I’m able to offer sample edits and estimates for new projects, but I cannot deliver any additional projects until further notice. That is, if you’ve already contacted me about a project, you’re on my list. But if I hadn’t heard of your need for editing before today, I cannot start the work until I’ve completed…
Category: Writing Advice
Q&A from the Clubhouse
Wow! Last evening was so fun and energizing–I admit I was a little unsure how a live chat app would work, but we had many wonderful people join us with some pertinent questions and insights. And talking to people out loud was very energizing; I just hope I didn’t talk too fast. I was mostly…
Notes from Your Editor (Clubhouse meeting, August 12)
I hope many of you will be able to join me! As I prepare for my live chat with Nicki tomorrow, I have some notes that I’d like to share here on my website, both for listeners to follow along with, and for those who aren’t able to make it to benefit from: A. Copyediting,…
How to build an Affiliate storefront on Bookshop.org
About Bookshop.org Started in January 2020, Bookshop.org is designed to be a better alternative to Amazon, allowing readers to shop online conveniently while supporting indie bookstores, along with authors and organizations who build affiliate stores. Bookshop’s 10% affiliate fee is industry-leading: when someone buys a book from your affiliate store, 10% of the cover price…
Before Editing: A Recommended Reading List
Part of being an editor is noticing patterns—the motion of a character arc, the raveling of a resolution, or the fact that the past five paragraphs have all started with the same word. Here’s another pattern: I’ve been recommending certain articles and books to almost every client I work with, year after year. So why not…
Heroic Fantasy Author Q&A, Bonus
Flame Tree Publishing has posted the second part of its Q&A with the authors of the stories in Heroic Fantasy. This time, we talk about our writing and editing methods and recommend some of our favorite reads in the genre. Take a look and something might inspire you! Though each author answered both questions, method and favorite…
A Checklist to Start Publishing Short Fiction
This post originally went live on Fictionvale in 2014 and was reprinted in Short Story Writer Magazine. Unfortunately, Fictionvale has since closed and the article is no longer available online. I’m taking the opportunity to repost it while I’m moving to my new apartment and have less time available to blog. While it’s focused on…
12 Words to (Almost Always) Cut
Strong stories are not necessarily short. They don’t need to be Hemingway-esque masterpieces of bare prose (even Hemingway didn’t always write that way). And it would be hypocritical to argue for only short sentences or short paragraphs when I have to make a conscious effort to write either. But in a strong story, every word…
The Big List of Writing Writing Resources, Part One
You can write your story with nothing but a reasonably flat surface and something that leaves a mark, but it’s a lot easier when you have the right tools. Happily, there are a lot of useful resources out there. Here are some of my favorites. I encountered a few while writing The Starter Guide for Professional…
Common edits to improve your writing
A lot of editing and rewriting involves relatively minor mechanical and technical changes. A lot. Not that I’m complaining; making these simple changes is a routine part of my work, and if nothing else it keeps me steadily employed. Many of them are changes I make to my own writing on a second draft! However,…