• Writer’s Swag Bag: 5 Fab Finds for Word Lovers

    - By 

      For those of us who call ourselves “grammar nerds” or “grammar enthusiasts,” perhaps, what’s a better way for writers to show off their pride than with a few puns? And what better gifts for book lovers?  Sure, it may go against the grain a little, but t-shirts and other merchandise that speak to your inner word lover are great conversation starters, don’t you think? Plus, I mean, who doesn’t want to walk around with a favorite punctuation mark on your t-shirt? I know I do! So, I’ve curated a list of some small business shops on Etsy that have some hip,…

  • book subscription box

    Trending Now: Book Subscriptions in a Box!

    - By 

    Subscription boxes have become the new “thing” in recent years, as there is one for just about every kind of person, hobby, age, or even your pet. Handpicked beauty products? There’s a box for that. Toys and treats for your dog? There’s a box for that. Featured wine of the month? There’s a box for that. A book of the month box for your favorite genre? There’s a box for that too—and many of them, at that! And these boxes are pretty genius, for many different reasons. First, who doesn’t love getting stuff in the mail? And I’m not only…

  • Nicholas Papanicolaou, author of Islam vs. the United States

    Author of the Month: Nicholas Papanicolaou

    - By 

     Xulon author Nicholas Papanicolaou is no stranger to hard work. Born in Athens, Greece, he came to the United States when he was sixteen to attend boarding school in Massachusetts. After earning a bachelors degree in Economics from Harvard, a masters in Business Administration from Columbia, and a doctorate in Theology from Phoenix University of Theology, he went on to a successful business career, and later made his mark as one of the founding members of the World Public Forum “Dialogue of Civilizations”, a NGO registered in Vienna. It was his international background which laid the framework for his first book, Islam…

  • Self-Editing: What To Leave On the Cutting Room Floor

    - By 

    Often when I am thumbing through submissions at Xulon, reading a manuscript for our critique service, or simply editing a whole manuscript, I quickly pick up on a lot of material that is—in a word—unnecessary. If you’ve ever gotten our Editorial Critique, Manuscript Review, or had your book edited by me, you’ve more than likely received a comment or two instructing you what to leave on the “cutting room floor.” Think of your book as a movie on a reel. From the title page to the index, from the climax to the back cover, each part of your book is in a filmstrip. When attached together,…