• What are Plot Holes and How to Avoid Them

    Plot holes can creep up in any book genre, and typically go undetected for a while. To start identifying plot holes within your work, you have to know what you’re looking for. There are a few different types of plot holes: Continuity errors Something takes place that is impossible Storylines are unresolved at the end of the book Contradictions are embedded in the writing An illogical event takes place Now, that we know what plot holes are, we need to know how to avoid them. The most helpful way to avoid plot holes is to revise your work with strong…

  • What’s a Style Guide and Which One Should I Use?

    What are Style Guides? It can get downright confusing to remember all the writing rules set in place centuries ago. That’s where style guides come in handy; a style guide is a manual that details the standards for writing, designing, and publishing various publications. There are many types of industries publishing materials within their area of expertise. Style guides are specifically created to keep writers, editors, and designers on the same page when working on a project. In your high school and college English classes, you most likely used a style called MLA, or The Modern Language Association Handbook. If you’ve done…

  • How To Self-Edit Your Manuscript

    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…

  • Writing Back Cover Copy for Your Nonfiction Book

    Writing back cover copy for nonfiction books is significantly different than writing back cover copy for fiction. Nonfiction readers care more about who is providing the information. These readers want to know they are receiving help or education from an expert on a particular topic. Nonfiction back cover copy must spell out the benefits for readers as well as the author’s expertise in order for the book to be taken seriously. Do you still feel like writing your back cover copy is as difficult as drafting your resume? Here are four tips to maximize your nonfiction back cover copy: No…