In 2021, I ran a series of Author Spotlight posts. Every month, I showcased an indie author and interviewed them to find out more about their writing life. In case you missed any of them, here's a list of all the authors I interviewed! Read the full interviews for some stellar writing advice and funny anecdotes. Mary Ann Tippett Mary Ann Tippett is a writer who moved from Indiana to Ottawa, thereby rendering her law degree useless. She worked ten years pursuing fraudsters, li

We participate in conversations every day, so you'd think it'd be easy to write dialogue. But it's not. Writing a conversation is not the same as having one, and there are many things to think about when it comes to representing speech on paper. I've broken down a few aspects of writing dialogue here to help you out. Stylistic conventions of writing dialogue differ slightly depending on what country you're in and what style guide you use. I write and edit using the Chicago Ma

Is proofreading really a necessary part of publishing a book? Yes, yes it is. But not everyone needs to hire a proofreader. Why? Let's start with the basics. What is proofreading? As I stated in my post where I explain the levels of editing, proofreading is the final stage of editing that takes place after a manuscript has been edited and typeset. This is the quality control stage where any remaining errors are corrected. If you skip this stage, your book will likely go out i

You've done your research into both traditional publishing and self-publishing, and you've decided self-publishing is for you. Now what? How do you get your manuscript from draft to published book? First of all, we should establish that self-publishing is the equivalent of running your own business. You are in charge of everything, so you have to know what you're doing if you want to be successful. Here are seven tips to help you on your way. 1. Hire a Professional Editor If

Remember my posts listing 5 podcasts for readers and 5 podcasts for writers? Well, here are 5 more podcasts for readers and/or writers. Yes, I listen to a lot of podcasts. For Real, A Nonfiction Podcast From Book Riot Looking for some nonfiction book recommendations? This bi-weekly Book Riot podcast with Alice and Kim will give you plenty of new and backlist nonfiction options. This podcast is wonderful for readers looking to spice up their reading life and for writers intere

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) takes place every November, and people try to write an entire novel—50,000 words—in one month. That may sound like a steep goal, but it's doable! This year I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time. I hadn't written fiction since high school, and I started this challenge ten days late. And yes, it has definitely been a challenge. As I write this post, there are four days left in November, and I have 65

Most people haven't heard of a manuscript evaluation, which is surprising and unfortunate because it's a cheaper way for authors to receive feedback and improve their manuscript before paying for in-depth editing. What do manuscript evaluations cover? A manuscript evaluation covers the same material as a developmental edit but on a more general scale. This includes feedback on multiple aspects of a story: Plot Characterization Pacing Tone Verb Tense Word Choice World-building

I've written a post about 5 Podcasts for Readers, but what about for writers? There are so many podcasts out there offering fantastic writing and publishing advice for those trying to get their stories out in the world. These are five of my favourite podcasts for writers. The Editing Podcast with Louise Harnby and Denise Cowle In The Editing Podcast, editors Louise and Denise provide all kinds of writing and editing advice for authors. Learn why editing is important, how to f

One of the things I comment on the most when I edit is overemphasis. People love using exclamation marks and bolding text to make sure it really stands out. Your characters scream sometimes, or they yell at each other, or something they say is really important. But trust me, you do not need all of those exclamation marks and question marks, and you especially do not need the bolded text, the sentences in all caps, or the italicized text. Take the following paragraph, for exam

Many people ask what they can do to become a better writer. The best writing advice I can give you is to read more books. Why Is Reading Important? Reading is important for many reasons, including the fact that reading is good for your brain. But reading is particularly important for writers because it helps hone the writing craft. Reading is like studying for writers—the more you study and the more you practice, the better you'll get at writing. Reading published books can g

Deciding whether to self-publish or traditionally publish can be difficult. Both of these routes have pros and cons, and it's worth thinking about which one suits you best before you jump into one or the other. First, ask yourself why you want to publish. Do you want to be the next Julie Murphy or NK Jemisin? Do you want to publish a memoir only for your family and friends? The purpose of your writing and the audience of your work will help determine what publishing journey f

Words have power. They can empower people and tear down civilizations, and they can also bore people to tears. Back when authors were paid by the word, stuffing manuscripts full of filler words was acceptable. Nowadays, not so much. Filler words are words that add nothing to the text. You can think of them as unnecessary words, or fluff (as we said in university). These words slow down the pace of a story, make sentences wordy, and turn readers away. Editors and writers alike

One of the hot topics in the writing and editing world is editing rates. How much do editors charge? How much should editors charge? Both independent authors and new freelance editors want to know about the money side of the business. Before we dive into how editors determine their rates and what authors can expect to pay, we need to remember that both editors and authors are human beings who need to make a living. Editors need to make enough to cover their grocery bills, ren

Do you ever wonder how editors keep everything consistent when they edit? How do they know which spellings to use and whether an author uses the Oxford comma? Answer: they use style sheets and style guides! Style sheets and style guides are life savers for editors. They make our lives so much easier and keep the editing process efficient. Style sheets Style sheets are documents where editors keep track of all the stylistic decisions they make, and sometimes content points as

No matter what you write, whether it's blog posts, essays, cookbooks, short stories, novels, or textbooks, you will need an editor. Why? Even if you have fantastic spelling and grammar, another pair of eyes can do wonders for your work. I'm a professional editor, and I always get someone to read over my blog posts and sometimes even my emails before sending them out. Fresh Eyes You are familiar with your work. The brain is a funny thing; it will trick you into skipping over t