• Top 5

    Top 5 questions all future authors ask

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    There are 5 top questions all future authors ask themselves. For many, this process actually started months or even years ago; they question their ability to write a book. While every person who desires to write a book asks themselves these types of questions, not everyone takes the time to find the answers. Here are the top questions future authors often consider when deciding whether or not to write. Is my book worth publishing? Everyone questions if their book is a good idea. Even some of the most successful authors found themselves asking that question of their own book before it became a…

  • Introducing Xulon’s New Editorial Critique Service

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    In 2014, the most helpful feedback that the editorial department received from our authors was that they wished they could have received more in-depth feedback on their manuscripts prior to going into editing and production. The manuscript review was of course helpful, but it wasn’t the thorough read-through and analyzation of a book’s content, structure, characterization, and so forth, like many authors may desire to receive. While some authors are fine with a short overview and review of their book, there are some that truly want to improve their book, have their strengths identified in detail as well as their areas of improvement with…

  • perfectionism

    Perfectionism Kills Books!

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    As the Director of Acquisitions here at Xulon Press, I can honestly say I love what I do. There is no greater reward than helping a budding author envision their book and bring it to reality. But I often note a common factor holding writers back. Perfectionism. People think they have to make their book perfect before they can even consider publishing. Now, I am not saying an author shouldn’t work on making his or her book the best it can be, but I am saying the fear of perfectionism kills books. Here’s what I commonly hear: I am not an expert…

  • How to Show Emphasis Without Typing in All-Capitals

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    As an editor here at Xulon Press, I have read hundreds of manuscripts. Maybe even thousands. However, the top three things that I’ve seen on a consistent basis is: overuse of the exclamation point, misuse of the semicolon, and capitalizing words and phrases in order to convey emphasis to the reader. While we’ve covered the first two, we haven’t covered what it means to capitalize entire words and phrases, so allow me to explain. It’s pretty well-known that if someone says something to you through text, email, instant message, or any other written/typed communication in all capitals, it means they’re…