Editing & Writing Tips
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How to Choose Your Editor(s)
Experience is a key aspect of finding the right editor to work with, but it’s not the only thing to consider. I like to break down my list of things to ask/information to gather into two levels: the vibe check and the details.
Take Advantage of Grants for Writers & Artists
There’s a hard truth when it comes to self-publishing: the cost falls on the shoulders of the writer, and—when publishing is done right—that cost can be high! If you’re struggling with the costs...
Expanding Your Network, Part II: Literary Events
See Expanding Your Network, Part I: Associations Last week, I highlighted a few writers'/editors' associations to help you begin (or continue) growing your network. This week, I'm focusing on the...
Expanding Your Network, Part I: Associations
Social media is great for beginning to build your writing (or editing) community. Whether your book is out and you need it boosted, you’re in the querying trenches and need to feel understood, or...
Happy Anniversary to In the Margins
Today is the official one-year anniversary of In the Margins! Fact: Although I’ve been freelance editing since my early 20s—over 16 years now (ouch)—it wasn’t until 2022 that I officially formed my...
Remember: Feedback is Subjective
The end of August was a bit of a hassle with some emergency vet visits (all good now!), so after a brief hiatus from the Friday Tips, I'm back! Writers, you don’t have to accept every edit or...
Writing Believable Dialogue
You've likely heard the advice that you shouldn't write as you speak. When we talk, our sentences are often clipped, full of pauses or ums and ahs, and depending on how quickly our mind is moving,...
Authors, You NEED a Website!
As we witness an upheaval taking place across the social media landscape, it’s important for authors to have a website to serve as the centerpiece of their author brand presence. For many, it sounds...
Create Flawed Characters
Don’t be afraid to get rough with your characters, even if—no, especially if—you love them. If you make their path too easy, your novel will suffer. Why? Because characters who are perfect, or who...
Let Your Story Come to You However it Wants
Think of your story like a puzzle. We don't put pieces together in a specific order. Some people dive in, some look for corners or edges, working inward. The full picture will come together...
Trust Your Creative Gut
Writing one scene but thinking of another? You risk losing a great idea if you force yourself to work on one thing when your mind is itching to work through other ideas. Trust your creative gut and...
Plan Your “Freebies” Early
Writers, you should start thinking about your marketing strategy early—even while you're still revising. Cutting major chapters and scenes? Don't throw them away! Save them in a separate file and...
Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate
If an editor (or cover designer, illustrator, book formatter, etc.) seems out of your price range, don't give up! Ask if they have another service that you could benefit from, or if they provide a...
Know Your World
What YOU know about your world and your characters should be greater than what makes it to the page. If you find yourself explaining every little detail (or info dumping), step back and ask what you...
Developmental Editing vs. 1:1 Workshopping: Which is Right for You?
Not sure which of my services is right for your story? This is a question I get often when someone first reaches out, and the answer comes down to your goal for your work. Are you looking: ✨ to...
Make Sure Your Scenes Are DOING Something
In genre fiction, each scene you write should be moving your plot forward. That doesn’t mean it’s all about the ACTION—you also need time for REACTION. (These are sometimes referred to as "scene"...
Do Your Research
“Write what you know” is often taken literally, but it can also be interpreted to mean that you should have a clear understanding of the world in which your story takes place, as well as who your...
Utilize Mindfulness During Revision
Accept even before you begin writing that the final draft of your story or manuscript will likely look very different from the first draft. There are variations on the saying "writing is revising,"...
Cherish Your Wins
Keep track of kind words that you receive and all of your successes—even the little ones. They help lift you up on the down days, but they may also be important in the future. Take my experience as...
Own Your Writing Process
There’s a lot of advice out there telling writers what the process should look like: Get up early. Write X amount of words or hours per day. Write slow. Write fast. Throw out the first draft. But...
Publish Short Stories to Grow Readership
If you enjoy writing short stories in addition to full manuscripts, publishing in popular literary magazines is a great way to start growing your readership and establish yourself within your...
Standard Picture Books Page Counts
Picture book signatures are printed in multiples of 8, thus picture books typically having 24, 32, 40, or 48 pages. The most common page count is 32. The first 3 pages, however, are for front matter...
Advanced Reader Copies = Advertising Write-Off
There was a lot of fuss about advanced reader copies (ARCs) over in the Twitter-sphere recently, and whether or not a reviewer is committing theft by accepting an ARC and not providing a review. The...
Consistent Verb Tenses
Note: This tip was requested by a follower over on Twitter (Aug. 3, 2023 Update: RIP little bird). Copy editors, please step in to add tips if you have them! Keeping verb tenses consistent and in...
Using Mentor Texts
Looking to improve your writing and style? Try copying out a short excerpt of writing by an author whose work you enjoy. This is called using a “mentor text” and gives you an opportunity to think...
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