Lisa Tener

Book Writing Coach

editor

The Exhilaration of Working with a Mentor-Editor

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Perhaps you’ve heard me mention that this year I am working with a mentor-editor on my poetry with a goal of creating a poetry book for publication in 2026.

Journals and journals of unedited poetry!

I’ve written poetry since childhood but have never submitted my poems to journals or figured out quite what to do with them.

Gjertrud Schnakcenberg

I loved taking poetry classes, particularly an introductory writing class at MIT with Gjertrud Schnackenberg.

I enjoyed writing poems in Jean Valentine‘s class, although she did not inspire me as a teacher, and I am pretty sure I did not inspire her as a student. When I shared what was to my mind my most shallow poem, she told me I’d found my voice—other than that, not much encouragement. Gjertrud, on the other hand, was moved by both my prose and poetry, and I felt seen and invigorated by her feedback.

Beyond college, I’ve participated in writing groups or poetry groups, as well as occasional classes (thank you, [the late] Harold Bond!). I enjoy revising poems after group feedback, as well as being part of a community that listens and shares our poetry and responses.

At the same time, I’m overwhelmed by the sheer volume of poems I write, which can range from zero (most days) to a couple of poems to five or a dozen or over twenty in one sitting! Whew.

I have journals and journals full of poems, and it’s only in the past few years that I’ve committed to going through and typing many of them in.

Searching for an editor and mentor for publishing my poems

I’ve wanted to find an editor for my poetry for years now. I tried one editor but he was more interested in punctuation and grammar than providing the deeper dive I needed.

When I met the poet Nadia Colburn at Omega Institute, while I was studying Qigong, I stumbled upon an evening program open to all visitors, even those not enrolled in her poetry workshop. Hearing her read her poems, I felt a sense of kindred spirit. I bought a copy of each of her books and eagerly began reading that night. Wow!

Nadia also led us in several engaging poetry writing exercises with prompts.

I asked Nadia about working with her, and a few months later, she announced a year-long poetry mentorship as a way to get the one-on-one guidance I sought.

More than just guidance, an editor can be a partner.

In a recent one-on-one editing session with Nadia, I felt the thrill of finding the poem within the poem.

  • Some poems we just tweaked–improving a word here and there, deleting a few lines.
  • A couple we left as is.
  • When she found a cliche, or phrase that felt trite, Nadia helped me wordsmith to find fresher ways to express the feeling or idea.
  • Other times, it was about precision: “Is this word expressing what the poem wants to say? Does the word fit with what you expressed earlier?”
  • Some of the most satisfying work, though, was when Nadia suggested cutting whole sections and simplifying a poem to its essence.
  • In several poems, Nadia suggested changing where a line ends. I tend to write very short lines and felt awed by how the rhythm and feel of a poem shifted as she brought lines together and we experimented with various line breaks, reading the results aloud to compare. I even learned a new word—enjamb—when a phrase is broken in the middle with a line break!

Do you need an editor for your book, articles or poems?

Could you use:

  • A thought partner to help you develop your ideas?
  • An expert to guide you from the beginning?
  • An editor to show you where you need to develop your work (sections to expand upon, ways to make the writing come to life, ways to make it more engaging and/or experiential, suggestions to reorganize the work for greater clarity and flow)?
  • A line editor to help you wordsmith for clarity of meaning, precision, brevity, reading pleasure and more?
  • Publishing guidance: how, where and when to publish your work, as well as steps to take; how to know what’s the best path for you?

Consider hiring an editor or working with a writing coach/editor to help you succeed in your writing and publishing goals. One of the many enjoyable aspects of my work is helping emerging authors and writers get the support they need by providing referrals to my talented, skilled, and experienced colleagues. Feel free to reach out to me for a referral. (Note: I do receive a commission from the editor/coach for some referrals; this pays for my time for marketing and ascertaining needs, setting expectations, etc.). You may also like to read 7 Questions to Ask an Editor Before You Hire Yours.

Writing Overwhelm? How to Write Your Way Out of “The Messy Middle”

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Are you experiencing writing overwhelm?

There’s a place in the writing process that my friend and colleague, Stuart Horwitz refers to as “the messy middle,” where you may feel overwhelmed and stuck.

For me, that messy middle period can drag out to months or years. It can stop a project in its tracks. The overwhelming messy middle, the bane of my existence as a writer.

Writing On the Other Side of Overwhelm

Goodbye overwhelm. Hello ease!

Today, though, I’m on the other side, returning to all the holes in my manuscript and filling them in with the perfect random tidbit I’d filed away at the end of the manuscript. Or new inspiration bursts forth to tie everything in the chapter together.

An exercise I thought might fit in Chapter 12 wanders into Chapter 14 and a more perfect fit takes its place in the current chapter.

What once felt overwhelming and truly almost stopped me from completing my book has faded to a distant memory.

But wait, how did I get here? What can I share with you (and my future self) if we find ourselves in the messy middle (again)?

Writing Your Way Out of Overwhelm

Feels so good!

So, how do you do it? Get from writing overwhelm to inspired flow? Here are a few tips from your writing coach:

  1. Consistency: You won’t always feel like writing but if you write consistently 5-7 mornings a week, as creativity coach Eric Maisel suggests, (or even some other number but you are consistent) you’ll experience some flow days.
  2. Faith and Trust: Some days you will likely feel frustrated and uninspired. You may look at your writing and question whether you should even attempt writing a book. At least, I’ve felt that way (and not in the distant past, just the other day). Your faith can carry you through bad writing days, trusting that inspiration is on its way. It’s okay to write things that never make it into your book. It’s still practice.
  3. Focus on One Thing: If you focus on the whole of the book and all the many things you need to do, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Focus on one specific thing–writing up an anecdote that brings certain material to life for instance. Or telling a story about the most recent medical research relevant to that chapter’s topic. Stay focused.
  4. File Stuff Away: My current manuscript has over twenty pages of “I don’t know where this goes or if it even belongs in the book” writing. I’ve been filing it at the end of the manuscript and looking it over when I need another story or anecdote for a chapter, seeing if it fits. For me it works great and most of the previously called “random material” at the back now has found a home. I like having this material in the manuscript so it’s easy to find but you can also place it in a separate file.
  5. Hire an Editor or Writing Coach or Find a Trusted Beta Reader from Your Target Market: If you have a fair amount written and you feel stuck because you’re not sure it’s working, it may be time to hand your writing over to a beta reader, writing coach or editor for feedback. Some people wait until they have a full first draft but it’s up to you; you can do it much sooner if needed.

Organizing Through the Messy Middle

Make notes about the stories and lessons in each chapter. Have a printed copy of your outline with chapter notes by your side as you work through revisions.

When you come to a confusing or messy section, ask yourself if there’s a more fitting place in the manuscript for the messy material. Also, does some of the material in other chapters fit better here than what you currently have in the messy spot?

I prefer working with hard copies but it’s also easy to have two documents on your screen (manuscript and outline) if you prefer to work digitally.

When I arrived at the messy middle phase, it felt like a slog. However, by the second round of editing, at some point I could feel the momentum of the project carry me. The energy felt different, a sense of the different parts falling into place.

In fact, although I thought I was mostly done writing new material, several times I experienced something unusual that found its way into the book and strengthened the chapter it went into.

It felt like my life unfolded in order to give me a great story for a chapter I’d been working on–an invitation to a gong bath materialized overnight; my friends summoned me to meditate at their magical farmhouse at four in the morning, a quirky dream woke me up in the middle of the night and begged to be recorded.

Your Turn

Where are you in the process of writing a book? What challenges are coming up? How are you working through them? Any insights to share? Share your comments and questions!

 

 

Haven’t Heard Back: Is It Okay to Call an Editor?

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Your Book Writing Coach

One of my clients sent a pitch for a blog post to a very large public blog that would be perfect for her audience. She didn’t hear back.

She called the editor and left a brief message. Good thing she did. The e-mail had been mis-routed and the editor had never received it. The editor sent an e-mail thanking her for the call, telling her about the mistake and saying she’d be in touch early next week.

You certainly don’t want to be obnoxious in contacting editors, but if you’ve pitched a blog post or story and haven’t heard back, it’s certainly appropriate to make sure they received your e-mail and mention a brief sentence or two about the pitch.

It’s just too easy for e-mails to end up in never-never land. And it’s important to get your message out there. Be polite. Be brief. But sure–make that call.

How Much Time Does it Take to Write a Book?

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Your Book Writing Coach Lisa Tener
Your Book Writing Coach Lisa Tener

An aspiring author recently called me to explore writing coaching to help him write his book. He wondered about hiring a ghostwriter. Generally, I’m all about writing your book yourself. I’ve met too many people who’ve hired ghostwriters and been disappointed.

And most relatively smart people can develop an engaging (or even compelling) style and find their authentic voice as a writer by learning a few important skills with the help of a writing coach or editor. The only reasons to hire a ghostwriter is if you’ve gotten solid expert help and you still can’t write or you just don’t have the time.

This person didn’t have much time. His question was critical. Could he find the time to write his book?

enjoy-writing

It can take years to write a book and I know people who’ve written books in a manner of weeks. In my book writing classes, some students have a first draft within eight or ten weeks. Some never finish at all; others can take months to write their book.

Writing a book as quickly as eight weeks assumes that either you don’t need to do much research for the book, or you write your first draft without doing much research and then you do the research afterward (or have someone else do some of the research for you).

You’ll write faster (and you’ll write a better book)  if you spend time before the writing to clarify your goals in writing a book, the audience or market for the book, the book concept, including features, tone, how the book fits in with what’s currently out there, and the outline of your book.

How fast you write a book also depends on how much time you commit per week. However, just because you devote yourself full time to writing doesn’t mean you’ll have your book any sooner than someone who has a full time job. Sometimes the people with demanding jobs are the best at making the most of the 30 or 90 minutes a day they devote to writing a book.

While I can’t tell you how long it will take you to write your book, I do know that those who consistently make writing appointments in their calendars and hold themselves to it (often with the support of a writing buddy, book coach or a book writing class) can often predict, after a few weeks, how soon they’ll have a first draft.

This proud author wrote his book in record time. And he swears he didn't hire a ghostwriter.
This proud author wrote his book in record time. And he swears he didn't hire a ghostwriter.

If you’re wondering how long it will take to write a book, I suggest you spend time to clarify the market and book concept, outline the book and then write for two to three weeks. Be consistent about your weekly commitment and see how much you accomplish in that time. At that point you should be able to project how long it will take you to complete writing your book.

If, in that time, you get little accomplished, you’ll also realize it’s a good idea to reach out for more help in whatever form works best for you–writing buddy, writing group at a local library, a book writing class, an editor or a writing coach.

Just get started and your answer will become clearer. And, at some point, you’ll know exactly how long it takes to write your book–you’ll be holding that book in your hands.

Write a Book with Someone Famous?

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Writing Coach Lisa Tener
Writing Coach Lisa Tener

One of my clients sent me an e-mail tempted to invest $2,700 to $5,500 to be a contributor in a book that would feature articles by three famous authors (I won’t name names here) and a whole bunch of other “investors” who would get their articles published.

The e-mail touts this as a fast way to become a bestselling author, and you’ll make your money back when you sell the 50 books they send you. Sounds good, right?

I’ve talked to authors who’ve done this deal and those I talked to were not happy with their results. The books are quite expensive to purchase and, because they’re written as a sales tool without much thought to audience, there’s not a huge pull for people to actually buy them. One author said she still has 35 of her 50 copies piled in her closet.

Now, you can give them away but just about everyone who gets one will know how you got published. Very few people will be under the mistaken impression that you were approached by Mr. Very Famous Author to contribute to his new book because of your expertise in the field. No offense.

You can guess my opinion on the whole deal–it’s a fantastic deal–for the company that sells these.

Wendy Walker, Editor of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms
Wendy Walker, Editor of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms

However, I do think there’s a much easier way to capitalize on a terrific brand. Last year, Wendy Walker sent me an e-mail inviting me to submit to Chicken Soup for the Soul–Power Moms. Not only did I submit a story but I told several clients to submit something, many of whom had no publishing credits to date, but were good writers.

Now, they are about to become published authors with a well known brand. They can use this credit to get publicity on TV, Radio, the internet and in print, and they can use it to build their platform and strengthen their book proposal for the full book that they’re currently writing. All this will make it much easier to get a literary agent and a publisher for their book.

With a Chicken Soup for the Soul book, your credibility is much greater than these pay and publish anthologies–everyone knows you’re not paying to be in the book. You have the power of an immensely popular brand behind your writing, there’s a huge marketing team getting your name out there (your bio in the book can include your website and other information about the services you provide)–it’s a win-win for everyone.

By Contributing to a Chicken Soup book, you become associated with a powerful brand.
By Contributing to a Chicken Soup book, you become associated with a powerful brand.

How to do it? Go to the Chicken Soup for the Soul website and click on the submit a story link (or just click here). You’ll find information on upcoming books you can submit stories for, as well as instructions on how to submit. My advice is to hire a good editor or writing coach so that you increase your chances of getting into the book. I’m happy to provide a referral if you’re looking for someone (just e-mail me at bookcoach@lisatener.com).

What’s the pay? $200 and 10 books. Not much money but that’s not the point, is it?

Let me know when you get in!

How to Choose an Editor

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As a comment to an earlier blog post, Deb Scott asked what kind of editor to hire before self-publishing her book.

I recommended hiring a good copy editor, because you want to edit for style, organization and format, as well as grammar and punctuation. It seemed to me though, that I shouldn’t give you some advice about the kind of editor to hire without suggesting how you might hire the right editor, as opposed to the wrong one.

I’ve had people come to me who’ve spent thousands of dollars on editing and they know they need to start all over again. They threw their money away.  It’s painful to hear about it and I don’t want it to happen to you. Follow these rules and you should do okay:

1. If you can, get a recommendation from someone who got their book traditionally published or knows good editor from bad.

2. Make sure the editor is familiar with your genre. You don’t want someone who only does how-to books to edit your memoir.

3. Find out what other books they’ve edited.

4. Ask the editor questions about their previous experience. What kinds of things have they done for recent clients (helped organize the material more clearly, helped the writer draw out the anecdotes better, helped the author show vs. tell, etc.)?

5. You may want to ask for a sample of their work.

If you feel you still need more information before making your decision, see if they’ll let you pay for the first chapter before committing to the entire manuscript.

As I think I mentioned in the earlier comment, don’t hire a POD or printing company to edit your book. They will usually look for the cheapest person around because they generally compete on price, not quality. The result is most often a book that doesn’t even seem edited at all.

You should ask about the person’s rates–is it by the page, the word or the hour? Can you get a quote on the project ahead of time? You may want to get several quotes. The ranges are quite varied–you usually get what you pay for, but don’t assume that a higher price always means higher quality–do your due diligence and get references.

Questioning Your Book

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Lisa Tener
Lisa Tener
I received an e-mail today from someone who was looking for an editor–sort of.

In her e-mail she complained that she’d already spent thousands of dollars on a book proposal that agents told her was terrific but that there was no market for–unless she was someone famous. [Note: I had not helped her with the book proposal–someone else had done that–she came to me looking for an editor so she could self publish].

She also wondered whether she was smart to even be looking for an editor. Was the book really as good as people said it was? Was she wasting her time and money?

I gave her the name of a terrific editor who was within her budget. But I also offered a bit of unsolicited advice, which I then decided to share with my writing blog readers. This author was wise to get writing feedback from experts and her audience. It’s important to see where you’re on track with the writing and where it doesn’t work for readers. Yet, it’s equally important not to look for validation from others for what you know in your heart.

Yes, get an editor or expert to provide detailed feedback, but don’t allow criticism to penetrate so deeply that you lose faith in your project.

In my experience, writing a book brings up a person’s past issues. Writing a book is about fully expressing yourself, being big in the world, being seen, being in your power. If you sometimes got stuck in victim mode in the past, or your parents or teachers gave you the message to suppress your brilliance, writing a book is going to bring up those old tapes.

Time to release those old messages around self-esteem, personal power and self expression.  Step into your power. The faster you release the past, the faster and easier will be your rise to success.

Enjoy your brilliance. Write. Publish. And have a great day.

Please share your experiences as a comment to the blog!

Answers to Kathi’s Questions about Agents and Publicity Expenses

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I often hear questions about literary agents’ fees and book promotion expenses, such as those asked by Kathi McKnight in response to my last post. I’m sure many of my readers, students and writing coaching clients are burning to know the answers; so, rather than answer them in a comment, I decided to write a new post and address them in detail:

1.  Do you pay literay agents up front if they say they want to represent you? No. A literary agent receives a percentage of your royalties. Usually that’s 15%, but in some cases, such as if you already have a publisher interested and the agent just negotiates the contract,  you can sometimes negotiate something lower, like 10%.

However, are there literary agents out there who will charge an up front fee? Yes. Be wary of them. It’s not an acceptable practice. They may even claim to have been in on the biggest successes out there, but they just can’t give you references because all their work is confidential. I recently met someone who plunked down $50,000 for such a scam, and is still waiting, a year later, for anything to happen. A bona fide agent will not charge you such up front fees. If you need an editor for your book proposal, hire a separate editor, not an “agent” who charges up front and promises to make you big. These are two separate jobs, for good reason.

2.  Are many of the expenses that come in the publishing of the book, usually covered in the advance if you are fortunate enough to get one as a first time author? This is another excellent question, Kathi. A first time author can generally expect an advance of $3,000 – $5,000. That probably won’t even cover your publicity expenses. Let me break your question down into two areas: Your author’s advance and your expenses.

Do some authors get more than $5,000? Yes. Some things that might take you over the top:

  • A book that goes to auction–it’s so hot that several publishers bid against each other.
  • An author with a big platform: a huge mailing list or internet presence, a national TV or radio show, a national column with a large readership
  • A book that has that special something – publishers often have a second sense, or intuition, in knowing when a book has the potential to hit it really big
  • A book that fills a gap for a very focused niche audience that’s easy to reach
  • An author with strong corporate relationships and the likelihood of large bulk sales to corporations

Recently, one of my writing coaching clients was offered a mid-five figure advance, as a first time author, so there are certainly instances of higher advances. It truly depends on how much of a “sure thing” the publisher expects the book to be.

To address Kathi’s concern about expenses, you might wonder, “What can I expect to spend in promoting my book? It’s a great question. Certainly, you’ll want to hire a publicist–publishers rarely put in the resources to promote a first time author. For a solid publicity campaign, expect to spend between $10,000 and $25,000 or more, depending on your goals. This is not a place to skimp if you can help it.

Many TV shows don’t have a budget for traveling guests. That means you might travel to the studio on your own dime.

You may not even make up your expenses in book sales, which brings us to another point: Don’t focus on making your money on the book’s sales. You’ll probably make most of your money on the opportunities that come out of the book: public speaking, teaching courses and seminars, private consultations, new ventures, etc.

Your book is part of your marketing plan for your business. You should have a business plan for how your book will earn you money in addition to book sales.

More questions for the writing coach? Ask away–post a comment and I promise to answer!

What a Great Time to Invest…in Yourself

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Someone told me yesterday that he lost millions in the stock market. Guess what? The stock market peak is not actually money in your pocket–it’s the concept of money he lost. Money invested anywhere holds a risk and everyone seemed to have forgotten that until a few weeks ago.

Now, I’m no financial analyst, but this past year, I’ve been happily investing in my business: in courses, conferences and other professional development–learning more about web 2.0, social networking, seo and other not-so-esoteric information. I’ve been investing in a consultant to help me with my business, people to help me with my website and course development and even a writing coach / editor for a book outside my genre.

How are you investing in yourself?

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