Get the Support You Need
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.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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Writing Reader Reports
Publishing companies and literary agents often use readers to screen the manuscripts they receive to help them decide if a particular manuscript is worth further consideration. I’ve written a short, one-lesson self-paced class to show you the ins-and-outs of writing reader reports as a first reader or screener. The class covers: The class also includes…
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Second-Guessing an Edit
I live in Spain, and while I’m working on my Spanish, I’m not yet fluent. The other day, my daughter and I went out to a cafe and ordered drinks and a slice of coconut cake for her. A few minutes later, the server came out and said something that I didn’t quite understand. Then…
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Work with Good Clients
The other day I finished an edit for a new-to-me publisher client and submitted my first invoice to the company as agreed. I was set up in their accounting system and paid by direct deposit the same day. That’s the sign of a client who cares about their freelancers. And it’s a good reminder that…
