• There are 2 crucial steps before your manuscript is sent off for editing. The first is self-editing. Here are our top 10 tips for how to self-edit your w...

    How To Self-Edit Your Manuscript

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    A common thought among first-time writers is that once they finish writing their book it’s ready to go straight to a professional editor. However, there are two crucial steps that need to take place before you ship your manuscript off for editing. The first is that you must do a few rounds of self-editing yourself. This is the time to read your book as if you’ve never seen it before. Look for plot issues and other trouble spots that could trip your readers up. Take the time to delete material that doesn’t need to stay, run spell check, look for…

  • Here’s a trusty list of grammar rules. Keep them at your writing workspace, so you can easily refer back to the list any time you get stuck: ... 1. Use...

    10 Grammar Rules for Every Writer

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    Seasoned writers will tell you it’s okay to break grammar rules as long as you know the right way to break them. Lazy writers often quote that same phrase to avoid learning correct grammar in the first place. I’m a firm believer that you must know the rules before you bend them. So, here’s a trusty list of my favorite grammar rules. Keep them at your writing workspace, so you can easily refer back to the list any time you get stuck: 1. Use “All right” not “Alright.” Alright isn’t actually a word even though it turns up in a…

  • A common mistake my editing eye has picked up on is the use of filler words. These words elongate your book but don't advance your story. Here are 10 wor...

    10 Filler Words to Cut from Your Manuscript

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    Editing your own writing will never be the easiest part of the writing journey, but knowing what to look for can make the task a whole lot simpler. Working with the publishing company Xulon Press for a decade now has taught me a lot to say the least. A common mistake my editing eye has picked up on is what I like to call the use of filler words. Excessive use of these words elongates your manuscript but does not advance your story.  As a rule of thumb, avoid using words that end in -ly, such as quickly, readily, suddenly,…

  • Working With an Editor

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    The editing process is by far the most nerve-wracking part of the book journey for any writer. Thankfully with the help of our team of professional editors (with decades of real-world editing experience) we have compiled 10 tips for working with an editor.  1. Plan ahead. You know you’re going to need some level of editing for your manuscript before it’s published. So make sure to make a plan early on to begin saving up for a minimum of one round of editing at the “line-editing” level. This middle-of-the-road edit allows your editor to do a lot more than just…