• Why Do Authors Pay Per Word For Editing?

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    Many authors often ask us, “Why do editors charge per word for their services?” This is a valid question with an answer that may come as a surprise. I’ll do my best to explain this without getting too complicated. Editors charge per word because any time an editor edits a manuscript they read every word. Regardless of whether they end up making a correction to it or not. It’s more than just reading. They don’t just stop there. The editor does a lot more than just read every word. Every word is interpreted and dissected within the sentence to analyze what the author is…

  • Said Is Dead: 141 Synonyms for “Said”

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    You are doing everything possible to make your writing better, tighter, and more interesting, but are you still using “dead words?” These are words that are simply just too plain, bland, and vague to be included in your awesome writing. One of the most notorious “dead words” is “said.” But dialogue is important! I hear you. It is also important to show readers exactly how something is communicated. Think: what emotion is behind this dialogue? What picture do I want to paint? This is where synonyms come in handy.  To help you get started, we compiled a list of alternatives to the dreaded “said.” With this…

  • 75 synonyms for the word "looked".

    Well Looky Here! 75 Different Synonyms for the Word “Look”

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    It’s easy to find yourself stuck when writing—you want to add color, depth, and description to your writing, but that requires, well, you know, words. Sometimes those words are hard to conjure up! We definitely get it. To help you out, here are 75 different synonyms to use instead of the word “looked.” (A word which can be used a few different ways, so for good measure we’ve given you a little bit of everything). So throw those watered-down verbs out the window, and start plugging these synonyms for “looked” into your writing today!

  • Why Social Media Posts Do Not Make A Book

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    Since I began working at Xulon almost three years ago, I’ve noticed trends come and go from the hundreds–wait, probably thousands by now–of manuscripts I’ve read, reviewed, critiqued, and edited. Recently, one of the trends I’ve noticed is authors turning their social media posts into books. Allow me to explain. There are so many social media platforms now, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or Snapchat, they’re all here to serve a different purpose: post pictures, post videos, post a status, or send a message. While their deliveries may vary (pictures, videos, 140-character limit status), they all serve one person:…