• Multiple Narrators, One Story, No Sweat!

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    You can find it in fiction, non-fiction, even in cookbooks: more than one person narrating different portions of the book to offer various perspectives, beliefs and even manners of speaking (or writing in this case). If an author were interested in utilizing multiple narrators in his/her story, there needs to be considerations made to display the differences between the narrators. You don’t want many people supposedly narrating the story, but it appear only one person is describing the events of the story. As you craft your narration, think about the ages of the narrators. One example I came across while…

  • How to Pick the Right Title for Your Book

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    The moment has finally arrived: you’ve finished writing the book you’ve dreamed of and labored over devotedly. Now the time has come to brand it with a title and send it out into the world. But what will you call it? How can just a few words embody everything about your glorious book? Fear not, for we have a few fail-proof tips that can help you get started on the journey of picking a concise and catchy title for your book. Hook the Reader You want the title to be something epic and unforgettable. It should jump out at readers…

  • 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:…

  • Grammatical Gray Areas: Subject-Complement Agreement

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    Celebrating National Grammar Day and National Proofreading Day March is a month that calls for grammar nerds—like us—to celebrate. After all, March 4 is National Grammar Day, and March 8 is National Proofreading Day. On days like these, authors, editors, and proofreaders finally get the respect we deserve! (Oddly enough, I’m still waiting for my Grammar and Proofreading Day gifts to come flooding in. . .) In all seriousness, we editors at Xulon Press have a passion for proper grammar usage. To celebrate grammar rules and style, we’d like to discuss a not-so-rare gray area that comes up frequently in…