and plot and how to support authors in developing this relationship effectively. How to Build the Connection Between Character and Plot A common problem you’ll come across when editing fiction is a situation where characters are shoved around like chess pieces. Margie the protagonist winds…

Summer Study: Editing Experimental Fiction
|

Growing a Developmental Editing Mindset

Editors, may I offer some suggestions on growing a developmental editing mindset? Beginning developmental editors sometimes ask me how “awful” books make it onto the New York Times bestseller list, and how can we worry about what makes a story “good” when obviously quality doesn’t matter to readers? How do “bad” books make it through…

colorful under the sea background with words finding and landing indie author clients.
| | |

Differences in Working for Indie Authors and Publisher Clients

I think it’s important for editors to understand the differences in editing for indie authors and publisher clients in order to make a thoughtful decision on which type of cient to pursie, or perhaps to attain both types of clients. Here are some of the most helpful tips I’ve gathered in my experience to help…

happy birthday club ed
| |

Club Ed Turns Six!

I established Club Ed on a bleak winter day on the Kansas prairies, dreaming of blue skies and sunshine. That was in 2018, and now it’s 2024, and I’m about to celebrate Club Ed’s sixth birthday. Pretty spectacular for something I wasn’t sure would last out the winter. The following year, I packed up The Chicago…

Querying your novel

If you’re interested in trying to land a traditional publishing deal, you need a plan. You will have to be prepared to query many agents. Getting started I always recommend starting with a list of 100 agents who represent work in your genre. I recommend making the list of 100 ahead of time because the…