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Get the Support You Need

ByJennifer Lawler

How do you get the support you need as a writer? Well, here’s how to know when it’s not the support you need.

Get the Support You Need: A Little Horror Story

When I was an acquisitions editor, I heard from an author who wanted to pull her book from publication because her friends had found a bunch of errors in the ARC (that’s the Advanced Reading Copy of a book, which is sent out to reviewers before the book is published).

Of course, I was concerned, as I had seen nothing but a handful of typos typical of an ARC and asked if the friends could provide further information about what they’d seen.

They couldn’t because it was just a joke—a little prank they were playing on the author, who was absolutely devastated by what they did.

This story still haunts me years later.

If you can’t be happy for your friend’s success, then just STFU.

If your friends can’t be happy for your success, and they can’t STFU, then you need new friends.

foundations of storytelling for writers to get the support you need.

Tips for Editors & Writers

  • Editing Romance: Getting the Plot(s) Right

    In a romance, the overt plot (what the story is basically about: finding the gold, winning the election, saving the family farm) and the romance plot (the two main characters falling in love) must work together to send the story on a specific trajectory. The overt plot and the romance plot must intersect in ways

    Read more…

  • 6 Tips for Working with Book Publisher or Packager Clients

    I’ve worked with a number of book publisher and book packager clients over the years and I’ve found a few basic rules help ensure that I complete each project satisfactorily. You may find them helpful, too. #1. Understand your role. If an author has asked whether the plot entertains you and you tell them they

    Read more…

  • Focusing on What You Can Control

    Every now and then a topic comes up that gets a fair amount of discussion in freelance editor groups. One of these is the question of authors thanking their editors in the acknowledgments section of their book. And there are a lot of editors out there trying to convince indie authors that they have to

    Read more…

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