For the Love of Bringing Books to Life: Write, Publish, and Be Known
How to Edit a Nonfiction Book…One Step at a Time
Editing your how-to book or memoir is crucial for writing a compelling, clear and successful book. Yet, writers often feel overwhelmed when they even think about editing a book. While I highly recommend hiring a qualified book editor (get references), you will actually get much more out of the experience if you do some of your own editing first. Then your book editor can focus on the finer points of the writing. To be clear, I am not talking about early stage developmental editing (structuring the book). Ideally, that should be done at the start of your process if you[...]
Writing, Editing and Style: How Important is Tight Writing and Structure?
I recently finished reading a moving memoir I happened upon through a newsletter subscriber. It’s written by an artist and I felt as if I were visiting with an old friend, vicariously enjoying her friendships and journey of personal growth. The writing wasn’t crisp or particularly well organized, but I enjoyed the book just the same for the way the author’s openness, attitude and artist’s perspective shined through every word and the extreme experiences she survived and even thrived in. It got me to thinking about writing quality and what standards we might have for ourselves as authors. Does[...]
How to Edit a Book: How Many Times Should I Edit?
I just got off the phone with one of my Bring Your Book to Life students, who’d asked, “How many times should I edit my manuscript?” Often, people think an edit or two will do it. The problem is, you can’t look at all editing issues at once. You often need to read the manuscript looking at one or two particular issues and then go through another time for another issue. Here are some editing tips: 10 ways to focus as you go through each iteration of editing: 1. For example, you might do a first edit for how the[...]
Is Your Book a RISK? More Gems from the Harvard Course
As promised, here’s another important insight from the Harvard Medical School CME publishing course. I’ll share something Regina Brooks, from Serendipity Literary Agency shared with me. Over dinner at Stephanie’s on Newbury Street, Rusty Shelton, Regina and I discovered just how much we had in common when we all ordered the same thing on the menu (home made pasta with wild mushrooms, vegetables, crab and parmesan). Clearly, we all have good taste (at least in my opinion). Regina said that editors at publishing houses are not taking chances on anything risky. They’re nervous that if they come to the editorial[...]
Listen to Your Writing Coach on Positive Living Radio
I just got off the phone with Patricia Raskin. We were planning my monthly spotlight appearances on her show Positive Living which you can hear Sundays from 12-2 on WPRO Providence (99.7 FM, 630 AM or live streamed). We have six fun and informative 7-minute interviews planned: March 8: Join the internet revolution and put your writing online. April 12: Learn my 5 step system for Writing in the Zone. May 10: Learn how several of my clients have transformed their lives through writing (a preview of my seminar on May 13 as part of Aspire Magazine’s Inspiring Women Speaker[...]
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