Ask the Editor

4 Reasons Your Book Needs An Introduction

Filed in Writing Tips by Blair Townley on March 14, 2016 • 0 Comments

Introductions are important when you are first meeting a person, for if he/she didn’t tell you who he/she was, how could you go about continuing your conversation? The same applies to introductions in books; if a reader isn’t properly “acquainted” with a book from the start, the rest of the “conversation” (or reading of […]

Citations 101: What Goes In Your Book’s Bibliography?

Filed in Writing Tips by Taylor Graham on March 9, 2016 • 0 Comments

In college, I took my papers to the writing center solely to have my bibliographies checked. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember what goes in a citation within the text, what goes in the bibliography, or the proper punctuation within the two. I was always amazed at the students who worked in the […]

Great Beginnings: How You Should Start Your Next Novel

Filed in Writing Tips by Elaine Retty on March 7, 2016 • 0 Comments

By your side is a ratty notebook, bruised black and blue with the smeared ink of furiously scribbled ideas that came to you at midnight, dotted with translucence from the epiphany you had about your villain, while still wet from a shower. You’ve finally decided to write the story that has been stirring around in your […]

Writing Tips: 5 Things Every Devotional Should Contain

Filed in Writing Tips by Taylor Graham on February 19, 2016 • 2 Comments

One of the most popular types of manuscripts we publish at Xulon Press is a devotional. While a writing a devotional may sound like a simple task, there are many that lack the basic “bones” every devotional needs to be successful (and most of all, helpful to the reader). So, here’s a list of what […]

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

Filed in Ask the Editor, Writing Tips by Taylor Graham on December 28, 2015 • 5 Comments

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 […]