Authors often use beta readers to give them feedback on their work and I think this can be a great way to get a sense of a reader’s experience of the novel. A thoughtful reader can tell you what they liked, where they got confused, plot events that struck them as implausible, or scenes where…
Let’s talk about the two biggest publishing mistakes writers make. I see these over and over again. Are you making these mistakes? Publish Mistakes Writers Make: The 2 Biggest In my many years as a book author, agent, and editor, I’ve met thousands of writers, professional and aspiring, and it has struck me that we…
One of the challenges writers often face is not knowing whether their work is on the right track. How do you know if your novel is any good? We often only vaguely understand what we mean by “Is my work any good?” And we often ask others for input – friends, family, beta readers, freelance…
We often talk about telling stories, but how to tell a story is something of a misnomer for novelists. A novelist needs to show the story. Undoubtedly you’ve heard the old advice, “Show, don’t tell.” And you may have heard that yes, indeed, you can and should sometimes tell. For example, you don’t need to…
What are the essentials needed in a query letter? These query letter must-haves are the most important pieces a query letter needs. Tips for Query Letter Must-Haves In the course of my work (as an agent, as an acquisitions editor, now as a publishing consultant), I have found that writers often overlook a few important…
Where I share the basics of how to write a novel synopsis and what exactly it is—plus a novel synopsis example for show-and-tell. What Is a Novel Synopsis? A novel synopsis is a description of the characters and storyline of an author’s manuscript. A brief synopsis runs two or three single-spaced pages, while a longer…
If you’re a self-publishing author, you know you’ll need to hire a freelance editor to make sure your manuscript is in tip-top shape. And if you’re seeking traditional publication, you may want to hire an editor before you submit to make sure your work has the best chance of success. So at some point in…
If you’re an author hoping to have your work traditionally published, it helps to know how publishers acquire novels so you can navigate the process successfully. Do be aware that while some publishers accept direct submissions from authors, many (especially bigger publishers) don’t, and you’ll need to find an agent first. Information on querying agents…
Eliminating or reducing flashbacks in your story can help with the narrative flow and keep readers interested in what’s ahead – and you want your readers to keep turning the pages! Tips for Eliminating or Reducing Flashbacks in Stories Authors like to use flashbacks to show backstory. Unfortunately, flashbacks can stop the narrative flow in…
I was recently a guest on Fabio Cerpelloni’s podcast, Open Draft, and we talked about writing and editing. He distilled our conversation down to 5 key tips for writers (and editors): 1. You won’t win every fight. And you won’t please every reader. 2. There’s no formula to being a successful writer, but mindset matters…