• stack of books with plant as bookend and in front of white wall; Do I Need an Epilogue?

    Do I Need an Epilogue?

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    If you read a lot of novels, you’ve seen that some authors will use an epilogue at the end of their books. The sole purpose is to tie up loose ends from your story — or potentially set the readers up to expect a sequel. An epilogue has to be strong if it’s going to make it through a round of professional editing. If it’s not, you may get a note back from your editor that it needs to be incorporated into the actual ending of your novel. That’s the tricky part about epilogues — it can’t be used to hide the fact…

  • Rise of the Hero: Writing the Hero’s Journey Arc

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    Imagine this. A youth who lives a carefree life is suddenly thrust into a situation where they must leave behind everything they know to embark on a journey full of uncertainties and dangers to accomplish a specific task. Along the way, they meet companions and other unusual characters who either aid them or try to stand in their way. The events that unravel during this journey all lead up to one ultimate decision, one ultimate goal to make what had ultimately gone wrong right again. The youth succeeds, becoming a hero in the process, and they are rewarded with the…

  • woman sitting in front of laptop with headphones on, looking stressed; Footnotes vs. Endnotes

    Footnotes vs. Endnotes…Wait, They Aren’t the Same?

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    No, footnotes and endnotes are not the same, but both can be helpful in adding organization, structure, and even more personality to any written work, regardless of the genre. Our editorial team here at Xulon Press see footnotes and endnotes in many author’s works for several different reasons. Understanding which to use in your manuscript can help you enhance your piece and show readers that you know what you are doing. Here are some distinctive components of each that will help in choosing the right fit. Footnotes Traditionally, footnotes are utilized for academic material, like textbooks, or functional material, like…

  • Substack is an online platform that looks and feels a little bit like a blog, but it also operates as a subscription-based email newsletter. More and mor...

    What is Substack?

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    What is Substack and how is Xulon Press using the platform? What is Substack? It is an online platform that looks and feels a little bit like a blog, but it also operates as a subscription-based email newsletter. More and more creators, journalists, and news outlets are using the platform to publish their work. To follow a creator or channel on Substack, you’ll only need to enter your email address. From there, Substack does the work for you and will deliver every new article to your email inbox from the writer or company you subscribed to. Is Substack Free? Substack…