When submitting manuscripts to publishers, authors often overlook word count requirements. When you are writing your book, word count might not even be on your mind. But publishers do care about word count.
Read MoreLots of writers find themselves stuck sometimes, and there are all sorts of tips and tricks out there, some of which are helpful. In this post I'll give you five tips that I've found helpful when writing.
Read MoreMarketing your self-published book can be difficult when you don't have any experience. Hiring a marketing professional can be expensive, but it can be worth the investment. But there is a lot you can do yourself, so here I'll give you 5 tips to get you started.
Read MoreI mainly work with new authors, and I've seen some mistakes that are easy to make. But not a lot of author realize they are making them, so I've put together a list of 4 mistakes I see and why you should avoid them.
Read MoreSomething a lot of authors struggle with is telling instead of showing. But what does that really mean? Isn't the whole point of writing to tell a story? In this post I'll cover what showing not telling means, how to spot it, and what you can do to fix it.
Read MoreHiring a designer to create your book cover is a great way to get a professional cover that appeals to readers. But how do you communicate your ideas to the designer? One way is to create a design brief, which helps you lay out all of your ideas in a way that is easy for a designer to start from.
Read MoreWe've all heard the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover," but the truth is that is exactly what we do. A cover tells the reader a ton about a book and can be the difference between them taking a closer look or moving on.
Read MoreAs a new author, it can be difficult to figure out what to do for the basics that everyone more experienced takes for granted. When you are submitting your manuscript to agents or publishers, you want to make sure your manuscript looks as professional as possible. You can use this guide to send a manuscript to an editor or designer, but the title page isn't necessary.
Read MoreHere is a list of 6 programs that can be helpful for authors. They range from help with writing to layouts for ebooks and print books to storing files. I lay out the pros, cons, price, and basic elements for each program. There are plenty of other programs available that are not covered here, which doesn't mean they aren't valuable. I also don’t get any sort of commission or benefit for recommending these programs.
Read MoreHiring a professional editor can be intimidating for new authors or authors who haven't had to find an editor on their own before. It can be hard to know where to start, or even what you are looking for. This week, I've got 5 tips for hiring an editor.
Read MoreDialogue is a core piece of many stories and is an opportunity for the reader to get to know characters and their relationships. Here are 5 quick tips for writing better dialogue.
Read MoreI have some quick tricks I've learned both as a writer and editor to easily improve the quality of your writing.
Read MoreNo one is perfect, but knowing what words trip you up will help improve your writing.
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